The ProGrass Vision:
"Do what's right. It matters."

You have received this e-mail because you are a friend of Creative Abandon. If you would prefer not to receive future issues, just click here. Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who responded to the last Hero's Voice issue where we talked about "Giving an A" (click here to read the column). One reader responded that she is planning to use the concept to write herself a letter dated January 2008 about what she accomplished during the year. Quite an interesting twist on our typical new year's resolutions list!

The story we'd like to share this issue is about an inspiring corporate vision from one of our clients, ProGrass Landscape Care & Design (www.prograss.com). ProGrass has been in business since 1978, and what began as a residential lawn care company is now one of the largest independent landscape care companies in the United States. Recently, they gathered a team of employees to form a "focus group" which would develop a new vision for the company. The following letter from the company president, Paul Bizon, shares that vision and shows the power of "beginning with the end in mind."

Thank you ProGrass for sharing the letter and your vision!

Lisa and the Creative Abandon team

-------------------------------------------

From Paul Bizon, President of ProGrass, Inc.

Past and present, “the right thing” has been the motivation and philosophy for my personal endeavors. When the focus group began developing a new ProGrass mission statement, it was very apparent that they captured the essence of how I want us to conduct business.

Dignity and respect for others is key to our customers and each other. As production, sales and administrative functions interact each day, our obligation to embrace the golden rule towards our customers and fellow employees is essential to our success. Encourage each other to work together to meet our goals.

Valuing our customer’s opinion of our performance is vital to our growth by seeing our work through their eyes, not ours.

We cannot stub our toes by lack of communication. Be proactive, not reactive. Communicate until it hurts. Initiate communication. Do not wait for it.

This past year, we have changed our product design to encourage environmentally responsible products. It is not only the right thing to do, it is the only thing to do. We will continue to challenge the industry to promote our decision.

One of the highlights of our mission statement is a philosophy that our ancestors lived by. When they borrowed something, they brought it back in better condition than when they received it. Today, we will start living and breathing this message. Care enough to leave things better in everything we do.

Lastly, do what you said you would do. If you promise a customer something, DO IT. If you promise an employee something, DO IT. If you commit to something make certain you perform as you said you would and encourage the same conduct from your fellow employee.

Dignity, respect, communication and commitment. Do what’s right. It matters.

-------------------------------------------

JANUARY 19, 2007 | ISSUE NO. 013

The ProGrass Vision: "Do what's right. It matters."

The ProGrass Vision:
"Do what's right. It matters."