With the two weeks of spring now out of the way, summer has
practically set in. This is the
transition season that superintendents have waited for all winter. For those
who came into the golf season in great shape, the course is set and standard
practices are underway. For those less fortunate, the recovery process is in
full swing, and often more aggressive cultivation and agronomic practices are
dominating the job board. No matter the
spring outcome, this part of the season is dominated by stress. How you handle the stress and pressures of
your job will go a long way toward your success, and the success of your staff.
I have recently completed the three-day Applied Leadership
Institute offered by the University of New Hampshire’s Professional Development
and Training department. I hope to
include many of the topics that were covered in the program here on my blog
from time to time. I will not look to
recreate leadership messages you may have heard at educational events, but more
to give you items to consider at pertinent times of the season.
Spring time means staffing time and that can be stressful in
itself. Those returning from previous
seasons are often relied on to pick up where they left off, with very little
training. Often, changes made in the
off-season need to be discussed and put into action. For some team members, change is looked at as
positive and embraced, but not all staff will feel that way. Will you get pushback? Will they comply for a time, and then revert
back to the old ways? How will you
handle this? Communication can be used
to engage those who are non-compliant, but it may come down to you as a leader
making a decision to commit to the change, or to the non-compliant team
member. Will you be ready to choose?
How will your new employees fit into your team and facility
plans? You will tell them, and they will
certainly learn what you expect of them.
But what will they expect of you?
Feel free to ask them, you might be surprised at what they tell
you! Proper training and support will be
the key to their (and your) success.
Competitive wages are important, but studies often show that financial
benefits are not always on the top of the list.
Think of what else might matter.
Job-life balance is often critical to success. Does your new hire have a wife, family or
even just a life outside of work? These
many areas of concern will dictate mood and effort. Actively working with staff to balance these
needs will help ensure team success.
These will be new eyes asking questions about some very standard
practices. Often we get set in our ways
and new ideas can lead to improved processes.
Listen, encourage questions and reward creative thinking. An eager employee is a terrible thing to
waste! Work to engage them with other
staff members. A new job can be
intimidating enough when they do not know others around them well enough to
socialize. Your staff veterans will
often help answer the questions new hires are too afraid to ask. Empower them when they are ready to perform
duties for you and the team. Lastly, and
above all, respect them through the learning process. Not everything they are asked to do will be
easy, and there will be mistakes along the way.
Show respect for them as a person, and they will respect you for it.
Please let me know if you found this helpful, or if there
are other staff related items you thought should have been included. I would really appreciate any feedback!
