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Predictions … They’re Scary
| Abe VanWingerden
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>> Published Date: 4/25/2012
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 I’m not a big prediction person, as too many people in today’s world throw them out there with no real knowledge of what might happen in the future. Some do it for shock value, some really think they know, and most just end up being wrong, but they don’t have to be accountable for it.
But there are five constants in our business we can all live by no matter what the futurists say will happen in the next 75 years. These aren’t predictions or futuristic beliefs; this is where we set our principles and values as a company. And if you think of other successful businesses you know, you’ll find these very relevant and existent in the companies we all admire and aspire to be like.
Quality Product/Service | We’re stuck in a world of “faster” and “more often.” While these standards are now part of what is expected of a business, we can never allow the benchmark of a quality product/service to wane. That’s true in any business, but it’s a fundamental principle in the plant business. Our consumers won’t buy if we lower the quality of the product because that’s what drives their emotional experiences, which are tied around themes like growing/love/family, and we cannot break that bond by lowering our quality standards. Our growth as an industry relies on increasing our quality standards year after year.
Hard Work | In today’s world, the common belief is that technology can supersede hard work. I don’t find that the two outweigh or counteract each other. In fact, I think they’re deeply intertwined. It’s something the next generations have to embrace because without hard work, we simply are left watching someone else succeed with a great idea we thought of but never applied the time-honored tradition of hard work to bring it to fruition. My parents and grandparents taught me that hard work never goes unrewarded. And if we can leave anything for the next generation to learn from us, it would be the great feeling and results that comes from hard work.
People As Your No. 1 Resource | As an industry, we’re built on the ideas and expertise of the generations before us. We only succeed as business owners or managers due to the hard work and dedication of our people and teams. As you think of how to grow your business, try investing in the great people you have. They pour their heart and soul into this industry, and we have to continue to develop and train them to continue to produce the great results. Every year you’re in this business, think of a new enhancement to your benefits and programs to continue to drive your people to deliver stronger results every year.
A Passion For Innovation | We can get caught in an “it-worked-last-year-so-I’m-going-to-do-it-again” cycle. As we embark on the next generation of this industry, we have to make innovation a daily task, not just a once-a-generation moment. Metrolina believes that ideas can come daily from everyone and they drive our planning and investment. Without them, we wouldn’t experience growth and efficiency. As we say, the ideas are cheap, but the execution of the best ideas is king. Only with a dedication to seeing the idea through to execution do we reap the benefits of the great ideas that our teams develop.
Integrity | As our business model becomes more and more transparent due to technology, it will be even more vital to assure you’re operating with the highest sense of integrity. Not only will you be exposed more quickly in the information age if you don’t operate with integrity, it’s ultimately the bedrock judgment of whom you are and the legacy you leave. Think of the great people that preceded us and you can count integrity as a common theme with that group. You can have great products, great people and great innovation, but if others don’t feel you’re a person and business who operates with the highest integrity, you won’t succeed in the long run.
The key to all of these five principles is that someone taught them to me over the years. As you embark into the future, remember that and focus your time on training the next generation to help continue the growth our industry needs and deserves. GT
Abe VanWingerden spent eight years working for Procter & Gamble in Sales and Marketing and is now part owner and President of Sales/Marketing at Metrolina Greenhouses, Huntersville, North Carolina.
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