A new leadership role is emerging in the landscape industry: Director of Continuous Improvement.
It is not a flashy job, but it reflects an important shift. As landscape companies diversify and grow larger, complexity grows with them.
What once worked through hustle and owner instinct starts to break down under the weight of an increasing number of crews, clients, and moving parts.
At some point, improvement can no longer come from simply relying on the owner to keep fixing everything.
That is where a Continuous Improvement Manager comes in.
Where This Role Is Showing Up
I first saw this role emerge at McHale Landscape in the DC area, where they hired a young MBA to focus on this exact kind of work.
I saw it again at Naylor Landscape in Michigan, where I worked with owner Barney Naylor. He brought on a fully empowered COO, and the first role that leader established was a Continuous Improvement Manager.
Initial focus included:
- Root cause and corrective action implementation (5 Why Model)
- Production efficiencies
- Load and unload hours
- Unbillable hours
- Job costing
More recently, I have supported Ivan Katz of Great Lakes Landscape Design as they brought on this role.
Why This Role Is Needed
Traditionally, the owner or a few key leaders own all the problems and solutions.
They notice inefficiencies, tighten up processes, and move on. But over time, processes and software get implemented only halfway as leaders get pulled in too many directions.
The Continuous Improvement role solves this by seeing problems all the way through to implementation.
What This Role Focuses On
At Ivan Katz’s firm, this role is run by Ellen Moore. Her focus includes:
- Role alignment across the organization
- Improved use of training programs
- Production efficiencies
- Treating financial success as a core value
- Shortening the sales cycle
- Establishing clear performance metrics
This is a cross-functional, project-based role focused on execution.
Not Bureaucracy—Execution
This person is not creating more meetings or paperwork. They are simplifying systems and making them more effective.
Strong communication skills are essential to influence people across the organization.
The Real Challenge
Your challenge is moving from heroics to data and discipline.
The ideal candidate is practical, credible, and respected by both field and office teams.
For smaller companies, this may not be a dedicated role yet. In those cases, managers must take on this responsibility and develop strong systems thinking.
Final Thought
This role is not for every company, but it reinforces an important truth:
Companies do not scale on effort and industry knowledge alone.
Regards,
Jeffrey Scott
P.S. If you want to see this role in action, join us at the Summer Growth Summit. Super early bird pricing ends May 8.
