PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

DOMENIC LAURIA Vizmeg Landscape, Inc.

DON’T OVERLOOK THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

While the value of possessing strong communication skills isn’t something that can be measured in numbers, the importance of these skills in our personal and professional lives cannot be overlooked. Effective communicators possess a certain skillset that helps them achieve what they want to with stunning efficiency. In this article, I want to discuss a few items I’ve found – through study and research – that have helped me to improve my abilities as a communicator.

To begin, I’ve always looked at improving my communication skills as one of the many steps required to achieve the level of success that I strive for. I have found that by refining these skills I’ve improved myself as a leader, a manager, a husband, a father, and as a person. That being said, much of the research I’ve done – intentional and unintentional – I can relate back to the importance of communication.

One recurring theme that I have come across is the importance of simplicity in communication. Personally, I struggled with this in the past as I prepared plans at work, sometimes making things more complex than they needed to be. In my head, being overly-detailed with my plan seemed like a no-brainer. It would make things so simple that everything would just fall into place. Not necessarily. What I started to notice was that sometimes my guys truly didn’t understand my plan, even when they were telling me they did.

At first, it was easy to put the blame on them. How could they not understand my plan? Why would they say they understood it, if they don’t? I worked diligently to think through every… single… variable. As it turns out, I realized the issue laid with me. I was making the plans too complex, and therefore harder to be communicated. And in the end, continued on page 6

COVER: 2019 Landscape Ohio! Awards entry from KGK Gardening & Design Corp., in the category of Garden Structures & Pavements.

FEATURES

3 5 8 12 16 22 26 30 31 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Don’t Overlook the Importance of Communication WELCOME NEW MEMBERS PERENNIAL FOCUS Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’: Sun King Spikenard FISCAL FITNESS The Fundamentals of Stock Investing FOR SAFETY SAKE EEOC: Employers CAN Screen for COVID-19 PLANT OF THE MONTH Populus deltoides: Eastern Cottonwood FEATURE ARTICLE How to Track Payroll Protection Program Funds & Expenses DIRECTIONS ADVERTISING INDEX

OHIO’S PROFESSIONAL GREEN INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

OHIO LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION 9240 Broadview Road Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147 Phone: 440.717.0002, or 1.800.335.6521 Fax: 440.717.0004 Web: www.ohiolandscapers.org and www.myohiolandscape.com

DESIGNER / EDITOR Rick Doll, Jr.

REGULAR WRITERS Adam Capiccioni, Ohio CAT Michael J. Donnellan, King Financial, Inc. Dr. Jim Funai, PhD., Cuyahoga Community College Shelley Funai, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Sandy Munley, Ohio Landscape Association Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, Bobbie’s Green Thumb

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Submission deadline: 10th of the month, prior to the month of publication. For advertising rates and ad specs, please call 440.717.0002, 1.800.335.6521, or email Rick Doll Jr. at rick@ohiolandscapers.org.

DISCLAIMER The Ohio Landscape Association, its board of directors, staff and the editor of The Growing Concern neither endorse any product(s) or attests to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Similarly, the opinions expressed in The Growing Concern are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Ohio Landscape Association.

OFFICERS President Domenic Lauria

President – Elect Dr. James Funai, PhD.

Treasurer Brian Maurer, LIC

Immediate Past President Adam Capiccioni

DIRECTORS Keith Clapper Ryan Drake Stephanie Gray, LIC Cameron Maneri Rob Morel OLA STAFF Executive Director Sandy Munley

Communications & Events Manager Rick Doll, Jr.