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December 2008
TURF RUNDOWN
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Have you considered using compost to improve your turf performance? Using compost as a soil amendment could be the solution to poor soil and is environmentally friendly. To read about how to develop a composting program, click here to access a guide from Penn State University.
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The 2-Minute Tip for Success
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By Mark Sanborn www.marksanborn.com
Few qualities create a more vivid impression of a leader than the ability to speak in public. The higher a leader rises within an organization, the more frequently she is called upon to address others. Ironically, hapless leaders are offered little or no training to develop their speaking skills. A fortunate few ooze natural communication talents, but the vast majority must labor to sharpen their speaking skills of else suffer from their deficiency.
As a professional who makes his living giving speeches and seminars, I have sat through hundreds, if not thousands, of executive presentations. Most of the speeches I have heard (or endured) have been less than memorable. Far too often, the presentations have been painful, not only for the speaker, but also for the audience trying to feign interest.
The majority of presenters, even those who flopped dramatically, were well-intentioned. They had a message they believed was relevant, or a passion they were eager to share. Moreover, they stood to gain something, whether support, respect, or credibility, by delivering a masterful presentation. Clearly, nobody sets out to destroy his reputation with a mind-numbing speech. Why, then, do communicators fail so miserably when they have every incentive to excel?
Thoughts and emotions require technique to be successfully communicated. Consider putting in golf. Without technique, it doesn't matter how brilliantly you wish to hit the golf ball, or how shrewdly you've accounted for the slope of the green and the speed of the putting surface. In the end, only good form and practiced skill allow you to consistently make great shots. Public speaking is no different.
Public speaking, like any skill, must be developed. The more often you speak, the better you become – IF you learn from your mistakes. The fastest gains to improve your speaking ability come when you eliminate potential sources of disaster. While I've observed great creativity in flopping a speech, there are seven common reasons why speakers fail.
1. A disregard for time
Long-windedness – speaking beyond the allotted time – may be the easiest way to alienate an audience. Strangely enough, it seems to be epidemic among business leaders. Speaking overly long is rude and smacks of arrogance and self-importance. It suggests to the audience that the speaker values his presentation greater than the time of his listeners or anything else on the program.
The length of a speech shouldn't be a function of title or power, but a function of how long a person has agreed to talk. Start on time and stop on time. Not only will your audience respect you for it, but also you will demonstrate respect for your audience.
2. Unclear purpose
Here's the million-dollar question of any presentation: What's the point?
I'm puzzled by the number of leaders who ramble through a speech without saying anything of substance. I'm equally dismayed by the number of leaders who cram 21 bullet points into a 30-minute presentation. Communicators frustrate people when they rattle off reams of information without pointing the way to practical application.
If you cannot identify a concise, worthwhile purpose for the presentation, you probably shouldn't be making it.
Design your speech the way the pros do. Begin by asking, "At the end of this presentation, what do I want listeners to think, feel, and do?" Good presenters speak to the head, the heart, and the hands.
3. Inadequate preparation
There is no excuse for "winging it." The best speakers are borderline neurotic in their preparation--even if their demeanor suggests otherwise. Presenters who come across as brilliantly unscripted likely spent hours practicing in order to appear "off the cuff."
If you paid for a ticket to a Broadway show where none of the actors had practiced in advance, you would demand your money back. Too bad the audiences of executive leaders don't get the same privilege. Each speech is a transaction. Your listeners are paying attention, and you owe them a worthwhile presentation in return.
4. Failure to capture attention
The scarcest resource in the world used to be time; today it is attention. The average listener is bombarded with messages from many different sources. From email to radio to voicemail to cell phones, everybody is trying to tell us something, and your attempt to give a speech is just one more bombardment.
Your content and delivery had better grab the audience's attention right out of the shoot. You don't have the luxury of "warming up" your audience. Hit them square between the eyes with something that will break their preoccupation with the thousands of other stimuli clamoring for their attention.
Most importantly, make your remarks relevant. Postmoderns are less interested with the question "Is it true?" and more interested in the question "How does it affect me?" Yes, you need to be intellectually honest to prove your points, but never forget to demonstrate that your message matters to the listener.
5. Pomposity
Ego-driven leaders are more concerned with what followers think about them than with what followers do because of them. Rather than influencing their listeners, pompous leaders attempt to impress the audience. In doing so, they manipulate rather than inspire.
A preoccupation with self is deadly to a communicator. Self-absorbed leaders speak in order to get their needs met rather than to meet the needs of the audience. Unfortunately for speakers, audiences are quick to pick up the scent of a pompous communicator and they will tune out any presenter perceived as arrogant.
6. Boredom
Today's audiences are filled with people who were raised on MTV. This generation spent its formative years watching music videos that contained 150 images in the course of a minute. For them, watching a talking head is about as stimulating as staring at a blank computer screen.
A speaker who entertains never fully flops. Don't get me wrong: entertainment by itself is not a worthwhile goal for an executive presenter, but is sure beats the alternative, which is to be boring. For a speaker, the value of entertainment comes from its ability to mentally engage listeners. I've found the best way to educate is to slip good ideas in on the wings of entertainment.
Great restaurants know that the presentation of cuisine is as important as its preparation. Speakers would be wise to take note: presentation and perception go hand-in-hand. The best communicators use the sizzle to sell the steak.
7. False endings
I've seen the following scenario play out hundreds of times. A speaker starts to conclude, even tells the audience of her intent, and then tells a pithy, witty story. The audience responds favorably, and the speaker gets a rush. "Wow, they liked that. I've got an even better story," she thinks to herself. And then she ends again with another story/quote/challenge. Like a junkie in search of another fix, the speaker keeps ending until there is no positive response, but rather visible signs of disgust. By then, it is too late to recover.
Conclude concisely. Each false ending weakens the message in front of it. A simple rule to remember: good endings only happen once.
Summary
The beginning of excellence is the elimination of foolishness. You can ramp up your speaking performance by analyzing your last presentation with these seven questions:
1. Did I stick to my allotted time?
2. Did I develop and present purposefully?
3. Was I thoroughly prepared?
4. Did I capture attention at the very beginning?
5. Did I positively influence listeners?
6. Was I appropriately entertaining, or at least not boring?
7. Did I end only once?
An affirmative answer to each question virtually guarantees that your next presentation won't be a flop. Not only will your communication be flop-proof, but you will likely be perceived as an articulate and effective speaker.
About the Author
Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE is president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio for leadership development and remarkable performance. He is an award-winning speaker and the author of three recent bestselling books.
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News You Can Use
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Take advantage of the lower conference registration fees and register for the conference by Dec. 15. Prices increase on Dec. 16. This year’s conference package includes more than 64 educational sessions, eight hours of viewing products and 20 hours of networking. Breakfasts and lunches are included, and STMA offers one day education/trade show packages at a special rate of $105. New this year to the trade show floor is a logo painting demonstration. Don’t miss the chance to jumpstart 2009 by attending this excellent continuing education opportunity.
Conference Badges Delivered to You Soon!
Register for the conference by Dec. 15, and you will receive your badge in the mail prior to Jan. 1. Be sure to bring your badge with you to the conference to avoid reprinting charges. All you have to do is to pick up a badge holder from one of the bins located in the registration area. You do not need to check in at registration—you are already registered! There will be a separate table for you to redeem your ticket included with your badge for your attendee gifts. For those who register after Dec. 15, you will need to check in at Registration where we will have your badge ready for you.
STMA has introduced a new conference registration feature. Log on to the Members Only section of the website, and you will see what events you registered for at the conference on your welcome page! This is an easy way to confirm your registration.
CSFM Testing
December 15 is also the date your CSFM application packet needs to be received by in order to take the STMA certification exam at the conference. The Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) exam is being offered on Tues., Jan. 13 and again on Sat., Jan 17. To see if you qualify to take the exam, click here or call STMA Headquarters at 800-323-3875. Be sure to let Headquarters know if you are planning on testing.
Share a Room
Hotel costs can be expensive, but many STMA members are cutting those costs by sharing a room in San José. Contact your friends and chapter members to find a roommate, or email your interest in being placed on a room share list to STMAinfo@STMA.org. STMA will provide that list as requested.
Handy Handouts
In an effort to cut waste, help the environment and provide you with easy access to all of the conference sessions’ handouts, STMA is going electronic. All conference registrants will receive a link to the handouts on Jan. 5. You can review them prior to the conference, select which ones you might need in print, and begin thinking about questions to ask the presenter. At the conclusion of the conference, all conference handouts will be available to the entire membership.
In addition, STMA will be creating 10 on-line classes from the conference for you to take to fit your schedule. So, if you missed one at the conference, or want your staff to have the benefit of these presentations, STMA will have them on-line in March. Check out the 14 on-line sessions that are currently offered.
Vote!
By now you should have received your STMA Board of Directors election materials in the mail. Or, for your convenience, you can go on-line to review the materials and cast your vote. Please check the approved methods to cast your ballot so that it can be verified and counted, yet your choices remain confidential.
Donate to SAFE
The SAFE Foundation, STMA’s charitable arm, is seeking donations to its live and silent auctions. Team gear, product, equipment, memorabilia – just about anything sports related is highly sought after by conference attendees. If you are coming to the conference, please bring your donation with you, or send it to STMA Headquarters, if you are not attending. SAFE funds the very important association scholarship program and beginning in 2009, will be funding a sports turf traffic study in cooperation with the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP).
STMA Hosts Technical Institutes
STMA is hosting three technical institutes at the upcoming national conference in January in San José.
The Introductory and Advanced Institutes are being held pre-conference on Wed., Jan. 14, and they are timed so that attendees can attend both of them.
The morning Introductory Institute, Native Soil Sports Turf Management, taught by Dr. A.J. Powell, will provide a complete review of management practices for native soil fields including solving drainage issues, fertilizer applications, aerification, top dressing, soil testing and pest and weed management.
The afternoon Advanced Institute, Advanced Principles in Soil Modification, taught by Dr. Andrew McNitt, is designed to increase your understanding of the practical workings of sand-based rootzones used for turfgrass. It is aimed at those who manage, design, or build sand-rootzone sports fields. The emphasis will be on understanding the manipulation of air and water in a rootzone and drainage system by manipulating sand particle size, shape, and uniformity and organic matter type and content. After this seminar you should be able to understand the sand selection and organic matter mixing process and be able to converse about USGA specifications, testing procedures, and quality control, as well as have a cursory knowledge of rootzone design principals.
The third institute is being held on Fri., Jan. 16, in the afternoon. Turf Pathology is being taught by Drs. Alan Windham, Frank Wong, and Brandon Horvath. This session takes attendees through the elements of disease diagnosis using compound and dissecting microscopes. Some of the turfgrass diseases that you will be able to identify include Pythium, Sclerotinia, and Rhidzoctonia. Each attendee will receive a full color booklet for future reference.
Each institute has a $55 fee in addition to the full conference registration fee.
Habla Espanol?
If Spanish is your first language, STMA has an excellent educational session on Thurs., Jan. 15, that is being taught in Spanish at the conference. The session, Turfgrass 101 in Spanish, will cover the region’s turfgrasses, fertility, and water and pest management practices. It is an ideal session for local and regional crew and staff who need an introduction to turfgrass management. Attendees can purchase a one-day educational session/trade show combo for just $105. The combo registration provides access to this class (8:30 – 11:30 a.m.), two educational sessions in the afternoon (attendee choice) and access to the trade show from 4:00-7:45 p.m.
2008 SAFE Scholarship Winners Announced
The Foundation for Safer Athletic Field Environments (SAFE) was created to provide research, educational programs, and scholarships geared to sports field specific endeavors. The level of scholarship funding has steadily increased since the scholarship programs inception in 1999 and in 2008 we awarded $12,500 to 8 recipients in two-year, four-year, and graduate level categories. This brings the total scholarships awarded to more than $125,000.
A panel of eleven judges independently scored each entry based on each students’ academic preparation, experience in the sports turf management industry, professional goals, extracurricular activities, and input from academic advisors and employers. Each student also wrote an essay describing his or her background and career aspirations.
The following SAFE Scholarship recipients had their financial aid mailed directly to their university, to be used for tuition, books, or other SAFE approved expenses. The students will be recognized during the Annual Awards Banquet on Fri., Jan. 16, 2009 at the 20th Annual STMA Conference and Exhibition in San Jose, Calif.
2008 SAFE Scholarship Winners
Graduate Scholarships
Dr. James Watson Graduate Scholarship, $2,500
• Alexander Kowalewski, Michigan State University
Four Year Scholarships
Dr. James Watson Undergraduate Scholarship, $2,500
• Nick Gialloretto, Pennsylvania State University
SAFE Undergraduate Scholarship, $1,500
• Lorenzo Lopez, Arizona State University
SAFE Undergraduate Scholarship, $1,000
• Robert Galdieri, Delaware Valley State College
• Jack Weatherwax, Purdue University
Two Year Scholarships
Dr. Fred Grau Memorial Scholarship, $2,000
• Brian McDougal, Michigan State University
SAFE Two Year Scholarship, $1,000
• Hector Ramirez, Mount San Antonio College
• Slim Reeb, Sheridan College
SAFE Jacobsen Golf Tournament Filling Up
As usual, the SAFE Jacobsen Golf Tournament is a popular event for STMA Conference and Exhibition attendees. This year’s event will be held at
Also, this year you may want to reserve rental clubs in advance. If you don’t want the hassle, and expense, of dragging your clubs back and forth to San José, please contact Patrick Allen at pallen@stma.org or 800.323.3875. The cost to rent clubs is $45 and they are reserved on a first come, first served basis.
Reservations made after Jan. 1, 2009 must be made directly with the club and may incur additional charges.
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