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Presented in partnership with YOUR CAREER
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Job security 101:
‘Managing up’
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Your relationship with your direct supervisor is undoubtedly the most important relationship you have at work, setting the pattern for a healthy career, in part by determining your own success (or failure) as a leader. It’s also a no-brainer that employer relationships are often the toughest to manage in the golf course management profession. Here are some tips to help you in the quest to “manage up,” which is a positive skill to master, with many benefits for everyone involved.
• Patience is both a virtue and a learned skill. Increase your patience level through questioning and digging deeper to clarify and understand the other person’s position and what they really mean.
• Do you ever get the feeling your boss isn’t listening to you because later they often forget what you’ve said? Try to slow down or speed up as you talk in order to match the pace of their communication style. This is a challenging skill you’ll want to put some effort into to help their understanding and acceptance of what you’re saying.
• Maintain good communication. If you hear negative rumors about yourself, go directly to the source and clear it up. Yes, it is your job to start that process of clarification.
· Take responsibility for outcomes both personal and professional. In your own thinking and especially in your verbal communications, focus on your vital role in the success of the overall golf facility. You may need to apologize if you’ve said or done something uncalled for. Own up to your responsibility in that role. Realize that in every situation, you choose to do or not to do — not “I can’t.”
• Share your professional development plan with your supervisor to get their support. Using the Professional Development Resource on www.gcsaa.org is a great start here, as you assess your own competencies to learn what areas you should focus on developing. Work with your employer on your goals (“Here are my goals. Are there others you would like me to consider?”), including costs and projected return on investment to emphasize your role in the success of the facility.
• Make your boss look good. It’s not about playing politics or apple-polishing; it’s about being on the same page regarding their own goals and the needs of the overall facility. In the vast majority of situations, when your employer succeeds, you do too. If your goals are crosswise with your employer’s, it may be time to evaluate your career path and prepare for the next step in that journey.
Did you catch the common pattern here? The top tip for managing up and finding that sometimes elusive feeling of job security has the same rhythm as the common adage about buying real estate: Communicate, communicate, communicate.
Did you know that GCSAA is on Facebook? Search for GCSAA on the popular social networking site and join the group to interact with your peers, view photos and learn about GCSAA news. Got a problem on your greens and want to know if others have experienced it? Post about your issue to your colleagues on Facebook — chances are someone else in the field can give some advice. The number of Hispanic immigrants in the United States has dropped by more than 10 percent, or about 830,000 people, since last August, according to a study by the Center for Immigration Studies. The study is based on findings from census data for 18- to 40-year-old immigrants. The study’s authors say two reasons for the drop are stepped-up enforcement and the economy. Another reason cited for the decline is a decision by Congress last year to abandon legislation that would have legalized undocumented immigrants. |
