FROM THE TVSTMA PRESIDENT
Stephen Callis
ADVERTISER INDEX BASF P&SS - GA, AL, TN................................ 27
LEARN TO LEAD,
YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES
BY
the time this commentary is posted, we will be well into the summer months. Some of you have completed your warm season grass green-up, while others are transitioning from cool season to warm season grass. Spring sports and practices are now complete and outside activities at your facility are in full recreational mode and hosting weekend tournaments. Fiscal budget planning has been submitted and approved. It is my hope you were able to plan and meet some of your needs regarding products, equipment, and of course additional staff. Our resources for material, staff, and equipment vary across this great region. It is worth mentioning that we all as turfgrass and facility managers continue to do our best with what we have and always strive for excellence within our industry. The last TTA magazine highlighted our “Excellence in Sports Turf Award. Mr. Dustin Wilson, football coach and athletic director at Springfield High School, has a compelling story. I personally want to thank Dustin for his excellence in sports field maintenance and for being a leader within his community. Please look forward to our next recipient announcement in the next TTA magazine publication. The February/March TTA magazine commentary introduced the idea of being a leader within your workplace. I would like to take this time to continue with another characteristic of leadership, perhaps the most valuable. It is a skill that is simple and easy to do, and often overlooked by no fault of our own. We as leaders MUST practice empathy. Empathy is understanding the plight and feelings of others. This goes on to understanding the emotions, thoughts, and realities of team members in the workplace. A decline in mental health, the increase in stress and anxiety, loss of sleep, being sad and irritable within the workplace affect job performance significantly. We’ve all been there in some shape or form. The source of these challenges may tie back to things within the workplace, or from the home. It is our job as leaders to be empathetic and recognize this context within our team. Are we so totally focused on our job and routines that we truly do not notice these challenges? Or far worse, do we know as leaders and not intervene? As I delve now into empathy, how does this look within the workplace? This can be as simple as visiting your team members and asking them “how are you doing, feeling, or what are you experiencing?” It could be the simple question of how is work going? Responses such as “Hey I’m sorry,” or “I understand,” “I’ve been in that situation,” and “Hey, I’m working on it, and this is what we are going to do.” Empathy must be truly genuine and applied on a regular basis to show healing. This healing can result in team members being more engaged in their work, being able to navigate the high demands in workload, and finally, team member retention. Those members who experience empathy from their leaders are more likely to stay in their current role and overall be more productive at work. What about problems occurring from home? It is understood as a leader you may have no control of those situations. You CAN walk it with them emotionally and give encouragement. This can provide the necessary hope that your team members need to overcome their difficulty. As I close, I do want to say it is easier said than done. I do believe if we engage and show empathy on a regular basis, your team will RISE and overcome those challenges. Let us all begin by being those leaders that define a healthy workplace. Stay up to date on the latest information on meetings by visiting our website, www.tvstma.org.
Stephen Callis TVSTMA President 8
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS JUNE / JULY 2022 Email TTA at: info@ttaonline.org
www.basf.com
Buy Sod, Inc.................................................... 23 www.buysod.com
BWI Companies, Inc........................................ 15 www.bwicompanies.com
Carolina Green Corp........................................ 25 www.cgcfields.com
Coosa Valley Turf Farms................................. 33 www.coosavalleyturffarms.com
Corbin Turf & Ornamental Supply.................. 31 www.corbinturf.com
GrassMasters Sod Farm.... 9, Inside Back Cover grassmastersindiana.com
Greene County Fertilizer Co............................ 25 www.greenecountyfert.com
Litz Turf Farm.................................................. 15 McCurdy Sod Farms, LLC.................................. 6 www.mccurdysodfarms.com
Mid-Atlantic STIHL......................................... 35 www.stihldealers.com
Modern Turf, Inc............................................. 42 www.modernturf.com
North Georgia Turf Company, Inc................... 19 www.ngturf.com
Palmers Turf.................................................... 37 www.palmersturf.com
Progressive Turf Equipment Inc...................... 10 www.progressiveturfequip.com
Regal Chemical Company................................. 3 www.regalchem.com
Sigma Organics, Inc........................................ 29 www.SigmaTurf.com
Smith Turf & Irrigation...................................... 5 www.smithturf.com
Sod Solutions.................................................. 17 www.sodsolutions.com
STEC Equipment.............................................. 39 www.stecequipment.com
Super-Sod......................................................... 7 www.supersod.com
Sur-Line Turf, Inc............................................. 27 www.surlineturf.com
The Turf Zone..............................19, Back Cover theturfzone.com
The Turfgrass Group....................................... 13 www.theturfgrassgroup.com
Tri-Turf Sod Farms.......................................... 29 www.triturfsod.com
Turf Mountain Sod, Inc................................... 33 www.turfmountain.com
Winstead Turf........................Inside Front Cover www.winsteadturffarms.com
The Tennessee Turfgrass Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Tennessee Turfgrass Magazine, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or Turfgrass Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright © 2022 by the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. Tennessee Turfgrass is published bi-monthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. Third-class postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Tennessee Turfgrass allows reprinting of material. Permission requests should be directed to the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.
