In 2006, Harold Young, the owner of Pierre Landscape, went to a MAP alumni breakfast at a private California country club. The guest speaker, a former MAP consultant and now president, had coached Young and his former business partner through significant growing pains affecting their company some years back. Interested in the free event, and hoping to check out the golf course, Young signed up. By the time breakfast was over, however, his mind wasn’t on golf. While listening to the speech, Young realized that operating the last few years without MAP’s help had been a detrimental mistake. Pierre Landscape had a solid reputation and strong sales, yet revenues had been flat for three years, with net profits consistently falling short of expectations. Young couldn’t pinpoint the reasons why. What he did know: Pierre Landscape was expanding too quickly, without controls in place to ensure significant profit and sustainability.

Young enrolled in MAP’s 2.5-day workshop in Newport Beach, CA. It was the second time he’d taken the course, but now, everything he’d once learned really hit home. Excited and energetic, he soon signed up his key staffers for an upcoming workshop. Then, with the help of one of MAP’s top coaches, Young identified and began addressing core issues undermining the company’s potential. First and foremost, MAP’s consultant coached the leadership in creating a system of measurements and establishing company goals. Then, Pierre Landscape embarked on a more difficult, time-consuming assignment: stay the course and hold people accountable. During this period, which Young calls the “tough” part of MAP implementation, he realized almost all his employees lacked the discipline and ability to be held accountable, consistently. MAP’s methodology not only introduced a system for measuring the company’s health, but also formalized accountability. This exposed employees’ flaws, revealing the importance of hiring the right people and putting them in the right jobs. As a result, Pierre Landscape underwent a “cultural awakening” of sorts, changing out about 75 percent of its staff. Young learned that quality employees are extremely difficult to find, while self-motivated, disciplined, organized and goal-oriented ones are more rare, and, once found, treasures that should be cherished. Investing in training, support and leadership was crucial to developing even the most ideal employees.