CONTRIBUTED CONTENT: Built on values
Devon Braithwaite
Grace Tree Service is, and always has been, built on a set of guiding values and principles. They shine through every facet of our company, and I’m confident in saying they are the reason for our continued success as a whole. This is not to say that we get it right 100% of the time. After all, the nature of being human is inherently imperfect. That’s where Grace comes into play.
When the company was founded by the Kastnings in 1998, Grace Tree Service was the name they selected. “Everybody Needs Grace” was the slogan. The phrase is more than just a slogan, though—it’s a motto: an enduring statement of core beliefs and a guiding principle in our lives. At the time, Tim Kastning, a former pastor and active member of the Christian community, built the company on Christian values such as servanthood, stewardship, and integrity.
When the company changed hands to the Bennetts in 2016, those values remained, but we took the time to define and refine them. Our management team spent an incredible number of hours developing the five core values that define who we are as a company: Safety, Work Ethic, Team Camaraderie, Professionalism, and a Servant’s Heart.
Team camaraderie is something that I believe is undervalued and overlooked in many organizations. For us, it’s an essential part of what keeps us going — not only in the daily success of the business, but also in what helps us get out of bed in the morning.
Just the other day, while working an early morning job at a business complex, a manager stepped outside near our work site to compliment our teamwork, expressing just how impressed she was with the flow of the job. “Everyone just seemed to know what to do next,” she said, and “the flow of the job seemed absolutely flawless.” She told me she wished her entire team had been there to watch us work and even remarked that “you put on a master class in teamwork.”
One thing about our core values is that each one naturally supports the others. To build team camaraderie in a profession like ours, safety, work ethic, professionalism, and a servant’s heart must all be present. Our team needs a safety-first mindset that includes the health and well-being of our teammates. We must conduct ourselves professionally and work through differences and conflict with respect. We need the work ethic to pull our own weight and a servant’s heart to help carry someone else’s when needed.
I write this not to give ourselves as a company a pat on the back, but rather to share with our readers one of the key principles we have worked so hard to cultivate. Our goal is to provide outstanding service to our customers while building an organization that is successful for everyone involved.
I will, however, give my entire crew a pat on the back. Without them, success simply wouldn’t be possible.
As always, if you have any questions or would like a quote or consultation, give us a call today, 208-762-5800!
For more information on Grace Tree Service, check out our website at gracetreeservice.com.