In the tree care industry, we often talk about building strong crews. But what if we thought of our entire company like a championship sports team? That’s the mindset we embraced this past year, inspired by Jack Stack’s book, “The Great Game of Business,” which outlines his economic engagement model, formerly referred to as open book management.”

A group of Harrison McPhee Inc. employees, with some showing off their bonus checks. With the whole team sharing in the rewards, engagement is up and problem solving is more collaborative. Photo courtesy of Jennifer McPhee.

The concept is simple: When every team member understands how the business works – and how their individual efforts affect the bottom line – they play smarter. Instead of top-down directives or holiday-season bonuses painstakingly calculated by company ownership, we created a game. Through weekly updates, everyone sees the scoreboard in real time. Everyone knows the plays. Everyone gets a chance to contribute ideas, fix problems and chase the win.

And here’s the kicker – when we hit our goals, the whole team shares in the rewards. If we fall short, we all understand why, discuss necessary pivots and work together to improve our score.

For us, this has been a game changer. Engagement is up. Problem solving is collaborative. Morale and confidence are energized as teammates recognize how their contributions directly affect the company’s success. And as an owner, I’ve stepped out of the uncomfortable role of calculated employee bonuses, while remaining confident that everyone is being rewarded fairly. The numbers tell the story, and the team drives the result.

Adopting the official economic engagement model may not be a perfect fit for every business. But thinking like a coach – and running your business like a team –
builds a culture where people show up, speak up and play hard for each other.

In a business where the work is tough and the stakes are high, a team mindset doesn’t just make the days more enjoyable – it builds a winning season, again and again.

Jennifer McPhee is a member of TCIA’s Board of Directors and is co-owner and dreamweaver at Harrison McPhee Inc., an accredited, 11-year TCIA member company based in Millis, Massachusetts.