Most businesses have a mission statement. This is usually a brief explanation of why they are in business, their goals and where they are going. Not nearly as many companies have a set of “guiding principles.” A guiding principle is a creed your company and its employees follow in day to day operations. They can include some of the classics, such as variations on the golden rule, “Treat neighbors like you want to be treated” or they can exemplify your business stance, such as “Continuously improve and innovate.”
As with mission statements, guiding principles are often thought about, then tucked into an employee hand book where they remain indefinitely. Arcata-based Sun Valley Floral Farm doesn't follow this pattern. Believing that guiding principles only hold value when they are used, and used daily, is a foundation of Sun Valley's organization.
Full disclosure: I recently took a position at Sun Valley and at first was a little surprised by the usage of their guiding principles. Through a weekly rotation, each day has one of our 10 principles as a theme. The day's principle is mentioned at the start of meetings and it often is placed at the beginning of internal emails. I will admit, at first I thought this was a little over the top ... especially when I received my business cards and found the principles conveniently printed on the back.
Now it has been a few months here on the bulb farm, and I have found that in a chaotic and complex place such as Sun Valley, these guiding principles are more than a creed. They are kind of a daily anchor as to why we are here and what we are hoping to accomplish. With hundreds of team members, several farm locations and the very unnerving business of growing a perishable crop dependent on nature, science, market demand and luck; it is truly important to have these guiding principles.
Seeing how people treat each other on the farm has made me reflect on these principles. Perhaps everyone is just really nice? Or maybe they respect and believe in these principles. It is reflected in how they manage themselves, how they maintain their work environment and how they relate to their coworkers.
What better way for a business to set the tone for what is expected of their employees than to use a set of principles. Maintaining these principles is relatively easy, yet it gives everyone a sign post and perhaps even a moral compass to go on.
Some of the principles you would probably expect: “Be the best you can be,” “Treat team members with respect,” and “Keep our workplace safe and clean.” These principles point to specific situations and tasks, and are very literal in their essence. Others such as “Instill opportunities for all,” “Inspire others and always keep learning,” and “Foster a team culture” really ask a lot more from the team member. From the businesses' standpoint, there is an enormous amount of benefit to be gained from their employees living these principles. It really instills a “sky's the limit” mentality, whether you are a new team member learning just the right time to pick gladiolus in the field or one of our transportation experts who somehow manages to get flowers grown in the Arcata Bottoms delivered to florists and supermarkets in all 50 states, every day of the week.
The goal to any successful business is pleasing customers, and whether you sell directly to consumers or business to business, this relationship must be honored. In an extremely competitive and temperamental industry such as cut flowers, we need to uphold the customer's experience in our daily actions. “Delight and amaze our customers” resonates through the organization. The sales team focuses on keeping clients more than just satisfied, but delighted. Through the picking, grading, packaging and shipping, every step is taken to ensure that when a box of tulips or lilies arrives at its final destination, the flowers are presented as close to perfection as possible. With so many personalities and systems at work, having a principle to rely upon is the key to return sales and long relationships with customers.
The last guiding principle at Sun Valley is a trait I have seen personified in many local business owners, notably Dennis Rael, Peter Jermyn and John Monahan at Los Bagels. “Always remain humble and gracious.” Lane DeVries, the CEO of Sun Valley, lives by this creed as well. As an industry leader in the floral industry, it would be easy to be less than humble. Yet, Lane and the rest of the management at Sun Valley are down to earth people with a close connection to the soil in which their flowers are grown. The leadership of an organization being unpretentious, amiable and having time to talk with all levels of team members, leads to a more open work place. And in turn, the team members being humble and gracious makes it easier for the company to reach it's goals.
Using a set of guiding principles is a great way to set the tone for your organization. Learn more about Sun Valley's guiding principles.
Bill Prescott is the Marketing Communications Associate at Sun Valley Floral Farm.
Email: bprescott@tsvg.com
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