It rubs the lotion on it's skin**...

I just want to start this one by explaining a excerpt from my first installment. I had made the comment that to be successful in Hospitality, you need to be an verbal artist. Not that this statement isn't true, its just flawed. To clear up the vaigeness of this statement, I wish to put depth to it. "Personal Investment". I been bringing my kids to work with me on occasion, since my Hannah was a little bean, and recently she has described my interaction with patrons and coworkers as GENUINE. She puts it that I seem truly happy to interact with everyone, and take interest in their personal lives. This is true. I tend to make it a point to learn names and at least 2 things about that person. I feel it connects me on a deeper level and allows me to better serve. Which is a good spring board into the true "meat" of this post... Motivation.

How do you properly motivate and inspire those around you to do the things you need from them. I have found, as I'm sure most have, that there is no clear cut answer. Torture? Favoritism? Apathy? Unreal expectation? Putting them in the bottom of a well? 

What time is it?

Punch in... Punch out... Don't go over 40... Mandatory OT... Things I've never worried about in the 16+ years I've been in the work force. My day more so revolves around, is the job done or at an acceptable stopping point? Even when I was an hourly employee, 40 hour work weeks never constrained my productivity. "Just clock me out at 40, whatever hours I put in beyond, we can work out in the future." That was me. 1, 2, 3 more hours is all I need. "Greens are starting to turn, I'm gonna go cool 'em down. Just two more sets of tees to aerify, I'm gonna stay to finish. If I get these breaks glued up today, we can open the isolation valve tomorrow and get that area watered." You know, that kind of crap... Not saying every single day is a 16 hour day, but if it has to be, I'm not shy... Plus I married a great woman, who knows I'm married to my job, so I hold little stress when I'm not spending quality family time.

Turf is the easy part...

     When the average person hears about the golf course maintenance professional, I'm pretty sure they mainly think of Bill Murray from Caddyshack ( top 10 best movie all-time)...

     Unfair? Not really. You have to be a little twisted in the head to do this job. But what most people should know about the serious turf professional, is that we are basically personal trainers for grass. I'd like to say doctor, but you'd have to delve deep into the pathology arena of the scientific world to latch on to that label. Though educated in the physical and chemical needs of turf, we are there to keep the plant healthy, vibrant, and growing. But growing grass is the easy part.