Expect the unexpected. A phrase many consider a cliche. Great leaders, on the other hand, swear by the expression.
Scott Jamieson, the vice president of Bartlett Tree Experts, a residential and commercial tree care company with over 100 offices globally, is one of those leaders. Working out of Bartlett’s Grayslake, Illinois, office, Jamieson leads Bartlett’s Midwest division and oversees the company’s Inventory Solutions team as well as its community partnerships. He may make the upper-level decisions, but it is the work of the everyday Bartlett employees that motivates Jamieson.
While Jamieson works alongside corporate management and industry leaders, he knows the day-to-day workers are who make Bartlett a global leader in tree care. Jamieson has found that management’s concern for employees’ well-being equates to company profit.
“For me it’s always been about our people. Safety is a big deal for me, so we have a Monday morning safety call,” Jamieson says.
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Jamieson not only concerns himself with his employees’ safety, but also with their individual success as well. He enters the office every Monday thinking of how he can better serve the people of Bartlett. He always encourages his team to use the weekend to reenergize and find motivation for the upcoming week. A manager has to create a positive environment both in the workplace and outside of it.
“I think it is important to disconnect and to have downtime, time for yourself, time for your family, time to get reoriented for the upcoming week,” Jamieson explains.
Jamieson, like his employees, uses the weekend to unwind, but when he returns on Monday, he is back to supporting his team. Jamieson no longer plans for specific days of the week, but rather, he has begun preparing for circumstances and potential accidents. When operations run smoothly, employees are happy. Happy employees equal a thriving company, making worker satisfaction and accident prevention Jamieson’s top motivators.
“Any day somebody gets hurt, that is the most challenging day for me. It can happen any time,” Jamieson states.
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After 30 years in the industry and eight years working at Bartlett, Jamieson has found his value lies in helping Bartlett’s leadership and team members achieve their objectives. The president of the National Association of Landscape Professionals, Jamieson expects the unexpected, and he knows one bad apple can spoil the bunch.
“A company is no more than a group of people working together, so it’s all about how can I serve the team today, where are the gaps, what can I do to help people achieve their goals,” Jamieson says.
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