green for life july/august 2014
DESCRIPTION
Landscape Alberta Green for Life is a professional publication for the landscape trade in Alberta.TRANSCRIPT
A Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association member publication July/August 2014 Vol. 2, No. 4
The Price of ArroganceEmployee Incentives: Not Just How, But Why
l
ERandt is crB
i
!SEATBA thank’ d
ting $1billion inaelebr c
thanisitV
es thrtebaromustcruoevannual r
.or detailsfoaksabillion.c
.earoughout the yrering specialy o�emers b
inge thankr’eenue and wv
IM
VROVMP
NGIV
Hhf
terldollis rF
T
AN l fiil
wodnideon, adieireS-023nD31e ki
natsrdneornar
LEH
CAh id Aid l
ow teh. Tytilibsiis vsalc-ni-tser bos fowt hgio ttnr ievuena. Msreetd Siks Se
mhe tngidivor py bssenisur buod y
CASSDDN
..i Wihi
h oeiosinar teedps-oslro0h 1tis wtot sp
tmiasna lelitaser vtso
EAP
eh, st
ePtntikaehrfoer
.dreli D Vlure a vl’uotrppelsreft
saes-iluuolriwor lesar faegittilya
y napme cohs te albiales re anihcam a oits nanoitaco7 lh 2ti. Wstceojrn pos
ysah eti, wdng. Anirevuenad maolw-
.t td ilot shay tsiopctnarn, aediwno
torsirg Wnihctiws-
isste
tdnbra
TDNARB2-888-1a c.
MANAGING EDITOR | Nigel BowlesLAYOUT & PRODUCTION | Kyla McKechnieEDITOR | Marnie MainADVERTISING | Erynn Watson
Landscape Alberta Green for Life is a professional publication forthe landscape trade in Alberta.
Editorial and Advertising Landscape Alberta200, 10331 - 178 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5S 1R5P: 780-489-1991 F: [email protected]
Landscape Alberta does not assume responsibility for and doesnot endorse the contents of any advertisements herein. Allrepresentations or warranties made are those of the advertiser andnot the publication. Views expressed herein are those of the authorsand do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of LandscapeAlberta or its members.
Material may not be reprinted from this magazine without theconsent of Landscape Alberta.
ISSN No: 1929-7114 (print)ISSN N0: 1929-7122 (online)
Landscape Alberta Board of DirectorsChris Brown, CRS Brown Landscape Services Ltd., Chair
Brian Gibson, Green Drop Lawns Ltd., Vice Chair
Arnold van de Ligt, Manderley Turf Products Inc., Treasurer
Cody Brown, Tree to Tree Nurseries Ltd.
Phil Paxton, Alpha Better Landscaping Inc.
Jordan Voogd, Sunstar Nurseries Ltd.
John van Roessel, JVR Landscape (2006) Inc.
Anita Heuver, Eagle Lake Nurseries Ltd.
Landscape Alberta StaffJoel Beatson, Executive [email protected]
Marnie Main, Member Services [email protected]
Erynn Watson, Member Services [email protected]
Valerie Stobbe, Trade Show [email protected]
Kyla McKechnie, Admin Assistant & [email protected]
Cheryl Teo, [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter@landscapeab
Green for Life July/August 2014 I 3
July 5 – 11, 2014Hort Week
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SKccde.usask.ca/hortweek
July 19, 2014Landscape Saskatchewan
Annual Softball TournamentCanLan Ice Sports Centre, Saskatoon, SK
Contact Chelsea at [email protected]
July 21 – 25, 2014Hort Week
Olds College, Olds, ABwww.oldscollege.ca
July 28 – 29, 2014IPM in Practice Workshop
Olds College, Olds, ABipminpractice.eventbrite.ca
August 15, 2014Landscape Alberta Nursery
Growers Group Educational Bus TourNiagara, ON
lagrowerstour2014.eventbrite.ca
September 10, 2014Olds College Fall Golf Classic
Olds Golf Course, Olds, ABwww.oldscollege.ca/golf
September 16, 2014Landscape Ontario Snow and Ice Conference and Expo
Landscape Ontario Head Office, Milton, ONwww.snowandiceexpo.ca
September 30 – October 2, 2014Canadian Urban Forest Conference
Victoria, BCwww.cufc11.ca
October 1 -2, 2014Canwest Horticulture Show
Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BCwww.canwesthortshow.com
Advancing the professional landscape industry.
CALENDAR
On the CoverPhoto Credit:Heritage Tree Foundation of Alberta
Employee Incentives: Not Just How,But Why, Page 7 The Price of Arrogance, Page 12
4 I Green for Life July/August 2014
Industry and Association News... Landscape Alberta Announces New Executive DirectorOn behalf of the Landscape Alberta Board of Directors, weare pleased to announce that Joel Beatson, CAE, has beenhired as the Association’s new Executive Director. Joel willbegin his duties as Executive Director in July 2014 replacingNigel Bowles, who is retiring at the end of June.
Joel will be familiar to many Landscape Alberta members ashe is currently the Manager of Industry and ProfessionalDevelopment with the Canadian Nursery LandscapeAssociation (CNLA), one of several positions he has held overthe past 11 years. Prior to joining the CNLA, he was theMarketing & Communication Coordinator for FlowersCanada. He will be moving from Ontario back to his homeprovince of Alberta in June.
Joel brings to the position an extensive understanding of thelandscape and nursery sectors and he has a proven trackrecord dealing with industry human resource issues. He hasalso been involved with numerous political issues at thefederal level, which will be an advantage when dealing withmunicipal and provincial officials.
"This is a very exciting opportunity and I lookforward to helping build on the amazingfoundation that is Landscape Alberta, andcontinue to grow both the industry and theassociation," says Joel.
Joel holds a Certified Association Executive(CAE) certificate from the Canadian Society ofAssociation Executives and is a LandscapeIndustry Certified Manager with a degree inCommunication Studies from the Universityof Windsor.
City of Edmonton Tree Planting DemonstrationOn May 29, the City of Edmonton’s Forestry Department helda tree planting demonstration at Floden Park to demonstratethe standards that must be adhered to by landscapecontractors and nurseries who provide trees and plantingservices to the city.
Forestry Department personnel planted trees and answeredquestions, ensuring open communication about the plantingstandards. Approximately 60 participants were on site tolearn what the Forestry department and its inspectors arelooking for to ensure proper tree survival. Having this first-hand knowledge will reduce the number of tree rejectionsat the time of inspection and will ensure the viability ofEdmonton’s tree canopy for years to come.
City of Edmonton Forestry Department ReorganizationThe City of Edmonton’s Parks and Forestry departments areundergoing a reorganization and will be integrated into theSustainable Development Urban Parks & Biodiversity
Parkland Developer Services department. The newdepartment recently held an information sharing session withdevelopers and landscape contractors and specificallyaddressed the parks and forestry inspection process. Severalchanges are being introduced in 2014 that are designed toalleviate some of the past issues relating to the ConstructionCompletion Certificate (CCC) and Facility AcceptanceCertificate (FAC). Please contact us for a CCC and FACinspection briefing note. At the meeting, Landscape AlbertaExecutive Director, Nigel Bowles, gave a well-receivedpresentation about our association and, more specifically, thenursery growers sector.
Explore Tree Diversity in Edmonton Using yegTreeMapThe City of Edmonton has launched a new interactive publictree registry through the Root for Trees initiative.
yegTreeMap is an online map database of trees in Edmonton.Individuals, community groups, and government cancollaboratively create an accurate and informative inventoryof the trees in their communities on both public and privateproperty.
Some suggestions for how you can use yegTreeMap:Add trees in your yard, near your home or in your•neighbourhood and help create a more completeinventory of trees in Edmonton. Log stewardship activities for trees that you care for.•Looking for edible fruit trees on public property? You•can search for individual tree species usingyegTreeMap. Did you receive an Arbor Day Tree when you were in•Grade 1? Upload a photo and share the story ofyour Arbor Day Tree using yegTreeMap athttp://bit.ly/1jIpY5C.
For more information: http://bit.ly/QmQN3D yegTreeMap: www.opentreemap.org/edmonton
National Turf Producers SubcommitteeCNLA has recently formed a national committee focusedon the needs of turf producers across Canada. Currentlyoperating as a subcommittee under Growers Canada, thisgroup has been holding monthly conference calls in 2014 todevelop a national strategy for the sector.
The subcommittee is concentrating on two key items for2014: finding funding opportunities for members in thesector; and researching and communicating the benefits ofturf.
If you have any questions about the Turf ProducersSubcommittee, or would like to participate, please contactJulia Ricottone at the CNLA office: [email protected].
Green for Life July/August 2014 I 5
Import / Export of Barberry: CFIA NoticeDue to problems with the identity of plants labelled as theAurea Nana variety of Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)imported from the United States, the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture (USDA) has voluntarily suspended exportcertification of all Aurea Nana plants from the United Statesto Canada. The suspension will remain in place until the issueswith this variety have been resolved; it is not known at thistime how long this will take.
For any questions, please contact:Élizabeth PowlesHorticulture Specialist, Canadian Food Inspection AgencyPhone: 613-773-7171 Email: [email protected]
Late BlightOver the last few years, there has been a great deal of concernin Alberta surrounding a serious disease called Late Blightthat mainly affects potatoes and tomatoes.
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (AARD)recognizes that there is a potential threat of yet anotheroutbreak in 2014. In order to try and protect those cropindustries in Alberta that could be hurt by Late Blight, and toprevent a repeat of past outbreaks, AARD is committed toincreasing awareness of the symptoms and managementstrategies amongst commercial potato, tomato and beddingplant growers and suppliers, as well as both home and marketgardeners.
Educational materials have been prepared detailing thesymptoms and general management practices for Late Blightin order to assist you in dealing with this disease. Visithttp://bit.ly/QmOSMx for more information and posters onthis disease.
If you come across a suspect plant sample, please feel freeto contact AARD at 310-FARM (3276) or [email protected] for assistance in diagnosis.
Photo Credit: Dr. Khalil Al-Mughrabi, Gov’t of New Brunswick
Late Blight is a community disease, with the potential toinfect various types of plants in the tomato/potato familyin fields and gardens across the province. Everyone’sparticipation is required to create a broad public awarenessof Late Blight and to successfully manage this disease.
Garden Centres - a Great Contest for your Customers this Fall!Garden Centres Canada has teamed up with Canada Bloomsfor the third year in a row to offer members the chance to holda contest that sends one lucky winner to the next show instyle (Canada Blooms is held in early spring). The grand prizewinner is treated to three nights at the Intercontinental Hotel,VIA rail passes for two, and daily tickets to the show. Thisyear's contest kicked-off on the May long weekend and runsuntil October 31, 2014 – still lots of time to get your gardencentre signed up. Register your garden centre and give yourcustomers the chance to win a wonderful gardener’s getawayto Canada Blooms!
It’s easy! Register with the CNLA and display the contestposter in your store. Customers simply use your code(provided upon registration with the CNLA) and enter onlineat the Canada Blooms website.
For information, visit www.cnla-acpp.ca/gardencentrecontest.
6 I Green for Life July/August 2014
Landscape Alberta Members Help Rebuild Ball Diamonds in High River
Working with the Town of High River Parks Department,Landscape Alberta members helped to restore three baseballdiamonds in the Town of High River on May 14, 2014, just in timefor minor ball season to begin.
After the flood waters receded last year, the town was left withonly one functional baseball diamond. Landscape Alberta and itsmembers committed to providing assistance in rebuilding threebaseball diamonds on school grounds in High River: Senator RileySchool, Spitzee Elementary School and Ecole Joe Clark School.
A group of Landscape Alberta member businesses volunteeredtheir time, equipment and supplies to this restoration effort -spreading new shale for the infields, and aerating and seeding thegrass outfields.
The Town of High River received $25,000.00 from the Toronto BlueJays to help rejuvenate these ball diamonds and ensure kids havea place to play.
We would like to send a huge thank you to the members whohelped us on this project. Thank you to Cervus Equipment(Calgary), Wheatland Trees Ltd., 5 Star Trees Ltd. and Bos ScapesInc. for supplying equipment and manpower to this effort. Also, athank you to Manderley Turf Products Inc. for supplying the grassseed.
“We are extremely grateful to Jays CareFoundation and Landscape Alberta for restoringour diamonds,” said Marlene Nanaquewetung,president of High River Minor Ball Association.
“Because of their help, our league is able to continueoffering programs for High River youth.”
Green for Life July/August 2014 I 7
The hiring turnstile. That feeling in yourstomach as you leave a jobsite bracingyourself for all the things that might go wrongwhen you take your eyes off the job. Thatoverwhelming frustration of pouring most ofyour waking hours and energy into a businessthat doesn’t deliver anything close to thepotential you know exists. Sound familiar?
Years ago, we realized that training was apriority if we were going to keep growing. Ihad too much on my plate, our jobs had toomany mistakes, we burned through too manynew hires — yet the solution to theseproblems kept coming back to the samething: I needed to train my staff more andbetter if I was going to make this businessbigger than myself.
And so we did. We implemented on-the-jobtraining to build new skills in our crews.We sought out and employed the bestsubcontractors we could find so we couldwatch and re-create the systems they usedfor efficient work or craftsmanship. Weimplemented, and still use today, an onlinetraining program for every staff member thatcomes aboard to cover the basics of safety,construction orientation, and PPE, as well ascourses that taught the language and cultureof problem solving and waste elimination.
We saw a difference almost immediately. Wequickly grew stronger. I could delegate more.I could take on more work and bigger jobswithout the fear I used to have when I left thejobsite. We were getting better, but we werestill lacking something.
My business was my life. It was how I provided for my family. It’s my future, it may bemy children’s future, and I spent most of my waking life thinking about, living andbreathing our company. But for my staff, it was not the same. Understandably, forthem, this was just a job. Just a way to a paycheque. And all our talk of getting bigger,better, more profitable… it just wasn’t delivering the results I knew it should. Theproblem though, was obvious.
We were teaching our crews how to do their jobs better, but we were failing to showthem why to do their jobs better.
Employee Incentives:
By Mark Bradley
8 I Green for Life July/August 2014
Proper training will solve problems, but it can’t solve theunderlying problem that robs companies of their truepotential: motivation. If we were going to build a successfulbusiness, stop the hiring turnstile, and improve profits onproductivity, then there was no other option. We had to showour staff why all this talk about productivity was important tothem, not just to our business.
Over the years, we’ve been developing and refining a multi-tiered approach to employee incentives. Some rewards arefinancial. Others are not. Combined, they work together tocreate a culture that rewards high achievers and frustrates(and drives out) poor performers.
Going into this season, ask yourself one simple question: Ifyou worked for your company, why would you work harder,faster and better? What’s in it for you?
Many company owners I’ve met spend more time and energyworrying about how to stop breaking a $50 shovel than howto motivate their staff. But with just a 10% improvement inproductivity, you could afford to buy your crews new shovelsevery day. You wouldn’t… but you could.
I don’t believe there is one right answer to this question, andI will share just some of the tools that help us:
Attract superior talent•Produce industry-leading revenue per man hour•Retain and develop long-term employees •
Financial motivators Standardize your wages. Get rid of annual reviews•and arbitrary raises and create defined roles in yourcompany. Show the paths to advancement (e.g.Labourer C, $15/hr.; Labourer B, $17/hr.; Labourer A,$18/hr., etc.). Define your expectations for what ittakes to move up the ladder: certification, education,
field-proven skills, clean driving record, perfectsafety record, etc. Show your staff the opportunitieswithin your company and define for them how theycan progress towards their goal.Go to salary for better stability. Consider moving key•field staff to an annual salary. Seasonal layoffs orreduced income force good staff to look toother trades for more predictable employmentcompensation. If you’re an upstanding, responsibleperson trying to build a future and raise a family,you’re going to need job with a predictable, stableincome. Talk it over with key staff and agree on asalary based on a conservative estimate of hoursworked multiplied by their hourly rate, and make upthe difference if you’ve overworked or underworkedthem at the end of the year.Bonuses and incentives. Have a bonus/incentive•program linked to company success. Keep it simple.I can’t stress that enough. Our program is basedmore or less on two simple metrics that are easy tomeasure, and easy for staff to control: sales and fieldwages. We have a clear sales goal and we have aclear percentage of sales that we can afford in fieldwages. If crews beat their production (producedrevenue) goal without overspending on wages (as apercentage, not a flat number), it’s bonus time. It’snot a perfect system, but it is perfectly simple. Atalmost any time of the year, I can pull a very accuratesales and field wage spending report. That’s all weneed to know whether we’re tracking to meet, beat,or fall short of our goals. Give them a future. Offer a pension contribution•plan. Most banks and major investment houses willhelp you set up a company pension plan where youremployees can contribute pre-tax income directlyoff their paycheques. Match their contributions upto a maximum that grows each year. Have yourinvestment agent show your staff what it takes toretire a millionaire. It’s not as much as you and yourstaff might think. You’ll attract/motivate people whosee their future tied to our industry and improve yourretention rates.Paid vacations. Pay your vendors with credit cards•(but pay your cards promptly!). Collect travel points.Attract new, key staff with a paid vacation benefit,or reward your best performers with a pair of flightsanywhere in North America during your down sea-son.
Other motivatorsShare your goals for company growth. Growth and•profitability are not just important to you, theyare critical to staff who want opportunities toadvance in rank and pay. Stagnant companies can’toffer promotions and raises. Employees see nothingbut a dead-end, the same job every morning with nohope for anything greater. A scoreboard. Put 12 guys out on a pond to play•hockey and they’ll have a blast. Put 12 guys in an
Create a flowchart showing how employees can advance within your company. It inspires youremployees along a path toward career growth, and helps you plan to profit from investing inhuman talent.
Green for Life January/February 2014 I 9
arena with some fans in the standsand a working scoreboard, andthey’re ready to kill each other justso their number can be bigger thanthe other guys’ number at the end ofthe game. We use our mobiletimekeeping system to show ourstaff real-time, up-to-the-minuteestimated vs. actual hours on everyjob. When everyone knows “thescore,” everyone starts playing towin. It’s simple. Training and education. Through•on-the-job training, industry trainingevents, and online training, we wantto offer our staff opportunities tobuild their skills. It gives thema chance to move ahead in thisindustry and in my company. It givesour company the opportunity topromote from within. Key roles areassumed by current staff whoalready know our systems, knowour procedures, and know ourexpectations, rather than trying tofill these roles with other companies’castoffs. Company events. BBQs, a company•team in a beer hockey league, prohockey tickets, Christmas parties, acompany golf tournament, foremandinners… Once a quarter, try to hostsome kind of special event forsome/all of your staff to reward andreinforce your direction, yourprogress, and opportunities availablein your company.
Reprinted with permission from LandscapeTrades magazine.
Showcase your expertise and creativity...
Enter the 2014 Landscape Awards
Entry forms and guides are available onlineat www.landscape-alberta.com (open to
Active members of Landscape Alberta).
Entry Deadline: October 17, 2014
For more information, contact Kyla [email protected] or 1-800-378-3198
Hort MartAurora Design
PPhhoonnee:: ((440033)) 227733--66991177E-mail: [email protected]
DESIGN, PRINT AND DIGITAL SERVICES FOR:
• Advertising Design • Flyers• Brochures • Newsletters• Business Cards • Photography• Catalogues • Promo Inserts
... and much more
10 I Green for Life July/August 2014
012
SOONCOMING
51
com
Gr ers o wGroShrub Shrubs ~ R ot i ot Tot-in-PPP
of Containeriergr Roses ~ Ev
rees ~ Fruit T
ed izreens
rees t Tquatics e Plants ~ Vines ~ AativN
erennials ~ GrassesP
..bronandsonswww.C., BorksGrand F 111-961-800-83
Green for Life July/August 2014 I 11
Tips for Employers: Employing Young Workers
Did you know?Approximately 7,600 young workers aged 15-24•report on-the-job injuries each year.On average each year, 5 workers aged 15-24 die•in workplace incidents and an additional 5 die inwork-related motor vehicle incidents.Over 50% of young workers reported they had not•received training before starting a new task.*Young workers get hurt when they:•
do jobs they aren’t trained to do•don’t have adequate supervision•work with hazardous equipment•
Employers can be subject to a fine of up to $500,000•and/or a jail term if they don’t comply withAlberta’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act•and regulations.
*Source: Industrial Accident Prevention Association, Ontario
Employers – It’s Your JobCreating a safe workplace takes more than a handout ora video clip at your monthly staff meeting. It’s an everydaycommitment. Here are 10 ways to make health and safety apriority in the workplace:
Spend ample time training young and new workers•Provide regular safety training for your supervisors•Lead by example – demonstrate safe work habits•Regularly check that your company’s safety•procedures are followedProvide protective equipment and devices•Teach workers to report illnesses and injuries•immediatelyTeach workers to report anything that could be•hazardousKeep your workplace health and safety programs•up-to-dateStay aware of the hazards in your workplace and how•to handle themRespond promptly to all health and safety concerns•
Minimum Age Requirements for Working in AlbertaEmployers need to know the minimum age requirements forworking in Alberta. Be sure to ask your potential employeesfor identification to verify their age.
Adolescents between 12 and 14 years oldAdolescents may be employed to make deliveries for a retailstore, deliver newspapers or flyers, work as a clerk in an officeor retail store, or perform certain jobs in the restaurant andfood services industry.The employer requires written consent from a parent orguardian before an adolescent can begin working.
For any other type of work, permission from the Director ofEmployment Standards must be obtained in addition towritten parental consent before employing an adolescent. Formore information, visit www.worksafe.alberta.ca.
Adolescents can work a maximum of 2 hours on a school day,a maximum of 8 hours on a non-school day, but cannot workbetween 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Adolescents must be paid at leastminimum wage.
Young persons between 15 and 18 years of ageYoung persons cannot be employed between midnight and 6a.m. in any retail store selling food or beverage, a retailbusiness selling gasoline or other petroleum products, or in ahotel, or motel.
Young persons may be employed in other workplaces betweenmidnight and 6 a.m. if they work continuously with someoneat least 18 years of age and a parent or guardian has providedthe employer with written consent.
The law says that employers have direct responsibility for thehealth and safety of their workers.
For more information about the law and health and safety foryoung workers, take a look at our X-Treme Safety: A SurvivalGuide for New and Young Workers at the Workplace Health andSafety website at www.worksafe.alberta.ca.
Source: Work Safe Alberta
12 I Green for Life July/August 2014
By Rod McDonald
Arrogance is defined as the lack of humility, and humility isdefined as being teachable. Being teachable has manyrewards, and arrogance has many costs. Of all the sins thatwe can possess, arrogance is the most expensive. I write thatnot because I read it, but because I have paid the price forarrogance, and I have benefited by being teachable. Thehuman experience is a shared experience.
Several years ago, the greenhouse and garden centreoperators of Saskatchewan gathered in a hotel conferenceroom in Saskatoon. We had brought in an expert on growinghanging baskets from Ohio, at great expense. She wasa brilliant speaker with a colourful slide presentationhighlighting her speaking points. Seated ahead of us was agrower who, each time our guest speaker made a point,would “beak off.” He always had what he though was a cleverretort.
The mood in the room was uncomfortable. People wereshifting in their seats. It reached a breaking point. The fellowseated beside me tapped the interrupter on the shoulder,saying, “Why don’t you let her speak without commenting?”It may have sounded as if it was a suggestion, but that washis Canadian way of saying, “Shut Up!” The interrupter’sresponse was “I would, if she knew what she was talkingabout.”
The room went silent. We were in shock. Finally, one ofthe members said to the speaker, “Please continue. Weare enjoying your presentation. There will be no moreinterruptions.” Her seminar continued and it was filled withvaluable information.
Sometimes, a story just writes itself. It was not too longbefore the rude greenhouse operator was bankrupt, blamingthe demise on the price of natural gas. Not once did he takeresponsibility for losing his company, because he thought heknew everything. Arrogance is costly.
I can tell that story about a seminar in Saskatoon, a storyabout someone from my province, but it is also a universalstory, one that occurs in all locations and all professions. Afew years ago, I was in Toronto for the annual gathering of thetrade. I was in a seminar room along with many others. Acrossthe room, there was a fellow who had a smirk on his face. Hecaught my attention, and I watched his body language as theseminar began. I thought to myself, this chap’s behaviourwould be similar to my story above. He did not disappoint.When the question and answer part of the seminar wasopened up, there he was, holding court. In essence, thesubject was how smart he was in comparison to the rest ofthe room. The question needed to be asked: Why was hethere, if he was already smarter than everyone else?
It is easy to listen to advice from someone we hold in highesteem. It is more difficult to listen to people who we do notreally care for, and to dismiss them. Yet, I learned very usefulinformation regarding soil-less mixes and fertilizer selectionsfrom two different people, who were not my cup of tea. I didnot have a great deal of respect for either of those two peoplebut they were the ones who, when I followed theirsuggestions, increased my success. Sometimes, we have toget past the messenger in order to hear the message.
We need to learn and to keep our learning ability alive no
The Price of
ARROGANCE
Green for Life July/August 2014 I 13
matter how successful we are in our careers. Learning andadapting is a lifelong endeavour. I used to subscribe to a men’shealth journal, a monthly, four-page newsletter for those ofus who possess the XY chromosome. One contributor was ahighly respected urologist. In an article, the doctor talkedabout the ability to learn. He told the readers how he was notsurprised that his success improved after completing athousand surgeries. He had expected that improvement.What he was surprised to learn, was that his surgical successrate increased after he had carried out two thousandsurgeries. And as his career approached the three thousandmark, his success rate was higher, yet again. He said he hadgotten better by paying attention to what worked and whatdidn’t. He was not arrogant. He embraced learning, and thatis what each of us in the green trades must do as well, if wewish to increase our success.
I found that in my twenties, I was a good sales person. I couldspeak well and sold people on myself. In my forties, my salesability increased considerably, because I stopped sellingcustomers on myself and started to listen to their needs. Salesalways increase when needs are met. As I grew older, I cameto realize that salespeople often talk themselves out of salesas often as into them. No one enjoys arrogance in a doctor,and no one is thrilled with arrogance in a sales person. In bothsituations, the patient or customer wants to be looked after.
Several years ago, I was sitting in a mediator’s office with mylawyer. I was suing the City of Regina for allowing golf ballsfrom their course to crash through my glass greenhouse. The
court had ordered us to mediation. My lawyer told me hehad been in the same room a few weeks earlier. He wasrepresenting a woman who had filed a suit against hersurgeon. Her ask was for $50,000. As mediation began, thesurgeon told his patient, “How dare you waste my time bydragging me down here? Don’t you know who I am?” Mylawyer knew as soon as those words were spoken, that therewould be a price to be paid for the surgeon’s arrogance. Theclient immediately announced she was amending her suitfrom $50,000 to $200,000! The surgeon’s insurance companywas not thrilled with his outburst. Arrogance is costly.
I have had a great stock broker/financial advisor. She looksafter my account and pays great attention to detail. In short,I am satisfied. My banker wanted me to meet “their” guy. Justlisten to what he has to say. No problem. I am always willingto listen. “Their” guy spent the first 15 minutes telling me howsmart he was. Never asked me a single question about who Iwas or my needs, goals or aspirations. Some sales people talk
BBii--wweeeekkllyy sshhiippmmeennttss ttoo SSaasskkaattcchheewwaann && AAllbbeerrttaa TToollll FFrreeee:: 11--888888--885577--55228888 wwwwww..jjeeffffrriieessnnuurrsseerriieess..ccoomm
INCREDIBALLINCREDIBALL®®
HydrangeaHydrangea
TRY OUR TRY OUR 10 GALLON 10 GALLON
SHRUBSSHRUBS
“The longer we stay in the trade, themore set in our ways we can become. Ithas taken so much effort to get where
we are, that we are reluctant toembrace a new way of doing things,
or an alternative approach.”
14 I Green for Life July/August 2014
themselves out of sales more often than into them. If you or I or anyone else is really,really smart or talented, we don’t need others to tell them. They will figure that out ontheir own.
The longer we stay in the trade, the more set in our ways we can become. It has takenso much effort to get where we are, that we are reluctant to embrace a new way ofdoing things, or an alternative approach. If we form that wall of reluctance, we closeourselves off from a changing world. There was a successful greenhouse operator northof Regina, in the seventies and eighties. By the time 1992 arrived, his loyal clientelewas dissolving at an alarming rate. He came by my place to cry on my shoulder. Heuttered the all-too-common lament, “People are no longer loyal as they once were.” Isuggested that if he made a few changes, he might win them back and some newcustomer as well. “What changes?” he demanded. I pointed out that he was stillgrowing his bedding plants in dirt and using paper pots, and most customers werereluctant to accept that format. “But that’s the way I have always done it!” One moretime, the story writes itself with no happy ending.
To finish off this column with a somewhat sad,yet funny story, I return to the seminarsituation, which is a wonderful place toimprove skills and to learn. There was aseminar leader, teaching us communicationtechniques to be utilized with our customers,staff and suppliers. The speaker waswonderful, and he backed up his assertionswith research. All but one of us werefascinated with his information. The one whowas not impressed was another grower whothought he knew everything. With each pieceof information, the grower would respondwith a comment. The speaker wasexasperated. He said, dripping with a greatdeal of sarcasm, “Hey, you’re really good. Doyou want to come up here and finish theseminar?” I was sitting with Ron Johnson fromKeon Garden Centre out of Moose Jaw. Ronturned to me and said, “Oh no! That was thewrong person to say that to.” Sure enough,the grower left his chair, goes up to the stage,takes the microphone and proceeds toprovide the audience with a bizarre lecture.There are some people you just can’t insult,no matter how hard you try. It took us severalminutes to convince the grower that heneeded to sit down and allow the seminarleader to continue.
Being teachable is a very important habit todevelop in a changing world, where any oneof us can fall behind and never recover ifvigilance is not maintained. Humility keeps uson the road to success.
Reprinted with permission from LandscapeTrades magazine.
Elite Lawn & Snow Inc.Darin Thera10933A 166A StreetEdmonton, AB T5P 3V4Phone: (780) 758-7669Fax: (780) [email protected]
Final Grade Tree Nursery Inc.Ken & Tammy Ludwig50168 Range Road 244ALeduc County, AB T4X 0P3Phone: (780) [email protected]
New MembersWelcome to our
Green for Life July/August 2014 I 15
Distressed Wooden Display UnitThis distressed wooden display unit has ample display area with 6 trays. Get creative with yoursignage using the two chalkboards at the top. Great for giftware or plants, it’s sturdy, double sidedfor center displays, and folds up for ease of storage when not in use. It measures 50 1/4”H x 37 ¾”L x13”W.
Florists Supply Ltd. Contact: Colleen Hemmingway, (780) 424-4576 Ext 302 or Toll Free (800) 465-8878 Ext 302 www.floristssupply.com
Baited Insecticide Dust or Spray (Diatomaceous Earth)1. Use as Dust or a Spray; 2. 100’s of gardening uses; 3. Fantastic Slug Killer as a Spray; 4.Indoor/Outdoor Uses; 5. Excellent Control of all crawling insects; 6. Great for Bed Bug control;7. 90% Silicon Dioxide; 8. Two Food Grade Attractants; 9. Available in 2 sizes 200 Gram and 1 KG.
New products: Residual Barrier Tick & Flea Killer, Residual Barrier Spider Killer, Pyrethrin Powder,Foaming Residual Outdoor Ant Eliminator, No Bite Wild and Domestic Animal Deterrent & TrainingAid, and the Dustin Mizer - a tool to dispense powdered gardening products. Fantastic for use ingreenhouses.
Doktor Doom InsecticidesContact: (800) 452-0023 www.doktordoom.com
Weigela Maroon Swoon™One look at the extravagant maroon blooms, and this new Weigela will make your heart beat alittle faster. Maroon Swoon™ blooms an abundance of gorgeous bell-shaped flowers, and hasrich, green foliage that contrasts for a stunning effect. It's a product of the top Weigela breedingprogram in the world, and an exceptional performer for grower and end consumer alike. Thismid-sized flowering shrub is perfect as a focal point in your garden design, or at the back of yourlandscape bed. Brought to you by Van Belle Nursery's Bloomin' Easy® line of plants - "Plant, Water,Relax."
Van Belle NurseryContact: Head Office, (888) 826-2355www.bloomineasyplants.com
NEW PRODUCTS
Prairie Skyrise Aspen - Populus tremuloides 'Prairie Skyrise' PBR4582 PPAF Fast growing, upright columnar form with very compact branching habit and deep green foliage. Leafsout earlier than Swedish Aspen. Golden yellow fall colour. Excellent for screens and windbreaks.Perfect for small yards. Best in a moist, well-drained soil. Full sun to partial shade. Ht: 12-15m Sp: 1.5-2.1m. Zone 2.
Bron & Sons Nursery Co. Ltd.Contact: (800) 831-9611www.bronandsons.com
16 I Green for Life July/August 2014
Parkland Pillar® Asian White Birch Betula platyphylla ‘Jefpark’Parkland Pillar® is an outstanding columnar Asian White Birch with white bark and dense,dark-green summer foliage that turns golden in late fall. Parkland Pillar® was selected by ParklandNurseries owner Dwayne Beck. Hardy to zone 3, Parkland Pillar® is a fast-growing tree with amature size of 30’ x 6’. Although Parkland Pillar® shows some susceptibility to Bronze Birch Borerunder dry conditions, mulch at the base of the tree will help maintain soil moisture levels andprovide a cooler root system. Parkland Pillar® Birch promises to be a suitable choice for privacyscreens in the residential landscape.
Jeffries Nurseries Ltd.Contact: (204) 857-5288 www.jeffriesnurseries.com
Moss-Aside Moss KillerMoss-Aside Moss Killer works quickly to eliminate moss, algae, lichens, liverwort, mold, mildew, and green slime. This non-staining formulacan be used on lawns, golf courses, turf, parks, playgrounds, and a wide variety of other sites.
Moss-Aside is residue exempt, which means that the active ingredient is exempt from the requirement for a tolerance when used in or on allfood commodities, increasing flexibility when exporting to many countries. Moss-Aside will not harm adjacent plants when used accordingto directions, will not increase soil acidity, will not darken grass, and will not damage painted and metal surfaces.
Neudorff North AmericaContact: Tim Tripp, (519) 803-3261www.neudorffpro.com
NEW PRODUCTS
a
GREEE
leadin
0
a gsIndu dLANDSCAPE TURF
p
TUCENHOUSE AND GARDEN
42lanoitpecxenadna
fworkshopsRTREE NUR ES
ACENTRE PRO ESSIOF Nhsedarthtoob0 o
BURNCO BabyBagsBURNCO’S new BabyBags are ideal for those smaller jobs, or when you don’t need a full yard ofany one product on a jobsite. The BabyBags are half the size of BURNCO’s original BigBags; theycontain approximately one-half cubic yard of product. BabyBags can be ordered for any bulkproduct including soils, mulches, sand, gravel or decorative rock. If you want to avoid having smallpiles all over the site, the BabyBag is a great solution. The BabyBags are also great for cleanup andcan be used for waste removal. BURNCO BabyBags are easy to order online or by phone.
BURNCO Rock Products Ltd.www.burncolandscape.com
Green for Life July/August 2014 I 17
indicating a wish not to receive unsolicited messages, and the message isrelevant to the recipient’s business, role, functions or duties.
You have gained valid Express Consent when you have all of the following:The purpose for obtaining consent is clearly and simply stated.•The sender is identified by their name, mailing address and either a telephone•number, email address or web address.The recipient is informed that they can unsubscribe at any time.•Consent must be opt-in, not opt-out.•The evidence of express consent is retained.•Consent cannot be bundled with consent for Terms and Conditions.•
While both forms of consent are valid under CASL regulations, Express consent is thebest kind as it does not have an expiry date. Implied consent has a time limit of 2 years,after which you must remove the contact from your email list, unless you are able togain express consent. It is important to retain proof of consent for both Implied andExpress. It is suggested to keep records including whether the consent was verbal orwritten, the date consent was given and the manner in which it was obtained.
2. CEMs must include information on the sender. You must clearly and simply identifyyourselves and anyone else whose behalf the message is sent. The sender must beidentified by their name, mailing address and either a telephone number, email addressor web address.
3. All CEMs must include the option to “unsubscribe” from the mailing list. The link orprocess to unsubscribe must be user-friendly and able to be readily performed.
For more information on CASL, visit www.fightspam.gc.ca.
Does your company send emails, social mediamessages or text messages to client orprospective lists? If so, you are required tofollow the Canada Anti-Spam Legislation(CASL) strict regulations for sendingcommercial electronic messages (CEM).Canada's new anti-spam law enters into forceon July 1, 2014.
How do you make sure your business iscompliant with CASL regulations? There arethree simple rules to follow: 1) Obtainconsent, 2) Identify who you are, and 3)provide an unsubscribe mechanism.
1. There are two kinds of consent: Implied andExpress. You have gained Implied Consentwhen you retain proof that one of thefollowing applies:
The sender has an existing•relationship with the recipient, sincethe recipient has either purchased aproduct or service within the pasttwo years, accepted a business orinvestment opportunity within thepast two years, entered into awritten contract within the past twoyears or inquired or applied for aproduct or service within the past sixmonths.The recipient has “conspicuously•published” their email address ina publication that is relevant tothe sender’s message, and thepublication is not accompanied by astatement that the person doesnot wish to receive unsolicitedmessages.The recipient has disclosed their•email address to the sender without
ConsentYou must have express or impliedconsent to send a message.
IdentificationYou must clearly and simplyidentify yourself and anyone elseon whose behalf the message issent.
Unsubscribe MechanismIn every message, you mustprovide a way for recipients tounsubscribe from receivingmessages in the future.
Canada’s Anti-Spam LegislationCanada’s Anti-Spam Legislation
18 I Green for Life July/August 2014
A look back at our association
