MORE THAN GRASS WITH ALPHA JONES

By Alpha Jones , CSFM

The green industry is full of people with a great work ethic , a “ can do ” attitude and who can problem solve just as quickly as any corporate strategist . Many of us have backgrounds that include training outside of the industry and even postgraduate degrees .

We can discuss the importance of natural grass fields versus artificial surfaces , cool-season versus warm-season grasses and so forth . As great as we are at talking technical , I often hear there is a need to increase awareness of the non-technical abilities known as “ soft ” or “ essential ” skills . One essential soft skill is empathy — defined simply as the ability to put yourself in someone else ’ s shoes .

Every one of us has a story that is defined by our experiences and how they impact us . Empathy is practiced by walking in the other person ’ s shoes . It is often said that the best way to not hate somebody is to know their story . One example of this is a story my father shared with me that may have unknowingly influenced my career path .

In the Deep South during the 1950s , tension between people based on the color of their skin and misinformed beliefs was prevalent wherever you turned . In 1959 , my paternal grandparents were able to purchase land , and my grandfather , a skilled carpenter , built what became the central hub of the Jones family in the hot and humid state of Mississippi . The house was a corner lot with plenty of yard space and frontage on both streets . It was noteworthy in those days for a Black family to own a house with a yard . My grandparents wanted grass in front of the house , and they tried several times to establish a lawn , but were unsuccessful .

Before technology changed the way business is done , it was customary practice for your insurance agent to come to your house to collect payment on your policy . When my grandmother ’ s agent came to collect , the conversation was typically about the account balance , when the next payment was due , etc . However , one visit included a comment of frustration by my grandmother about not having a lawn . The agent collected his payment and left .

On his next visit , the insurance agent brought with him what he called “ runners ,” and handed them to my grandmother with an explanation of how to plant them . The runners were from his yard at home and , given time , would establish and fill in . Those runners were bermudagrass or some other warm-season spreading-type grass .

I remember as a young boy visiting my grandmother ’ s house – many years after the encounter with the agent – and playing baseball and football with my cousins in the same yard grown from those runners . The thick canopy of grass provided a soft landing when we tackled each other or slid into home plate .

Years later , that same yard provided runners to my dad , who brought them home . The bermudagrass took in our yard in Pittsburgh , but grew slow and thin . My father took more runners and now has a lawn that covers his entire back yard in North Carolina .

I left an important part of this story out ; the initial exchange of runners took place between a Black woman and a white male insurance agent . In those days , mistrust between races was common and sometimes meant the difference between life and death . In that moment , however , the agent put himself in my grandmother ’ s shoes and understood how important a front lawn was to her . His empathy moved him to bring runners from his yard to help her situation .

In the same way , each of us as leaders and future leaders in this industry can utilize the skill of empathy to better understand the people around us . Their story provides a roadmap to understanding what ’ s important to them . It is a method of communication that connects us with them and their source of inspiration . Knowledge like this can change your perspective and improve decision making . It ’ s impossible to hate someone if you know their story . If you know their story , it ’ s possible to effectively lead them . Go learn some stories ! SFM

Alpha Jones , CSFM , is director of field operations for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers , MiLB affiliate of the Houston Astros . He serves on the SFMA Board of Directors as Secretary-Treasurer .

32 SportsField Management | February 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com