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May 2 is the deadline to submit your idea for a presentation and be a part of the Education Program at the 2007 STMA Conference in San Antonio, Tex. It takes only minutes to fill out the on-line form. Don’t delay, showcase your professionalism and teach for STMA!
Use a Quick Resource to help you do your Job Better
Use PowerLinks to help you find information faster. This on-line resource is available on STMA’s web site for quick links to companies that supply products, equipment and services to the sports field management industry.
Bylaws Work Complete…for now.
The STMA Bylaws Committee has completed a total review of the Bylaws and has made recommendations for revisions to the Board of Directors. During the eight-month process, the committee reviewed more than 8,000 words to determine how well its language supports the association’s governance structure and vice versa. As associations grow, their Bylaws must change. For some associations, it is not uncommon for Bylaws amendments to come before the membership on an annual basis with simple housekeeping items. Amendments that affect the overall strategic direction of an organization should be less frequent.
This fall, the STMA Membership will have much to review with the recommended amendments to the Bylaws. There are simple word changes to make the language clearer, sections that reference more detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), areas that define certain processes, and revisions that will impact STMA’s membership growth. Chapters that are considering Bylaws revisions may want to take advantage of all the work the Bylaws Committee did on the national bylaws. They will be available to chapters soon.
Lead by Chairman Ken Mrock, the Bylaws Committee members include Mike Boekholder, Dale Getz, CSFM, Carol Gundlach, CSFM, Ross Kurcab, CSFM, Richard Miller, Mary Owen, Scott Pippen, Jimmy Rodgers, CSFM, David Rulli, David Schlotthauer, John Stier, Ph.D., N. Grove Teates, Jr., Jay Warnick, CSFM – Board Liaison, and Steve Wightman.
A major change in the Bylaws involves membership classification. Last year, the STMA Membership Committee recommended clarifying language and the addition of a new classification, which was approved by the Board of Directors. The Bylaws Committee subsequently aligned the Bylaws language with the proposed new categories of membership. The new category language follows:
Category I – Sports Turf Manager: Person with primary responsibility of employment in the management/maintenance of sports field(s) upon payment of dues and being accepted for membership, may become an active voting member in STMA and is eligible to hold elective office.
Category II – Sports Turf Manager Associate: Person with primary responsibility of employment in the management/maintenance of sports field(s) AND who is employed by the same organization, team, city or company as a Category I member upon payment of dues and being accepted for membership, may become an active voting member in STMA and is eligible to hold elective office.. Each facility must have a Category I member before a person can join this category.
Category III – Commercial (includes consultants, architects, designers, contractors, management companies, distributors and manufacturers, etc.): Company engaged in a commercial enterprise providing services and/or products to the sports turf profession upon payment of dues and being accepted for membership, may become an active voting member in STMA. One individual within the company shall be designated as the contact to receive communications and that individual is responsible for casting any votes on behalf of the company. This individual is eligible to hold any elective office available to the commercial category.
Category IV – Academic: Person engaged in research, education or in extension outreach programs related to sports fields, upon payment of dues and being accepted for membership, may become an active voting member in STMA and is eligible to hold elective office.
Category V – Past President: Upon retirement in good standing, Past Presidents shall be awarded a lifetime voting membership and is eligible to hold elective office.
Category VI – Honorary Lifetime: By majority vote of the Board of Directors, Honorary Lifetime voting membership shall be conferred upon a nominee who has made a significant contribution to the sports turf management profession and is eligible to hold elective office.
Categories of Non-Voting Members: There shall be three (3) non-voting categories of membership
Category VII – Student: Any full-time student, upon payment of dues, verification of enrollment and being accepted for membership, may become a non-voting member of STMA and is not eligible to hold elective office.
Category VIII – Commercial Associate: Person employed by the same Category III member company, but who is not the designated representative, upon payment of dues and being accepted for membership, may become a non-voting member in STMA and is not eligible to hold elective office.
Category IX – Affiliate (includes coaches, athletic directors, administrators, owners, trainers, equipment managers, volunteers, etc.): Person who is indirectly or on a part-time basis, involved in the maintenance/management of sports fields, and upon payment of dues and being accepted for membership, may become a non-voting member of STMA and is not eligible to hold elective office.
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One of the biggest temptations leaders of successful organizations face is to stop thinking big. After a taste of success, even the best and brightest leaders suddenly start to think complacently. When a company gets on a roll, some leaders tighten up and start playing it safe. They stop playing to win and begin playing not to lose. Where they once thought big and new, now they think incrementally.
This temptation is a reality with a lot of sports teams. How many times have we seen teams lose their momentum and then lose the game because instead of playing to win, they began to play not to lose? They get ahead, but then they pull back and stop playing with the intensity that earned them the lead.
The same temptation traps company executives. With the organization exceeding expectations and making record profits, the leadership gets excited. The organization appears to be cruising toward its best year ever, when all of a sudden the focus shifts from gaining momentum to sustaining momentum. The moment leadership changes focus, momentum vanishes.
I like to think of momentum as the great exaggerator. When you have it, people think you're better than you are. You're on a roll and everybody is amazed by your success. When you lose momentum, people think you're worse than you are. Momentum magnifies your performance, and positive momentum can be a potent force to push you forward.
When things are on a roll, don't sit on the ball—run up the score! In other words, when you've got momentum going for you, put the pedal to the metal. Take off. Ignite momentum. As I wrote in "Thinking for a Change", "We are today where our thoughts brought us, and we will be tomorrow where our thoughts take us." When we stop thinking big as leaders and dwell upon protecting past successes, we start to think conservatively. The big thoughts that gave us a big year are replaced by conservative thoughts which will give us a mediocre year.
Let me give you four strategies that will keep your momentum moving in the right direction.
1. When you're doing well, go shopping.
When you're doing well, instead of patting yourself on the back, go shopping. Look around for somebody that's bigger, better, faster, and smarter than you are. Study their successes and benchmark your results against theirs. I did this as a young leader, because very quickly in my field I had successes. Instead of being content as the number one leader in my organization, I started going to other organizations where I wouldn't be in the top 100. It was an exercise in humility; but I immediately realized the way to refocus wasn't to compare myself against everyone I was beating, but to compare myself with somebody better than I was.
2. Stir up inspirational dissatisfaction.
Inspirational dissatisfaction does not mean you are never pleased or satisfied. Nor is it a license to beat yourself up or come down hard on your people. Instead, it's a creative awareness that you can do better. You can do more to improve personally and to invest exhaustively in the growth of your team. This state of mind unlocks your comfort zone and prompts you to keep on stretching.
3. Develop a daily dose of paranoia.
There's a difference between a daily dose and an overdose of paranoia. An overdose makes you and everyone around you miserable. A daily dose is an inner rustling—a pebble in the shoe—that creates just enough discomfort to keep you continually alert and engaged. In fact, the best leaders act as though someone is out to get them, like they're on the verge of losing every customer every day.
4. Continue to set goals that stretch your team.
If you can reach your goals with a "business as usual" approach, then your goals are too small. A goal is only effective when it forces changes, big decisions, and bold action.
The thinking of a leader is contagious to the team. As a leader, you broadcast your way of thinking to your people, and they are going to pick up on your signals immediately. Unsuccessful leaders focus their thinking on survival—"If I can just make it through the year." Average leaders focus their thinking on maintenance—"If I can just hold on to what I have." Successful leaders focus their thinking on continual progress.
If you're a manager who concentrates more on holding your own than on moving forward, then it's time to seize the offensive. Don't settle for what conditions force upon you. As Marcus Buckingham says, "The only thing that leaders have in common is leaders break all the rules." Great leaders don't just buy into what everybody else is saying, and they don't follow the beaten path. Great leaders are constantly creating their own conditions for success by blazing new trails.
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The National Pesticide Information Retrieval System (NPIRS) database at http://ppis.ceris.purdue.edu contains information about registered pesticides at the state and federal levels. The Web site is free to access.
The fungicide Bayleton (triadimefon) is currently undergoing reregistration at EPA. In order to best represent user needs BayerCropScience is seeking input from STMA regarding the importance of this fungicide to sports turf managers. Specific areas of use include golf courses, lawn care and ornamentals.
If triadimefon is important to your maintenance practices, please email USGA Offers TERO free
EPA to reregister triadimefon
The USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online offers the results of research projects funded under USGA's Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program. Although its focus is on environmental and turf management problems affecting golf courses, many of the research projects have results that can benefit sports turf managers. To access the article database,
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