Consider success and how we measure it as arborists. From a business perspective success is measured in profitability and marketshare. Some would argue success is based in the quality of the service provided and satisfying the client. Success for the plant health care technician may be a effective treatment or application; for the climber, a quality pruning cut or efficient rigging scheme; for ground personnel success may be an organized and safe work zone, a fluid operation or a fun lunch break. Success can be as fun as a mural, and as challenging as a puzzle.

It is a long an arduous process, so although success seems like a destination or a place or ‘state-of-being’ if you will, success is more like a pile of little tiny pieces we need to explore and fit together in order to complete the picture. The process lead to the picture.

Here’s the dilemma we run into: typically arborists know what success looks like. Take any successful tree company, or individual arborist for that matter. The poster children. Every professional arborist in the industry aspires towards an image of professionalism that we find attractive. We have an image in our head of what it looks like to be successful, we know our end game or at least have an idea of what we are working towards. And, many times we have all of the pieces in order to be successful: the motivation, the resources, the clients, etc. But, just because we have the pieces doesn’t mean we’ve put them together properly, or at all for that matter.

So where to start?

Decide what you do well and do that. Sit down and struggle with all of your strengths. Maybe it’s production, maybe it’s sales, maybe it’s plant healthcare or research or teaching. But don’t trust yourself, either. Ask your colleagues what skills and qualities and traits they admire about you. Ask your clients too. Open yourself to criticism and feel how it affects your soul. Soul searching for your professional strengths and focusing on those little pieces of character will help to ease the compatibility of each puzzle piece. By utilizing this process, you may find that the picture slowly starts to develop before your eyes. You hire an employee. Check. You buy a spider lift. Check. You make it to the yard on time for the workday. Check. Although the puzzle pieces may look the same size, the edges are all different.

Don’t force things. Each piece will fit together effortlessly with another. You  won’t have to ram things down or hammer on a corner to make pieces fit. As frustrating as it may be to rearrange the pieces, allow time for this work so that the process is enjoyable. And everyone once in a while, take a look at your reference image. Are you seeing it clearly?

Success is the process of shuffling around little tiny pieces. Having problems with your climbing system? Change the hitch cord diameter. Change your rope. Having problems hiring the right people? Change the questions your asking to prospective employees. Change the source they are being funneled through. Having a hard time physically with the production demands of work? Schedule better, adopt a better wellness plan, buy a rear-mount. No response from the soil drench? Check your application rate, your application tools or the targeted window of application. Having a bad day? Eat a nice lunch and blow off some steam with your teammates.

A quarter turn, a half turn of those little tiny pieces is sometimes all we need to complete the picture.