We have a problem in this industry

I’ve talked to hundreds of dispensaries, and budtender engagement is a problem that consistently gets brought up. How can we get our team more engaged? How can we get our team to do more than just take orders??

The budtender role is part time (likely), a non-career role with very high turnover.? Oftentimes they are not paid a living wage or commission (just economically not possible).

And yet they are responsible for representing the company’s brand, customer experience, and the entire sales engine.? Hands down the most important role in a dispensary.

How can you get your budtenders engaged??

I’ve found employee engagement comes down to one simple rule: reciprocity.

You’ve invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into your business, hoping that your employees care half as much as you.? But why should your team care about your business, if they don’t feel you care about them? Think about that for a moment.?

Are you asking too much from your team based on how you are showing up?

The best way to improve employee engagement is to truly care about your employees' future. This means having “growth” conversations early and often.

“Growth” doesn’t mean promotions, or salary advances. It simply means taking the time to understand:

1. What career your team member wants to pursue (inside or outside your dispensary)
2. What skills do they want to be good at?
3. How can your business be a vehicle for growth in these skills?

Once the team feels that you've invested in them, they too will invest in you. I’ve seen this work wonders in building great relationships, culture, and employee engagement.