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reetings from upper East Tennessee! As we persevere through the “dog days” of summer, I am sure I am not alone when I say, “Come on, October!” With this in mind, I thought it an appropriate time to mention the need for maintaining balance in our professional and personal lives. Now, those of you who know me pretty well would say, “Now, there’s the pot calling the kettle black.” Maybe so, but with each passing year, I do honestly make a concerted effort to improve in this area. Unfortunately, due to the nature of our business, this can be extremely difficult. Demands for top-quality turf are ever increasing, but with prices soaring, many of our budgets are struggling to keep pace. Hence, inevitably we try to do more with less, and all too often, the end result is physical and mental fatigue. One thing I have learned over the years is that you cannot be at your best, day in and day out, if you are not functioning with a fresh mind and body. This can be extra challenging for managers, as we are also responsible for managing our employees’ workload, as well. Tired people make what I refer to as the “little” mistakes. Unfortunately, these are not always as harmless as they sound, but they are always avoidable. Mistakes like figuring an incorrect pesticide rate, forgetting to turn on (or turn off) irrigation programs and missing an appointment or meeting can often be
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very costly. Or better yet, how about an anniversary or birthday! Anyone relate? While I have endured the harmful repercussions of a few of these “little” mistakes, one comes to mind where I was quite fortunate that there were no adverse consequences. To truly appreciate this, you really have to be familiar with the location of our maintenance facility, but I will tell the story anyway. Apparently one evening, during a difficult stretch of summer, a member of my “fatigued” staff (who shall remain nameless) left our entire maintenance facility and compound wide open for an entire night. That’s right — doors wide open, exhaust fan running, lights shining and computers on just like it was a Wednesday at high noon! Obviously, had this incident turned out any other way than it did, there is a fairly good chance that I would not be sharing this story, at least not in this manner! I suppose the lesson that my personal experience has taught me is that it is not always about the amount of hours we put in, but what we put into the hours. My Dad used to tell me that the best indication of a good manager is how well the operation runs in his/her absence. Therefore, afford yourself and your staff the opportunity to step away and recharge. Simply taking a day off, attending an association meeting, playing golf or whatever provides you some R&R may be all it takes. This way you can be certain you will be at your best when your best is most critical.
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com