Leader Silviculture’s Commitment for 2024
In our last article, we discussed some things that tree planters can do to impress your crew boss and build a meaningful reputation in the Silviculture Industry. It’s a worthwhile read, and if you haven’t seen it yet, we recommend clicking here. On the other hand, there are also some things that tree planting companies should be doing for their employees, and that tree planters should be able to expect from their employers, no matter what.
Leader Silviculture is committed to being a fair employer that treats everybody with respect, and we are constantly looking for ways to improve our methods and do better as an institution. To show that we’re serious, this article explains how we’ve structured our company to build the best work environment we can for our team, and outlines some of the commitments we are making to our employees in 2024.
Our Reverse Pyramid Structure
Leader Silviculture understands that if it weren’t for our employees, our work would be impossible. Our leadership team relies on our workers much more than they rely on us, and if we aren’t providing them with what they want from an employer, they will find another job. Ultimately, this means our employees have the most control over our business’s success, and if our leaders want to succeed, we have to work with our planters.
To recognize this reality and formalize the concept, we’ve adopted a “Reverse Pyramid” leadership structure that puts our planters on the top of the food chain. The goal is to create an environment where information about how the team feels and what they need flows from the people with boots on the ground to the people who can implement the required changes.
We firmly believe that our crew bosses and site supervisor’s main job is to listen to those around them. Our planters know what our company’s problems are and what needs to be done to fix it. It’s our management team’s job to have their fingers on the pulse, listen to concerns, and communicate with leadership to make sure our planters have what they need to stay happy, healthy, and successful every day.
Leader Silviculture’s Commitment to Our Tree Planters in 2024
Respect: No matter who you are, where you come from, or how good you are at your job, you deserve to be treated with respect. As a tree planter, it can be easy to feel like a cog in a massive planting machine, however, it’s our job as your employer to make sure that your humanity is put before your productivity and everyone is treated with respect and given what they need to thrive.
Inclusivity: We shouldn’t have to say it, but we believe that anyone can be a tree planter, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else. Leader Silviculture is committed to creating an inclusive workplace that is free from discrimination and uplifts everyone on the team. Everybody deserves to feel welcome on our team, and we instruct our leadership to take action if that isn’t the case.
Transparency: Our goal is to create long-term relationships with our clients and employees. Partnerships are impossible without trust and transparency, which is why Leader Silviculture aims to be as open as we can about our operations, contracts, safety procedures, challenges, proposed solutions, and anything else that could impact our tree planter’s work. Some topics remain confidential, such as company finances, and information about your colleagues, but other than that, we will keep you in the loop with as much as we can.
Coaching & Mentorship: Improving as a tree planter is impossible without proper feedback, and because our work can be more technically challenging than many planters have experienced before, it can be difficult to succeed without proper technique. The Leader Silviculture team is comprised of planters with years of expertise in all areas of the industry. We’re committed to providing our team with excellent feedback and actionable advice for improvement, and giving ample opportunities to ask questions and learn from experienced planters on how to become more productive.
Industry Education: Even though it’s possible for planters to do their job without knowing anything about Silviculture as a whole, we believe that the best tree planters understand the context behind what they’re doing, and have some understanding of the industry at large. We provide our team with resources and education about the silviculture industry, both in relation to what our team does on a daily basis, as well as other areas of the industry. This blog is a core component of this strategy. In 2024, we’ll be going into more detail about how different areas of the industry work, and how everything fits together.
Receptive to Feedback: As important as it is to provide good feedback to our tree planters, it’s also crucial to be willing to accept feedback from our employees on how we can improve our operations. When issues arise, our goal is to provide a judgement-free method of having your voices heard. For many instances, this may be communicating with your crew boss, but for more delicate issues, we’ve also introduced an anonymous feedback form on our website that enables our team to speak their mind without fear of repercussions. Once we receive feedback, we will discuss the note with the necessary parties and work toward a solution that will solve the problem in the future.
