 |
YOUR CAREER
|
Visible and valuable
 |
Photo illustration by Lisa Kenney |
Job security is on the mind of almost everyone in the current economy, and superintendents are no exception. While it may take months for the economy and the golf market to take an upward turn, take these steps now to make yourself an irreplaceable member of your team.
Be visible
Networking isn’t just an activity reserved for the Golf Industry Show or chapter meetings. Networking with your colleagues and customers lets them know who you are and the key role you play in the operation. The more you meet golfers and communicate the part you play in their enjoyment of the game, the more likely they’ll see you as someone they can’t do without. Whether you greet them at the first tee one morning a week, spend time in the grill or pro shop to answer their questions, or host an open house at the maintenance facility, you’re establishing an important link to people who determine the facility’s income.
It’s also vital to keep a high profile with the other key decision-makers at your facility. Spend time with your golf professional or club manager to see how your departments can work in sync to bring about optimal success of the facility. And of course, make sure your employer knows what you are doing and how you are benefiting the operation. If you work for a private club, share your latest money-saving practices in a presentation for the green committee. If you work for a municipal operation, ask the city commission if you can make a presentation on the ways your golf course benefits the community.
Be valuable
Superintendents have long seen the value of continuing education, and now is a great time to not only obtain new skills but also to communicate how they directly affect the facility. Seek out information, such as online education courses (go to http://www.gcsaa.org/education/education.aspx for some examples), to find new ways to save money. Would expanding no-mow areas cut down on employee hours or equipment use? Could upgrading your irrigation system cut down on water costs in the long run? Would using an environmental management system significantly cut down on the use of inputs?
Once you’ve established ways to assist the bottom line of your facility, communicate how these money-saving techniques could not have happened without your experience and expertise. Let golfers know through your facility newsletter or Web site. Present your employer with the numbers. If you develop programs that can adjust as the budget changes, then you’ll be seen as a valuable team member when times are great — when times are tough.
As a superintendent, you have to constantly adjust and adapt to varied conditions at the course. If you can use these same skills to adjust and adapt to a changing marketplace, you’ll be seen as a professional, vital asset to the facility in any economy.
Whether it’s to your board of directors, greens committee, an outing of golfers or a group of visitors from your community, making a presentation can stress even a seasoned public speaker. To get practice at presenting, consider this list of ways superintendents can improve their speaking skills: • Observe good speakers and model their techniques. It also helps to know your audience. Consider your audience’s knowledge level, how much they already know and therefore how much background you need to provide. Think about any special interests they may have and cater your presentation to those. Consider the audience’s attention span — will it help capture their attention to use visual aids or hand-outs? Think in advance of what questions they may have and be prepared to answer them. |
