“Whattya mean, I’m not making enough mistakes?”

Ron sat dumbfounded at his boss’s desk, wondering if she’d lost her mind. “Take a breath,” says the boss. “The point is that you’re not reaching your potential because you’re too worried about making mistakes.”

“Of course I try to avoid mistakes. Didn’t you just fire somebody for making too many mistakes?”

“Actually, no. That situation was because the same mistake happened regularly and the employee wouldn’t follow an improvement plan. The difference is that repeating mistakes can get you fired, but learning from mistakes can get you promoted.”

“How many mistakes should I make?”

“That’s your challenge. Stop worrying about the number of mistakes you make. If your mind-set is that somebody is waiting for you to make a mistake, you’re stuck in a self-conscious rut.

“Instead, imagine your customers and your team curious to hear what creative solution you’ll come up with next. The ones that work give you a reputation as an innovator and the ones that don’t work give you a chance to learn and improve.”

“I do have an idea to try out on you to see if…” Ron began.

“Will it help your customers?”

“I think so. If we…” But again, she interrupted.

“Then do it. You know your job; now have confidence to try ideas to improve your job.”

Ron could tell the conversation was over. “Guess I’ve got work to do.”

“Good! Here’s a checklist to help.”

How to make ‘smart’ mistakes

Dare mistakes to happen: Freezing to avoid mistakes is not growing. Learning comes from listening to helpful feedback and feedback comes when you’re in motion. Mistakes become teachers when we recognize, communicate and implement course corrections.

Consider values & objectives: Planning only for immediate challenges leads to frequently having to change shortsighted plans. Weigh ideas against long-range goals and organizational values and be willing to take risks to achieve those worthwhile objectives and values.

Don’t kill an idea with research: Begin when you have a reasonable fraction of data you think you need. The rest of the information will come as feedback when you’re in motion; you’re expected to make adjustments as you learn.

Make team decisions: When team members have input into a choice, they’re committed to making their plan succeed. If a mistake looms, they’re committed to making corrections rather than assigning blame.

Don’t ask – tell: Playing ‘Mother May I?’ wears out your boss and leaves you powerless. Come up with a plan you believe in and report it matter-of-factly with your overall action plan.

Take calculated risk: ‘Safe’ plans have lower learning potential. When you see an opportunity, leap at it! Whether succeeding brilliantly or going ‘splat,’ you’ll have learned what happens when you do that and generated new feedback to enhance your learning. Remember to thank people for their feedback, regardless of whether it was delivered kindly or soaked in vinegar. Then, let people (especially your team) know what you learned and what you’ll do differently next time.

Serve your customer: Correct decisions and mistakes are each made on behalf of your customer. Let them know how wise and brave they were when risks succeed and how confident they can be with your corrective actions when you notch a magnificent mistake. Any explanations you must make will make sense when you’re in service of your customer.

Be accountable: The game is ‘No blame.’ If a risk turns out to be a mistake, take full accountability and spearhead the effort to correct the outcome and document what you learned. Blame turns mere mistakes into failures and ruined relationships.

Share credit; take accountability: When risks pull through with no major mistake, spread credit lavishly, making sure top management hears about the team achievement.

Risk analysis isn’t about avoiding risk; it’s about identifying obstacles and knowing what you’ll do when problems inevitably come up. Having a Plan B and even a Plan C makes it more likely your exploration will carry the twin labels of educational and successful.

Gregory Lay writes and speaks to help people improve their employment without necessarily changing employment. Request his 52 Career Tips at www.AccidentalCareer.com.

Recent developments in our troubled economy have served to dramatize how credit can be a valuable friend or a dreadful foe. Used sensibly, credit can be a powerful asset in your business life. Use it carelessly and it can become your worst enemy. You may not need to use credit every day, but when you need it, you can’t afford to have the door closed in your face. Here are nine ways to put credit to work for you and your nursery, not against you.

1. Be aware of your credit report.

If your credit score is “good,” it will be easy for you to get credit when you need it. If your score is “bad,” you may find it impossible to get credit from anyone.

If you are operating your nursery as a sole proprietor or partnership, it isn’t possible to separate your personal credit from your business credit; your score for both will be the same. To learn more about how your credit score is calculated, see the Federal Trade Commission’s information site at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/credit/reports.shtm.

The three credit reporting agencies (CRAs), Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, are required by law to provide you with a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months at your request. You can order your free report online at annualcreditreport.com, or by calling 877-322-8228.

If your business is incorporated, you may want to register with Dun & Bradstreet if you haven’t already done so (http://smallbusiness.dnb.com). Be sure to use your legal business name. Registration will provide you with a DUNS number. The DUNS number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as a universal standard for identifying and keeping track of the more than 120 million businesses in the D&B database. There is no fee for this service and a DUNS number will help to establish your credibility with suppliers and vendors.

2. Improve your credit score.

Pay your bills on time. This is the smart way to handle credit. Late or missed payments are a sure way to lower your score and incur hefty fees and finance charges.

Avoid large balances. Outstanding balances larger than about 25 percent of your credit limit are a red flag to financial institutions.

Avoid closing out a credit card account and transferring the balance to another card. This can hurt more than it can help. Each time you close an account, you lower your overall credit limit. Thus, your existing debt becomes a larger percentage of your credit limit.

3. Avoid the minimum payment trap.

Whenever possible, don’t charge more than you can pay off in full when your monthly credit card bills arrive. When you pay the full balance on your credit card bill each month, you’re taking advantage of an interest-free loan from the card issuer. That’s the smartest way to use a credit card.

If you make only minimum payments on a significant balance, it can take years, and sometimes decades, to pay off the full debt. Once you fall into the “minimum payment trap,” it can be difficult, if not impossible, to dig your way out.

4. Don’t cancel unused credit card accounts all at once.

If you have a number of credit card accounts but use only a few of them, it’s best to close out the unused ones. However, be sure to keep the cards that you’ve had the longest and cancel the newest cards. The CRAs like to see a long record of prompt payments. Too many new cards will tend to lower your credit score.

If you have more than one or two unused cards, spread out the cancellations over a period of several months. A rash of card cancellations in quick succession is another red flag for the monitoring agencies.

5. Think twice before opening new credit card accounts.

If you and your business don’t already have a long and favorable credit history, opening a new credit line will tend to lower your score. New accounts lower the average age of your accounts. That, in turn, affects your credit score.

6. Consolidating credit card balances is not a cure.

You’ve seen the advertisements: “Consolidate all your credit card debts into one low-payment loan and we’ll negotiate with your creditors to reduce your debt.”

Don’t believe it. Once you allow yourself to get into unmanageable debt, there’s no easy way out. Debt consolidation may sound like an easy cure, but many professionals and business owners have discovered that so-called debt consolidation led them down the road to an even more burdensome debt load.

“Consolidating debts may be only digging yourself into a deeper hole,” says Brent A. Neisner, certified financial planner from Greenwood Village, Colo. “Before you take that step, you should ask yourself how you got into debt trouble. Overspending almost always involves emotional and psychological issues that aren’t going to go away by treating the symptoms.”

7. Eliminate pre-approved credit card offers from your mailbox.

Those pre-approved credit offers that find their way into your mailbox represent a temptation for identity thieves who might try to open new credit accounts in your name or the name of your business.

You can opt-out by visiting the official Credit Reporting Industry website at www.optoutprescreen.com or by calling 888-567-8688 to opt-out via telephone.

8. Be aware of the differences between debit cards and credit cards.

While there are many similarities between debit and credit cards, the differences can significantly affect the cash flow in your business.

It’s easier to qualify for a debit card than a credit card. That’s because there’s no credit involved. When you use a debit card, you must already have the money in your business account at the bank. Your purchase is debited to your account electronically as soon as you make your purchase.

Using a debit card is almost like using cash. Unlike writing a check, using a debit card saves you from having to show identification when you conduct a transaction. Having a debit card not only frees you from carrying cash, it will be more readily accepted than checks where you aren’t known.

However, debit cards carry their own set of disadvantages that you need to know about. Unlike credit cards, debit cards give you no grace period for paying your bill. The money is deducted from your account immediately each time you use it.

Keeping your account in balance can be a problem. It’s easy to misplace a receipt and forget to notate the transaction in your check register. That can result in overdrawn accounts and financial penalties.

While you get protection from liability due to fraud on both credit card and debit card purchases, debit cards do not offer the same protection as credit cards in the case of defective or unsatisfactory merchandise. With credit cards, you may dispute errors or unauthorized charges and withhold payment until the matter is resolved. This allows you to use the money while the credit card issuer investigates the circumstances. With a debit card, your money is irrevocably spent the moment you complete the transaction.

If you pay off your credit card balances in full each month, the last thing you need is a debit card. You’re now enjoying up to 30 days of free use of someone else’s money. This is “using the float,” the period between the purchase date and when the money is actually withdrawn from your account. In this case, you should congratulate yourself on your financial acumen and hang on to those credit cards.

9. Never co-mingle business and personal funds.

Not only is mixing your business and personal finances together an open invitation to problems with the Internal Revenue Service, it complicates your recordkeeping and cash flow management. You should maintain separate business bank accounts and make all of your business credit purchases on a separate business credit card.

Some experts compare unwise use of credit to drug use: It can offer short-term pleasure in exchange for long-term pain. Once the credit monster gets his hooks in you, it can be painfully difficult — and sometimes impossible — to free yourself.

However, credit in itself is not harmful; used skillfully it can be a profitable tool for managing your business affairs. Use the above tips to help make credit one of your business assets, not one of your liabilities.

Danny checks his email and finds a message advising him that he is the new team leader for “the Alpha project.” The email goes on to say that “during your time at this company, we believe you have shown the skills needed for success as a leader.” He immediately hits panic mode because his dream has come true—but he’s not quite sure he is ready to lead.

He has always been successful in completing the tasks assigned and he knows his business like the back of his hand, but he does not know where to begin as the top dog. The process of leading a team is about communication and organization.

Initially, you must determine the course of action based on all that you know about your industry and the project that has been assigned to you. Then, begin by outlining a plan to complete the task with success. When you have completed your outline for the plan of attack—and you can present it with confidence—you are ready to face the team. It is confidence and preparedness that allows them to buy in to you as the team leader.

Once you have amassed and organized the knowledge you possess in your industry, leadership is about finding the glue that binds your team together. Let’s look at the GLUE:

Gather

Gather information about the team members and their backgrounds and skill sets. Sometimes that information is available within the organization. Other times you are fortunate enough to know your team members. No matter how you acquire the information, learn what you can about what the players have done on other teams or within the company at large. This background information is essential as a basis upon which you will build the infrastructure of your team.

Now keep in mind that people change. Therefore, this collected information will be subject to modification and change as you watch the team come together during the life of the project. The initial information should be reviewed and analyzed as much is you analyze the project itself.

If the information you are gathering is subjective: consider the source. Depending on who provided the information, it may or may not be accurate. Ultimately, it is in the next phase—as you listen to your team members and learn—that you will begin to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your team in reality.

Listen

Listen to their concerns and knowledge to determine their ability to understand and comprehend. As you do so, the several types of players will surface. Listen closely to the comments and thoughts of your team. The way they speak and address the situation at hand will give you great insight into the type of team member they will become.

As each team member speaks or reacts to your plan, you must balance their words and actions against the information that you have gathered about their backgrounds and with the plan that you wish to implement. Team members will all individually bring positive skillsets to the table. Pay attention to those who will be constructive team members and aggressive participants, as well as those with initiative who will lead their portion of the project with excitement. You may find that one person is an expert in the subject matter at hand, while another is an expert in organization.

As you determine the place in your machine for each of the players, you will want to make sure that you speak to the expertise of the individuals so that they feel that you are speaking directly to them. For instance, when you were speaking of technical elements, you will want to look directly to your technician.

On the other hand, while you are mapping out the course of action, you may want to begin with and acknowledge that you recognize a specific individual’s organizational skills, and indicate that you trust them with keeping the task on course. If someone is questioning every action you take, give that person value by letting them know that they are beneficially keeping you on your toes. This will give that person value as your conscience.

Unify them by finding a common thread, or by creating one that they can commit to. Once you have identified the type of team members you are managing, you will want to present the project and the individual tasks in a format that speaks to the specific skillsets of the individual members.

Create unity by making it clear that they are all essential and necessary members of your team. Help them understand that they are working for the common good of the team and the organization, and let them know that their relationship to each other is vital for success. If they can understand how they fit into the big picture—and how the project fits into the big picture of the organization—they will be more likely to feel like a part of the solution.

Empower

Empower the team to execute the plan with dedication and passion. Make the path ahead clear. Allow them to understand the stages of development as your project progresses. Give them feedback as you move along the way, and be ready and willing to step in and assist with mediation if conflict or hostility begins.

By allowing the team to clearly visualize the direction upon which they are embarking, execution will become more fluid and guaranteed. Always maintain the line of communication with all team members in a transparent and open fashion so that you will minimize the risk of competition for control.

Joe Curcillo, The Mindshark, is a speaker, entertainer, lawyer and communications expert. As an adjunct professor at Widener University School of Law, Curcillo developed a hands-on course, based on the use of storytelling as a persuasive weapon. He’s helped corporations and associations improve their communication techniques since 1979. www.TheMindShark.com

If you look back 10 or 20 years at how plants were trialed in the U.S., you would find that public horticulture institutions and botanical gardens traditionally played a more critical role in plant introduction. Such independent institutions delivered what was considered to be unbiased recommendations to regional growers who then took that under advisement when deciding which varieties to produce. Founded in 1932, All-America Selections is the oldest plant trialing organization in the country, and it includes a network of trial gardens across the U.S. to provide a good representation of all growing conditions.

Plant trial evolution

In her University of Delaware thesis, “Evaluation of Trial Garden Practices at Public Horticulture Institutions,” completed in the spring of 2015, Sarah Leach Smith noted that field trials have experienced a significant shift during the past five years. Through extensive surveys of growers, breeders and public trial gardens, Smith found that the size of plant trialing programs has actually increased, but the amount of plant material sent to public gardens has decreased.

Instead, breeding companies are opting to send trial material directly to potential grower customers for production and in-ground trials.

“With commercial grower trials nationwide, the regional performance data provided by university or public garden trials is no longer as crucial; the wide geographic range of commercial trials fills that need for most breeding companies,” says Jim Nau, manager of The Gardens at Ball (Smith, 2015).

The value of grower trials

Paul Westervelt, annual and perennial production manager at Saunders Brothers, reported that the best perennial trials he sees with any regularity are those of his plug vendors. However, since Saunders Brothers typically ships most of their product within their own region, their own in-ground and production trials are especially valuable.

Saunders Brothers, a nursery in Piney River, Va., is part of the Syn-RG group made up of Willoway, Overdevest, Prides Corner and Sheridan Nurseries.

“Our whole group is trialing some of the same products and comparing notes to see how things do. The combined efforts of the group will yield much better information than any one trial site because of our different climates, allowing all of us to bring products to market more confidently and bring assurance to our customers,” he says.

Denise Kelly, planning and trial manager at Smith Gardens explains, “We’ve been doing our own trialing since 2009 and we currently trial about 1,500 different varieties of annuals and perennials. Performing trials at our own facility gives us the knowledge we need for preparing our production team for new genetics that will be going to market potentially two to three years ahead of production.”

A few of the most notable trial gardens in the country, including the Chicago Botanic Garden, see great support from breeding companies and growers. Richard Hawke, plant evaluation manager and associate scientist at the CBG, says he usually receives plant material to trial as new varieties are being introduced or shortly thereafter. He adds that one local grower, Elite Growers, references the trial information and ratings from his trials in their wholesale catalog.

Westervelt wisely points out that it is virtually impossible for any grower or institution to trial everything, so it is crucial to network with others, share observations and learn from one another’s work. I spoke to key trial managers and growers at public institutions, botanic gardens, and grower facilities to get their take on a few perennials that have stood out to them over the last few years as must-haves. They also shared which perennials they think more people should be growing in their region.

Q: Tell me about a few perennials that have really impressed you in your trials over the last few years.

Zone 5b: Richard Hawke, Plant evaluation manager and associate scientist, Chicago Botanic Garden

A massive number of perennials are trialed every year at the CBG, but inevitably a few favorites rise to the top. Baptisia Decadence ‘Lemon Meringue’ is one of those standout perennials.

“I love the beautiful bright yellow flowers on dusky stems—it’s an eye-catching combination. We’re growing this variety in our trials and on our green roof, where it has excelled for the past three years. It’s almost as large there as plants in the ground trials.”

Sapphire Indigo clematis is another favorite of Hawke’s because of its “insane flower power.” This non-climbing selection is covered in large, deep purple-blue flowers from June to September in the Chicago trials. Agastache ‘Rosie Posie’ was another star of the 2015 trials, blooming endlessly with bright rosy pink flowers and magenta calyces. Hawke reports that it has survived its first winter in the trial garden.

Zone 6a: Jeremy Windemulle, Trial manager, Walters Gardens; owner of Windridge Perennials and Landscaping

Windemuller has been extremely impressed with Hibiscus ‘Midnight Marvel,’ one of the first hardy selections with dark foliage and a great compact size of 3-4 feet. This plant shines when so many others are struggling from the summer heat, producing large 8-9 inch, red flowers from top to bottom due to its indeterminate bloom habit.

“I have found it very easy to grow perennial hibiscus using bare root plants to produce 2-3 gallon finished plants in just 8-10 weeks with flowers in 12-14 weeks.”

Zone 6b: June Hutson, Supervisor of Demonstration Gardens, Missouri Botanical Garden

Lesser known perennials such as Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ and Kalimeris incisa ‘Blue Star’ have impressed June Hutson and her team at the Missouri Botanical Garden. ‘Blue Ice’ makes a terrific groundcover as it is one of the only spreading types of Amsonia, and it blooms over a longer period than most. ‘Blue Star’ is a good choice for rain gardens and is long blooming too.

Zone 8a: John Ruter, Professor of horticulture and trial gardens director, University of Georgia-Athens

Ruter is impressed by the vibrant yellow bloom power of Baptisia sphaerocarpa ‘Screamin’ Yellow’ every spring, and likes that it is more compact than many other Baptisias. The new Cannova Cannas have been impressive as well, overwintering well for them in-ground. Setcreasea pallida ‘Blue Sue,’ which is an annual in most zones but a perennial at UGA, is another interesting and versatile plant favored by Ruter.

Q: Tell me about a perennial that doesn’t get the attention it deserves in your climate. Why should people be growing it?

Zone 3a: Owen Vanstone, Owner of Vanstone Nurseries, Manitoba, Canada

“I love Penstemon barbatus ‘Clearly Coral.’ It is not well known but is very hardy and puts on a terrific display.” This Zone 3 hardy cultivar was developed in Manitoba and has demonstrated excellent hardiness and vigor in the Prairie landscape.

Zone 4a: Neal Holland, Retired horticulture professor and owner of Sheyenne Gardens near Fargo, N. D.

Holland raved about Nepeta ‘Dropmore,’ which he explained is far superior to ‘Walker’s Low’ in their climate. It has good winter hardiness, is very long-lived and does not self-seed around the garden. Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ and Anemone sylvestris were also named by Holland as perennials more people should be growing in Zone 4.

Zone 5b: Richard Hawke, Leave it to Hawke to come up with an amazing-yet-overlooked perennial for Zone 5 gardens. Pycnanthemum muticum, commonly known as short-toothed mountain mint, is a great plant for attracting pollinators to the garden.

“When its tiny pink flowers are in bloom in mid- to late-summer, they are teeming with a variety of butterflies, moths, bees, and beneficial wasps—not for anyone afraid of flying insects. But the trait I like best about this mountain mint is the silvery leaf-like bracts that sit under the flower clusters. The entire plant looks like it’s covered in frost when it’s in bloom, and the fragrance and texture of the fuzzy bracts is awesome too.”

Despite being touted as having a vigorously spreading habit, it was the least rhizomatous of the mountain mints he has trialed.

Zone 6a: Jeremy Windemuller, New shade perennials can be hard to come by, and Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ is one of the best introductions Windemuller has seen in recent years. Its bright yellow foliage has a tropical look but the plant is actually very hardy down to Zone 3. “One thing I really love is that it is deer resistant. That’s a plus when the deer tend to want to mow down a shade garden.”

Plant it where it will receive morning sun or filtered sunlight throughout the day to maintain its glowing yellow color.

Zone 6b: June Hutson, Hutson believes from her experience working at the Missouri Botanical Garden that more people should be growing bush-type clematis. They use them as groundcovers in the gardens there. She specifically recommends C. integrifolia ‘Rose Colored Glasses’ for its beautiful blooms.

Zone 8a: John Ruter, Though newer forms have become available, Ruter still recommends Carex h. ‘Evergold’ for its reliable performance in containers and landscapes even in the Georgia heat, though it does need protection from hot afternoon sun there. Another plant Ruter recommends for its great heat tolerance is Cuphea micropetala, which has good color going into the fall months.

UGA is breeding for Hibiscus moscheutos cultivars with sawfly resistance, and also has breeding programs for agapanthus, liriope, stokesia, heliopsis and pavonia.

These recommendations are just the tip of the iceberg. Make the time to talk with a trial manager in your local area to find regional rock stars to add to your lineup. Sending plants to trial in public gardens should be a crucial piece of a breeder’s or plant introduction company’s marketing plan, a pull-through effort to educate the public and create demand for the best varieties for specific regions.

Susan Martin specializes in horticultural marketing, content generation and management, working with green industry clients in trade and consumer sectors. Contact Susan at gardenersuesnews@gmail.com.