Digging in the Dirt - Hoeing the Weeds (Part Deux)

Digging in the Dirt - Hoeing the Weeds (Part Deux)

GREAT COMPANIES know that when they treat service organizations with respect and consideration for their business model—(how they make a profit)—their best suppliers will watch their back. Because my company is a service organization, I have a soft spot for other businesses that sell services too. Our company works hard to ensure that our best suppliers know that we understand and respect their business model. In return, these suppliers take good care of us—like an awesome printer partner we do business with.

For a variety of reasons, we recently had some files go out that were less than perfect. Because of our printer’s excellent service attitude, we didn’t eat thousands of dollars in printing costs. He was watching our back. That’s an example of good reinforcement if ever there was one. Your suppliers will hoe the weeds like there’s no tomorrow when you show them that you respect their business model and appreciate their service.

Companies that are proficient at long-range planning excel because they intimately understand the business and economic factors that their partners are anticipating. Would you like to improve your forecasting? Do you want to hedge a soft economy? Would you like to develop new strategies or service and product offerings? Spend time with your vendor partners in their garden. The insights you gain from others will make your own vision much more clear.

Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:2-3)

This garden work is tedious, and the best gardeners overlook nothing. Hoe the weeds with your suppliers to ensure you have the resources and goods you need in order to produce an awesome crop. Depend on your reinforcements.