SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
GROUNDWORK A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E L A N D S C A P E C O N T R A C T O R S A S S O C I A T I O N M D •D C •V A
Plant of the Month—A Garden Classic That Never Goes Out of Style Crape Myrtles Being Hit Hard Workplace Bible Back to Basics: Predict the Future of Your Irrigation Ponds With Bathymetric Mapping How to Deal With Changing Paradigms
contents
September/October 2020 4
Calendar of Events
5
President’s Message
6
Plant of the Month—A Garden Classic That Never Goes Out of Style
10 2019 Grand Award—Dahut Residence 12 Crape Myrtles Being Hit Hard 16 Workplace Bible 18 Back to Basics: Predict the Future of Your Irrigation Ponds With Bathymetric Mapping 20 How to Deal With Changing Paradigms 22 Advertising Information
Dahut Residence
Plant of the Month
Fine Earth Landscape, Inc. Residential Maintenance
—GRAND AWARD— Hibiscus Blue Chiffon “Feature” and “Plant of the Month” articles can also be found online for LCA Members under the GROUNDWORK link in your Profile Home page at www.lcamddcva.org
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CALENDAR OF
2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Aaron Raines—President Live Green Landscape Associates, LLC —(443) 763-8580 Josh Kane, CLT—Immediate Past President Kane Landscapes, Inc.—(703) 803-3146 Matt Glover, CLT—Vice President Wray Brothers Landscapes—(301) 906-1571
SEPTEMBER 2020 23
Paul Jester—Secretary/Treasurer J&G Landscape Design, Inc.—(301) 476-7600
LCA Webinar: Best Personal Protection Practices When Applying Pesticides
DIRECTORS
FEBRUARY 2021 TBD
Pesticide Recertification Conference
Virtual
TBD
Excellence in Landscape Awards Celebration Dinner
Travis Hohmen, CLT Level Green Landscapes—(410) 689-9975 Colin Jones Manor View Farm, Inc.—(717) 825-0405 James Kole, CLT Level Green Landscaping—(240) 429-3153
The LCA Program Committee is planning events and training programs on topics designed to assist you as you grow your business. Please visit our online calendar for updates.
Jeff Rossen Rossen Landscape—(703) 327-2284 Ron Rubin SavATree—(703) 625-4400 Barry Schneider Surrounds, Inc.—(703) 906-7600 Jeff Waters SiteOne Landscape Supply—(240) 375-7470
LCA STAFF
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ThÊrèse O. Clemens, CAE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Julianne Clarke MEMBERSHIP SERVICES SPECIALIST Julie Hill SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR Meghan Maker MARKETING SPECIALIST Lynne Agoston MANAGING EDITOR Maryia Alenchyk PRODUCTION MANAGER Barbara Bienkowski, CEM EXHIBITS/SPONSORSHIP MANAGER Lynette Randazzo MEETING PLANNER Kiki DeVane ASSOCIATE MEETING PLANNER Dawn Rosenfeld DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTING SERVICES Deryck White WEBSITE MANAGER G R O U N D W O R K , the official publication of the Landscape
Contractors Association, MD•DC•VA, is published bimonthly by LCA, 1300 Piccard Drive, Suite LL 14, Rockville, MD 20850. P: (301) 948-0810 F: (301) 990-9771 E: lca@lcamddcva.org W: www.lcamddcva.org. Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–5 pm (EST). LCA is not responsible for opinions expressed and facts presented by contributing authors.
The whole world now knows the acronym PPE, but do you really know what is required? Take time to review what you are using, its condition, and if it is the right equipment. From A to Z, Chuck Schuster will provide a careful review of PPE used in the pest control industry and how to evaluate it. He will demonstrate how to evaluate your technique of putting on and taking off gloves and boots, proper handwashing (yes, we will again discuss how to
really clean your hands), and the risks of taking this too casually. Respirators are used, but do you even know if they are effectively doing their job? A respirator fit test demonstration will also be done. Protecting you starts with a good understanding of how to select and use the needed PPE.
Editorial Deadline: The deadline to submit copy is the 20th of the month for the following bimonthly issue and is on a space– available basis. Advertising & Classifieds: All ads must be high-resolution PDF and pre‑paid. Contact Barbara Bienkowski at bbienkowski@msp-amc.com for more information and the deadline schedule. Copyright Š 2020: Landscape Contractors Association, MD•DC•VA. Reproduction of any material allowed only with prior written permission from LCA. LCA’s core purpose is to advance the success of its members and provide a community for green industry professionals.
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President’s Message Embracing the New Normal: How to Survive—and Thrive—as We Forge Ahead Aaron Raines 2020 President
T he fa l l sea son i s approach i ng , marking the final peak of productivity in the Green Industry’s year. This time, however, this step along the path is uniquely significant because of the rare and unusual circumstances in which we’ve professionally found ourselves. Unlike previous years, our peak season has so far consisted of big and complex struggles, and with the arrival of fall, we can all feel proud that we have weathered them thus far. Although it isn’t over yet—as we still have struggles that we will continue to face—our accomplishments deserve to be commended. In doing so, we must also collectively resolve to continue forging ahead safely and prudently. To this end, there are several things we should do to ensure the continued stability of our organizations through the remainder of this year, as well as in future years. First, we must remain committed to the safety and welfare of our employees as well as the general public. This is not only our duty as citizens, and therefore as organizations, but it will also continue to be of key importance to our clients in seeking out our services. Collectively committing to this principle promotes a positive public opinion about the industry as a whole.
Second, it is important to continue planning for the unexpected. As an industry, we have been comparatively lucky in that we have continued to sustain our revenue streams and make money. And that’s good! We should, of course, be thankful for all of the work continuing to come our way. However, this shouldn’t lull us into complacency. Even major corporations and industries are feeling the financial strains of these vastly different spending patterns of consumers, and none of us are immune to those same struggles. Even if it looks like things are going well, we—as businesses and individuals—haven’t lived through a global pandemic before. As a result, we don’t really know what the fall season will bring in terms of public health or the economy. Remember, too, that election seasons typically have a slight chilling effect on the construction industry. As I discussed in previous issues of Groundwork, we should continue preparing for some market fluctuations this year. As we all know, planning ahead ultimately makes the yield more fruitful overall. Third, don’t forget to seek guidance and belonging amid LCA and its members! In these strange times, it is easy to quickly become isolated and cut off from our peers and the typical social organizations that you
once took part in. This isolation is an inevitable habit developed through social distancing, but it unfortunately removes a vital resource upon which we typically rely during other periods of instability in the industry. In addition, it deprives us of the social connection of interacting with our peers. But, as successful business professionals, we are a smart and adaptable group! Together, there are numerous ways that we can bridge these gaps to ensure that we continue to derive the same benefits that would usually manifest through our peer networking efforts, mentorships, and collaborations. If you haven’t participated in any events recently, you might be wondering how to get back “in the loop” and get involved again. This is actually very easy—just reach out! We’re just as new to this as you are. Although we did have preexisting distance elements such as webinars, we’re adjusting and developing our expansion into the “new normal” along with everyone else. As we brainstorm and adapt LCA activities, we are eager to hear suggestions from member companies about the events, workshops, resources, and virtual gatherings that you would like to see—and even what you don’t want to see. This equips us with critical feedback about your interests so Continued on page 8
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Plant of the Month
A Garden Classic That Never Goes Out of Style By Barry Schneider, Surrounds Inc., and Joseph Gilday Photos provided by Waverly Farm, unless otherwise noted.
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus).
A couple of times a month, I meet one of my Garden Management crew leaders at a McLean residence to walk the site, inspect plant health, and go through our checklist together. It is a large property that has thrived and developed abundant variety and color over the years—and we like to keep a close eye on it.
mer until the first frost. If the weather is too wet or too dry, it doesn’t seem to mind all that much. It keeps pushing out those smile-inducing blossoms. And, if you hand prune it carefully, you can limb it up to reveal a surprisingly beautiful structure. That just adds to the happy feeling you get when you look at it.
Hibiscus syriacus
Grandma’s Favorite
Although my own landscape architects are pretty lukewarm about it, I love it. It blooms continuously all sum-
A couple of classic hibiscus, what Jerry calls “grandma’s favorite,” is ‘Red Heart’, which has single white flowers with a dark red eye, or ‘Aphrodite’, which produces a single large pink flower with dark pink-rose eye. Another old classic is the ‘Diana’, which is pure white.
Last week, we were discussing how we wanted to prune a beautifully matured shrub to show off its structure. Just then, my cell phone buzzed with an alert. It was LCA asking me to write an article for their plant of the month series. I thought, why not this one? I had just found my new favorite plant: Hibiscus syriacus, commonly known as “The Rose of Sharon.”
My colleague Jerry Faulring, owner of Waverly Farm, is a big fan of the hibiscus. He grows and ships 2,000 of them every year. And, since his first planting in the late 1990s, demand has grown every year.
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In the last 10 years, hybrids have entered t he ma rket, expanding the color palette and producing flower heads w it h double-peta l blooms that make a striking visual statement. With minimal maintenance, a Rose of Sharon will take on a robust vase-shaped silhouette as it matures. They grow about 12 inches per year and eventually top out at around 8 feet high and 5 feet around.
Hardy, Useful, Beautiful
The only pest we need to watch out for is the Japanese beetle. An unusually wet spring can produce a spike in beetle populations because moist soil conditions promote egg hatching. If that happens, no worries. We can apply treatments that target beetles but are safe for bees and beneficial insects. Rose of Sharon may be featured in the garden as a standalone shrub or planted in rows to form a hedge. Waverly Farm has come up with neat trick for serving the big demand for hedging plants. They prune 10 or 12 plants so that they grow together into a hedge, and then sell entire sections to landscapers whose clients want a colorful privacy hedge without the wait. It’s been a big seller because everyone wants privacy screening. And what could be better to fulfill that need than a wall of flowers?
Barry and Miguel pruning (Photo credit: Barry Schneider).
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Plant of the Month continued
President’s Message continued
The Facts: Hibiscus syriacus
that we can program accordingly! Developing LCA programming for the members is important because, without you, we wouldn’t be what we are!
Common Name: Rose of Sharon Native Range: China to India Zone: 5 to 8 Type: Vase-shaped, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub Height: 8 to 12 feet Spread: 6 to 10 feet Blooms: June to October Flower: Showy trumpet shaped pink or white (classic hibiscus) Attracts: Birds, butterflies Sun: Full sun to part shade Soil: Tolerates clay soil Water: Drought tolerant Maintenance: Low – tolerates deer
As we adjust to our new online social space and get involved, we can also develop the organization into a more dynamic and diverse resource for all of us by becoming ambassadors. Just as the participation and involvement of current LCA members comprises the fabric of who we are, adding to that tapestry expands who we are by infusing additional perspectives. During these times, this can reap beneficial advice as we network with each other, and similarly contribute to the success and survival of smaller Green Industry businesses. As you get more involved in the LCA, try inviting a friend or colleague from another company to get involved as well. Remember that, even from afar, we can utilize our connections to help our peers and prepare ourselves for the road ahead. Aaron Raines LCA President
Hibiscus ardens.
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The Dahut residence landscape was first installed in 2016 and has been maintained by us ever since. The property is professionally manicured on a biweekly basis throughout the growing season, including tending to the beds (weeding), cleanup and removal of debris from the property, and proper pruning of all plant material. On opposing weeks, the property is thoroughly inspected, and notes are taken to address any issues. The turf is trimmed and edged on a weekly basis throughout the growing season to maintain its health. GROUNDWORK 11 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0
Crape Myrtles Being Hit Hard By Stanton Gill, Extension Specialist in Nursery and Greenhouse IPM, Central Maryland Research and Education Center, University of Maryland Extension; Professor with the Landscape Technology Program, Montgomery College
Mark Schlossberg, Prolawn Plus, sent in some great pictures of a crape myrtle in mid-August, in which the foliage was a very fashionable basic black. In phone conversations, he said the black foliage just about completely covered the plant. We get a lot of pictures of damage, but the foliage was amazingly covered with a thick sooty mold growing on the honeydew being excreted by crape myrtle aphid, Tinocallis kahawaluokalani (Kirkaldy).
rich foliage. Not much you can do for the sooty mold at this point. The aphid is native to Southeast Asia. The good news is that in the United States, crape myrtle aphids are monophagous, feeding exclusively on crape myrtle, and do not attack or damage other plant species.
Mark thought the white bodies were scale, but it was actually the cast skins of the crape myrtle aphid. They cast off their old exoskleleton as they grow and molt repeatedly. The hot, humid weather and light rains this August made conditions perfect for both the crape myrtle aphid and the sooty mold that grows on this sugar-
What’s happens in the fall? Females give birth to a generation of aphids that produce both male and female aphids (sexuparae). Female offspring of sexuparae (oviparae) mate with males and produce eggs. Oviparae produce four to six eggs and place the eggs in crevices located on the bark of crape myrtle stems. Overwintering eggs will hatch the following spring in response to temperature and photoperiod stimuli. Late in the fall,
Crape myrtle aphids.
Dramatic crape myrtle bark aphid.
Continued on page 14 GROUNDWORK 12 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0
Smart Controls For Landscape Lighting New smart controls offer clients maximum control with minimum maintenance and expense
Smart control technology offers clients more options and flexibility for lighting controls than ever before. Clients can control their landscape lighting using an app on their smart phone. The three main types of smart controls for landscape lighting systems are: WIFI-based control systems; fixture manufacturer proprietary controls; and HUB-based controls. Of these three, we find HUB-based systems provide the best experience and overall value to our homeowners. WIFI-based smart controls are a good option for budget-conscious, tech-savvy clients. A smartphone app sends a signal over the home WIFI network to a smart plug at the transformer. Examples of WIFIbased smart plugs include Wemo and Kasa. This equipment is inexpensive, costing about the same as traditional timers. One downside is that smart plugs will occasionally (once or twice a year) disconnect from the WIFI due to firmware updates, or power outages. When this happens, the smart plug receiver will need to be re-installed. This option is a good choice for clients who are willing, and capable of taking care of some on-going maintenance. Proprietary Controls offered by fixture manufacturers such as Brilliance LED, FX Luxor, and Alliance also offer app-controlled products, using WIFI or BLUETOOTH. These systems offer the benefits that other smart control
systems provide, but tend to be unreliable. Fixture manufacturers typically do not specialize in controls, offering them as add-ons to their core product, light fixtures. Smart phone app updates tend to be infrequent and inadequate, making these products prone to glitches. HUB-based systems are more complex and expensive than other options, but are the most reliable. The system consists of a hub and smart plugs. The hub is hardwired directly to a modem/router, and sends out its own, amplified signal, rather than depending on the home WIFI signal. This eliminates the problem of re-setting smart plug receivers. Made by major electronics manufacturers such as Samsung (Samsung Smart Things) and Lutron (Lutron Casetta), these companies have the necessary resources required to regularly maintain and update their apps. As a result, HUBS tend to work seamlessly, with minimal ongoing maintenance. We recommend and install HUB based systems. At a slightly higher price, hubs use regularly maintained apps that work well and rarely require smart plug receivers to be reconnected. Clients have the convenience of app controls, with minimal ongoing maintenance. These systems can be installed with new landscape lighting projects or retrofitted to existing systems. To learn more please visit olsonweaver.com or call 703.881.1841.
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Crape Myrtles Being Hit Hard continued it would not be a bad idea to apply a 2% horticultural oil to trunk and branches. At this point in the summer, we have had multiple generations, but if your plant is still clean, then watch for crape myrtle aphid. As the first indication, I would suggest applying either Altus or Endeavor applications to deal with this pest. I would be interested in feedback from the field if others are seeing lots of crape myrtle damage this season. Send me a note at Sgill@umd.edu and let me know the location and amount of honeydew you are seeing.
Crape myrtle bark scale.
Crape myrtle with infestation of bark scale.
Strike Two for the Crape Myrtles Paul Wolfe of Integrated Plant Care sent electronic pictures of a crape myrtle from Northwest Washington, D.C. It was covered with felted scale that was imported from Asia and has spread into our area. The eriococcid scale produces copious amounts of honeydew, on which sooty mold grows. Paul said the trunks were coated with the white, waxy felted scale, and the foliage was completely black with sooty mold growing on the honeydew.
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We first reported this scale on Eastern Shore plants in the early part of 2020. Karen Rane and I then found a population in Howard County. Paul is now finding it in Northwest Washington, D.C. The Gaithersburg branch of Bartlett also found a crape myrtle with the felted scale in Washington, D.C., in mid-August. Check your customers’ crape myrtles and let me know if you find it in other parts of the state. Soil drenches of dinotefuran (Transtex or Safari) or Altus should help control this scale.
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Workplace Bible Now’s a perfect time to update your handbook, which puts all employees on the same page. By Robin Roenker
If creating (or updating ) your employee handbook feels more like a chore than an opportunity, you may want to rethink your approach. “I think a lot of companies think of (writing a handbook) as torture, but they don’t have to be that onerous. They don’t have to be that difficult. And they don’t have to be that time-consuming,” says Christine Soderlund, owner of Soderlund Enterprises, a talent acquisition and strategic sourcing company. Done correctly, an employee handbook offers a perfect first opportunity for your firm to outline and share a sense of your company culture, values and goals—not to mention providing employees an easily accessible resource that answers common questions about payment procedures, requesting vacation time, workplace protocol and much more. Here, we offer a few strategies for crafting an employee handbook that’s both user-friendly and engaging, while still including all the necessary information for your current and incoming employees.
Why have a handbook?
There are no laws requiring a business to have an employee handbook, Soderlund says. But, if you don’t, you’re making a misstep. Think of your employee handbook as an essential pillar in the relation-
ship you’re building with your new employees, says Jason Drent, administration director at DJ’s Landscape Management in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “In conjunction with the job description and offer letter, a handbook helps build a clear, consistent foundation for a productive employeremployee relationship,” he says. In addition to its role as a relationship-building tool, the handbook can also serve to dispel questions or disputes about workplace policies, often before they happen. As such, it can “protect (both) employees and the business from misperceptions, miscommunications, and the potential for lawsuits,” Soderlund says. A well-done handbook outlines not just regulations for employees, but also their benefits and protections, from how to request bereavement leave to what to do if they’ve faced workplace harassment. In that way, it offers “not just rules, but also protection to the employee,” says James Hornung Jr., president of Elbers Landscape Service in Buffalo, New York. Having a professional, engaging handbook that clearly articulates employee benefits, including payment schedules, vacation leave and more can help distinguish your firm from competitors without one. In a tough job market, it can be an important key to luring and retaining skilled employees, Hornung says.
Deciding what to include
You’ll want to work with experts from your human resources and legal teams when drafting your employee handbook to ensure it includes all the information your firm may be legally required to share. These are based on federal, state and local requirements for businesses of your size and in your location. While no federal guidelines require companies to have an employee handbook, employers may be obligated —depending on applicable statutes —to inform employees in writing about their rights regarding issues such as family medical leave, equal employment, non-discrimination policies, sexual harassment and worker’s compensation, for example. When working with your team, t here’s no need to bui ld your employee handbook from scratch since templates are widely available. Hornung outsources his payroll and human resources management to an HR solutions compan, and therefore receives templates and assistance in crafting his firm’s handbook via their HR experts. Drent has used templates and employee handbook builders available to members of the Society for Huma n Resource Ma nagement (SHRM). Guidelines are also often available via industry trade associations, says Hornung, who is a member of the Sports Turf Managers Association and the New York State
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Nursery & Landscape A s so ciat ion, a mong others.
“Often, when an employee steps out of line, it’s not malicious. It’s just due to lack of awareness.”
These templates can be helpful in providing a framework of information that you’ll likely want to include, including sections to address basics such as: definitions of employee types (full-time, part-time, and seasonal); attendance policies; work hours, daily breaks and overtime procedures; workplace safety; and an outline of employee benefits, including vacation, sick time, family-medical leave, jury duty and worker’s compensation. In addition to these general categories, be sure to also include specific workplace policies of your firm, whatever those may be. DJ’s Landscape Management’s employee handbook has a section on its drug-free and smoke-free policies, which prohibit smoking on client properties or in company vehicles. Similarly, Elbers includes specific guidelines about use of company cell phones and company vehicles, as well as proper uniform attire and social media usage, including a restriction on posting privileged business information online. “Often, when an employee steps out of line, it’s not malicious. It’s just due to lack of awareness,” Hornung says. “So, we try to offer the handbook during our onboarding process and then review it with our employees seasonally to help with that ongoing education process.”
Setting the right tone
Begin your handbook with a welcome letter from your company owner or CEO to share “basics about the core
story, what it is and why others should care,” she says.
Add in sections that highlight the culture James Hornung Jr., president, Elbers Landscape Service of your workplace. Do you offer bonuses when employees receive their value and mission of the organiza- CLT or IPM certifications? “Talk tion,” Hornung says. about that,” Soderlund says. “Find ways to communicate how a job Having a mission statement at the with your firm is more than just a front of the handbook is essential, paycheck.” Soderlund says. And while this might sound daunting at first, Soder- Develop a user-friendly lund makes the task approachable for document her clients by asking them to explain Update your employee handbook—or why employees should want to work team guide—at least annually and for them instead of their competitors consider making its unveiling a fun down the street. event for employees. Soderlund says a staff barbecue or morning coffee While it’s important to cover all the and bagel gathering could work. basics, you want the end product to be “as succinct as possible,” Drent At the event, add in short Q&A says. “You want no more or less contests with simple prize drawthan what’s needed, so that your ings to see if employees have read employees embrace the handbook and understand new changes to the as a resource.” document. “You could hand out $5 gift cards or new company swag to Soderlund agrees. “If you’re putting winners,” Soderlund says. “You don’t out a long, telephone-book-like docu- have to spend a lot of money, but it’s ment that people will not read or use, a way of conveying to your employthat really doesn’t help anyone. You ees, ‘We care about you, and we want want to make it something that peo- you to know this’ in a much more ple actually want to read and engage engaging way than having a manwith,” she says. ager simply say, ‘Read this.’” But how do you make an employee handbook engaging? Start with what you’re calling it, Soderlund says. “The term ‘employee handbook’ makes you think of a long, boring, hard-to-read set of instructions. Calling your employee handbook something else—like “Team guide” or “How things work at our company”—offers a fresh opportunity to tell your company
At Elbers, new employees are introduced to their handbook in a face-toface orientation with their manager or foreman, who reviews and draws attention to sections the firm deems most significant. “That gives you the opportunity to highlight the things that are really important with the new team member,” Drent says. “We feel like if we’re treating (the hand-
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Continued on page 19
Back to Basics: Predict the Future of Your Irrigation Ponds With Bathymetric Mapping By Trent Nelson, SOLitude Lake Management
One of a superintendent’s biggest fears is not having enough water in their irrigation ponds, especially during the dry season when rain is not in the immediate forecast. As a former assistant golf course superintendent, I remember times when our irrigation lake was extremely low, and our greens could not go one more night without water. I knew there was a good chance that I’d be hand-watering them several times the next day, and each day without rain seemed to require more applied water than the one before. I knew I would soon be staring at mud in the irrigation lake. This is not a situation that any golf course or turf manager wants to find himself or herself navigating, yet it seems to happen at some point every year. Along with the tremendous amount of scientific research, management techniques, and cuttingedge pesticides that are available to manage turf, there are strategies and
Bathymetric mapping should be performed every 3–5 years to create an accurate timeline for future dredging projects.
tools that are equally important to ensure that your ponds are managed properly, are aesthetically pleasing to your guests, and can maintain their capacity for irrigation—one of the industry’s most important maintenance tasks. If you ever questioned what the water-storage capacity is in your irrigation pond or wondered how much water you have left, you are an ideal candidate for bathymetry. Bathymetry, which is a study of the threedimensional volume and bottom contours of a waterbody, can answer your questions and help you budget for the short- and long-term maintenance required to keep your pond in working order. Looking below the water surface is very similar to analyzing a soil test report or evaluating the root system of your greens. If you observe that your pond’s capacity is decreasing, the bathymetric study will likely indicate that it has accumulated too much sediment and organic matter. All lakes and ponds have a natural lifespan that can be cut short by an abundance of sediment buildup, nuisance algae, vegetation growth, animal activity, or a combination of these factors. Poor bank stabilization, improper buffer management, and increased upstream development can also be
large contributing factors to undesirable sedimentation. If proper management strategies are not implemented to maintain sufficient depth and volume, your water resources will eventually reach a point of no return. In this event, dredging is generally the only option available to restore the original volume. While dredging is effective and usually necessary at some point in a lake or pond’s lifespan, it is extremely costly. Luckily, tools like bathymetry provide valuable data that can be used to calculate how soon dredging will need to occur and design a management plan to prolong the need for as long as possible. Bathymetry is also crucial to help estimate the eventual expense so that you can start budgeting sooner rather than later. Just as no two waterbodies are the same, no two management plans should take the exact same approach. However, many lakes and ponds can benefit from some combination of proactive management solutions like buffer management, bioengineered shorelines, fountains and aeration, nanobubble technology, hydro-raking, nutrient remediation, and regular water quality assessments. Whether your golf course ponds are already exhibiting depth and volume problems, or you would
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like to get ahead of potential issues before they become too costly, your lake management professional can design a custom management plan that helps protect the longevity of your irrigation ponds. Trent Nelson is a business development consultant with SOLitude Lake Management, a nationwide environmental firm that provides sustainable lake, stormwater pond, wetland, and fisheries management solutions. Learn more at www.solitudelakemanagement.com/ knowledge.
Golf course ponds are susceptible to erosion and sedimentation issues, which is why proactive management is key to cutting costs and maintaining beautiful aquatic resources.
Workplace Bible continued book) as a valuable resource and approaching it that way, then the employees are much more likely to treat it the same way.” You’ll want to make professionally translated Spanish or other nonEnglish versions of your handbook available to staff members for whom English is a second language, so that all employees are on the same page. Similarly, all staff members – whether full-time, part-time, or seasonal/H2B – should be provided with a copy of the handbook upon hiring. If you use H-2B employees, add a section covering your firm’s H-2B policy (ensuring that it mirrors U.S. Department of Labor policies), as well as specifics on timing of hiring and rights and benefits provided to temporary, non-agricultural workers, Soderlund says.
If you have additional, specific details to share solely with H-2B employees – such as information about access to housing or transportation – you could include those on a separate document, as Drent does. And, while you’ll want to include some basic information on safety protocols in your employee handbook, you may want to provide more specific guidelines on workplace safety procedures in a separate, dedicated safety handbook, as Hornung does. Finally, to help ensure that your handbook becomes a document that your employees actually read and use, give some thought and care to the presentation of the handbook itself. “If it’s presented in a very formal, dry way, it’s not going to be received,” Soderlund says. “Thanks to social media and the ways we
communicate now, these documents can be created in a little bit more approachable way than they used to be.” Guidelines surrounding human resources and employment policies can change from year to year – on both the state and federal level. To help your employee handbook stay in sync with these policy changes, consider subscribing to email alerts from the Department of Labor, your state-specific or industry-specific employment associations, and/or human resources associations like SHRM, Drent says. “There will be some sifting involved, but it’s a good way to make sure you’re not missing those changes as they come,” he says. Reprinted with permission from Lawn & Landscape magazine, February 2020.
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How to Deal With Changing Paradigms By Tom Borg
Are you waiting for your business growth opportunity to knock on your door? Funny thing about it, it may already be in the room—you just don’t recognize it.
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Global warming concerns
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Changing customer needs and wants
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Depending which business you are in it could be hard to find good talent
Sometimes we just have to change our business paradigm.
When it comes to looking for your next business grow th opportunity, we have to ask ourselves a few questions.
Paradigms are “problem-solving systems”. As futurist, Joel Barker states, “With an outdated or ineffective paradigm, your business could be headed towards extinction. With the right kind of paradigm, your small business will thrive in today’s economy.” The way you see the world determines whether you respond or react to what you encounter. It is safe to say that many of today’s business owners have not experienced anything like what they are experiencing in today’s market place. Here are just a few of the challenges facing business owners today: •
COVID-19 pandemic
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Uncertain political climate
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Cultural issues
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Legalization of recreational marijuana
The first question is: What business are you really in? Years ago, the railroad industry thought they were in the “railroad business.” Big mistake! So, when the newly created airline industry wanted to partner with them, railroad industry leaders scoffed at the offer. They didn’t realize how the market was going to change, and as history tells us, it was all downhill from there for the railroad industry. You see, they had the wrong paradigm. They thought they were in the “railroad business.” In reality, they were in the business of transporting people and goods from place to place. Today they are barely surviving because they didn’t respond in the correct way. One way to learn more about which business you are really in is to ask your clients. These experts can give you key insights to what they really
want and need from your small business. Too often, business owners only guess what their clients really need and want from them. As a result, they miss the mark of what they really should be providing to them. How about your business problems? Once you know what kind of business you are really in, you can go to work developing a strategy to accurately meet your clients’ needs and wants. As I quoted Joel Barker earlier in this article, “Paradigms are problem solving systems. With an outdated or ineffective paradigm, your business could be headed towards extinction. With the right kind of paradigm, your small business will thrive in today’s economy.” So how do you change your business paradigms? Paradigms are common. Every business owner or manager has a set of business paradigms that govern the way they think and act towards the situations they find themselves in. Paradigms are functional. They help us distinguish what is important and what is not. Have you ever heard the saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it?” Well, the paradigm effect reverses the common-sense relationship between seeing and believing. In other words, your paradigm can cause you to “only see what you believe.” As a result, you are unable to clearly see the situation
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as it really is, but only as you perceive it to be. You must remember that there are several different ways you can tackle a business problem. You must be careful not to let your paradigm become “the paradigm,” or the only way to do something. Paradigms, too strongly held, can lead to paradigm paralysis, a terminal disease of certainty. It is best to remain flexible in turbulent times and keep what is called a “paradigm pliancy.“ Try using these action oriented questions to help you change your business paradigms and develop successful solutions to your business problems. What are some of the recurring complaints you are hearing from your customers or employees? How can you turn those complaints into an opportunity to serve them better? As someone famous once said, “Often times, opportunity comes dressed in work clothes.” It’s already present—it just might be disguised as a problem you are facing. Let’s take a closer look at how this might play out.
Awhile back, I was consulting with a successful owner of a car wash chain. One of his car wash operations was located on a very busy seven lane street. His customers complained that it was very difficult to make the left-hand turn into his car wash when they were coming home from work in the busy afternoon traffic. Even worse, it was harder to turn left when they were exiting his car wash to head home. As we thought through this potential opportunity, he discovered that he could make it easier for his customers to enter and leave his car wash by opening an hour earlier in the morning. That way, he made it more convenient for his customers to use his car wash as they were heading to work, and thus, avoid traffic congestion on the way home. He also added the incentive of a “happy hour” if they came in between 7 am and 8 am in the morning, where they could receive discounts or free additional services. This is a simple example of changing one’s paradigm and taking advantage of a recurring customer’s complaint. How about you, in your business or organization? Here are some questions you and your leadership team can answer to help you generate your own business opportunities:
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What kind of a recurring customer compla i nt a re you receiving?
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What is the paradigm that needs to change?
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What new or different way can be tried that could turn it into a profitable solution?
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What kinds of problems are you experiencing in the hiring and retention of employees?
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What new or different way can you approach this conundrum?
So, as you size up the next problem you encounter, ask yourself and your team what paradigms need to change? Then, unleash the creativity of you and your team to turn it into a profitable opportunity. Tom Borg is a green industry business consultant who works at the intersection of leadership, communication, and culture. As a thought leader, he works with organizations and their leadership teams to help them connect, communicate, and work together better without all the drama. Tom does this through his consulting, one-on-one mentoring, strategic work sessions and assessments, and job benchmarking tools. To ask him a question, please call (734) 404-5909, email him at tom@ tomborg.com, or visit www.tomborgconsulting.com.
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