A Letter To My Colleagues

For those of you that follow this blog and are invested in the turf industry I wanted to share these thoughts.

This has been, without a doubt, a stressful spring for most of you in the industry. A harsh winter, a cold spring, and an impatient customer base are realities we are all facing. Seasons like these make a lot of us ask ourselves “why do we do what we do?” It seems that no matter how talented and capable we are, how many resources we have access to, or how confident we are in our processes, there are factors we cannot and will never be able to control. Regardless of how good our product is, the only guarantee we have is that a percentage of it, at some point, will succumb to elements out of our control.

In regards to the question “why do what we do?” Are we wasting our time, knowledge, and leadership? The answer is NO.  In fact, this thought process is backwards. Managing the effects of seasons like these is exactly what we were hired to do. Our skills, time, energy, and knowledge are of the utmost importance at this time. Ultimately, our leadership is what will determine the success of this recovery process.

Most of us are likely facing crew members, owners, customers, or board members whose spirits are down right now.  It is our leadership that will that will help lift these spirits, keep people motivated and educated, and help them understand that we will get our products back to our exacting standards. We control the culture and attitudes of our workplace so always remember to lead by example in times like these.

In this time of high stress and pressure, it is important to remember a few things. We are all in this together and we need to lean on each other for help. The knowledge of our colleagues is our best and most underutilized tool. Also, we will be spending a lot of extra time at our facilities or with our customers this spring, so remember to take time for yourself, your family, and your friends. These people are your support system so embrace them. Let your leadership and positive attitude follow you home.

As we continue the fight this spring, I ask you all to remain patient, optimistic, honest, and positive because I’m confident things will only get better. We have too much talent in this industry to think otherwise.