Although John Baker is sometimes hired as a consultant by other facilities and businesses, his home base is Pinecroft GC in the hills of Pennsylvania.

2000 Leo Feser Award Candidate

My business experience, which spans nearly 40 years, has been varied. I've worked for a large retailer, and I've owned and operated several small business enterprises, including an appliance service, hair-styling salons, a health and fitness club, a small hotel, restaurant/lounges, commercial and domestic rentals and a real-estate brokerage. Since I discovered my love for the game of golf, I've become a superintendent, a certified PGA professional, a course designer, a general contractor, course construction supervisor, and a golf course owner and general manager.

I can tell you honestly that I've been successful in nearly every business venture I've attempted, and since nearly 50 percent of small businesses fail within the first 18 months and more than 70 percent do not survive for five years, I must be a genius.

I think everyone can agree with this statement: "Success is the result of hard work and good ideas." Your area of expertise is growing quality turf, and if you've been at your job for a season or two, chances are you know the terrain, soil conditions, drainage patterns and trouble spots on your golf course. You may have an excellent crew and work long hours. You may be the top superintendent in your area, or even in the world. However, you must agree with this statement as well: "No single person, or even an experienced group of people, can be expected to come up with every possible solution to every possible problem."

Golf course superintendents are blessed with an environment (such as Pinecroft in the autumn) that attracts people and encourages association.

Growing quality turf is only one facet in the operation of a successful golf facility. Have you ever sat in a staff meeting and listened to the chef's problems or heard the golf professional and his or her staff discuss marketing or purchasing decisions? Have you listened to the owner's concern about the bottom line, or sat quietly as the general manager expressed a problem that he or she was having? How many times have you remained silent even though you may have had some thoughts or ideas about their problems?

For a golf facility, or any business, the value of association, teamwork and networking with others cannot be overstated. Any organization can benefit from sharing ideas with peers as well as other business people who may be in completely different fields.

Let's all associate
I am sometimes hired by a facility or business as a consultant. They pay me to analyze their problems and advise them on solutions. I know that often the staff is disturbed when a facility brings in "experts." Experts often come up with elaborate and complex ideas that may be expensive and difficult to put into operation. They think big, and they are usually paid well.

Despite my status as the expert from out of town, I can tell you that it usually pays to think small and simple. I look for easy, cheap solutions, not complex expensive ones. Where do I get my brilliant ideas? I get them from associates!

"Associate" is a fascinating and important word; its etymology traces to the Latin word "socius" meaning a companion. In English, it can be a verb, adjective or noun. The very fabric of life is represented within the word, as humans are social animals. We crave companionship and tend to embrace a cultural structure that includes a group of closely bonded companions. So the tendency to include others in our lives isn't odd or unnatural.

Following my first college experience, I spent nearly 10 years working for a major retail chain. Despite a rapid climb into management, decent wages and excellent benefits, I gradually developed a vague discontent in my job and finally left the company. As a middle-level manager, I was responsible for up to 70 low-paid clerical and sales workers. The company referred to these people as associates, but they failed to incorporate any of the true values of association within the tasks these people performed.

As I reached my late 20s, I returned to college at night. I began to study anthropology, sociology and psychology, more because of my personal interests than out of any real plan for the future. Surprisingly, I began to notice the way my growing knowledge of tribal culture affected my management style.

I began to notice that most people actually work enthusiastically and productively if they are incorporated into a small group. People tend to do this automatically and quite efficiently when left alone and allowed to find their own place within the group. Keeping these teams small enough so that their members feel comfortable and integrated created a work environment that was enjoyable and efficient.

In other words, people like to work together. Cooperation is comfortable and natural. It fits and feels right to us.

When I finally became stressed enough to leave the security of this major company, I was a slightly bewildered and nervous young man. However, I had a certain vision that I could make a reasonable living while simultaneously enjoying each day's labor, if I could incorporate association and teamwork within the cultural environment of my businesses.

Motivated by those thoughts, I began my career as an entrepreneur. I've been successful, and I've enjoyed my daily tasks. I am proud to say that over the past 25 years, I have also been an effective mentor to several past employees as they embarked upon their own adventures into small business ownership.

Why isn't everyone happy and productive? Why do small businesses fail so consistently? Where does this natural tendency to work together break down? That is the other side of the cultural coin: The natural tendency of small groups to compete.

Encouraging productive interactions
During the eons of time in which mankind learned to adapt to a variety of climactic changes and other environmental pressures, populations of humans continued to grow. The size of a successful "tribe" depended on the wisdom and strength of its leaders. Groups that became too large tended to break into two or more smaller tribes. Inevitable conflicts arose as small groups began to interact and compete for dwindling resources. Mankind continues to be a species with quite predictable social tendencies. Unfor-tunately, these instinctive, natural ways of interacting sometimes conflict with modern, civilized social and cultural attitudes and practices.

Enough of the basics of anthropology, sociology and human behavior. What can we do to make our hearts lighter and our lives better while we live and work in today's world?

First, we must recognize that productive and fulfilling work is a significant part of the pleasure of life. If you think about it, you'll quickly realize that a sense of being useful and effective, a feeling of accomplishment and purpose, fosters emotional pleasure. It is a natural instinct for humans to seek purpose for their efforts. This is true not just for you, but for everyone. If you're the boss, don't assume that your subordinates are unmotivated and lazy. That kind of adversarial management is often the downfall of small business and certainly won't produce the best results in any situation.

Golf course superintendents are blessed with a working environment that attracts people. The outdoors is an attraction and so is the pleasure of growing things. Chances are, your maintenance crew is composed of men and women who come to work with a light step and who enjoy the tasks set for them. If you simply allow them to experience the pleasures of their work and acknowledge their contributions to the quality of the course, the crew will generally perform well. Of course, you may have small conflicts and sometimes find an individual who is unreliable or lazy, but by and large, the crews at most facilities are happy and only need guidance and encouragement.

Second, it's important to recognize the natural leaders in your group and allow them to lead. When you give them responsibility and expect results, natural leaders will rise to the task and give more than you expect. It's not necessary to reward initiative and leadership lavishly -- a pat on the back often means more to a natural leader. A leader receives pleasure and emotional fulfillment from responsibility and from the respect of subordinates. Remember, this behavior is equally instinctive and will occur regardless of your influence.

Third, the best managers learn to include everyone on the team in as many strategic decisions as possible. Involve everyone you can, within and even outside your own team, business or organization, and listen to them. Become aware of your personal sphere of influence, such as family, friends, co-workers, colleagues, competitors, church, the chamber of commerce, social organizations, government agencies, local colleges, the Internet -- anything or anyone can be a source. Actively solicit ideas and opinions. And remember, no matter how well educated you are or what level of expertise you and your staff have acquired, you will never think in the same way as others, and you'll never come up with every solution that others will.

Interaction with your staff, vendors and even your customers can be a great source of ideas and inspiration.

Genius by association
The latest phrase in management seminars is "thinking outside the box." This sounds great, but it's difficult to accomplish. You are pretty much stuck in your box because your brain is conditioned by your experiences. The one way to accomplish this is by associating with others who are thinking and solving problems based on their experiences.

For example, I recently visited a potential client who wanted to get some ideas about renovating and altering his golf course. I took my friend Tom, an experienced shaper, to help with the estimating. We had finished our walk of the holes to be changed, and as it began to sprinkle, we took shelter in a canopied patio near the clubhouse. The owner off-handedly remarked that the area was useless as an outing site because the old concrete and stone barbecue pit wouldn't cook adequate quantities of food fast enough. He related the plan to expand the concrete pad to accommodate larger outings, to remove the tons of material used to build the beautiful but useless barbecue pit and then to install a modern portable gas grill. He said the contractor estimated several days of labor with jackhammers and several truckloads of heavy debris removal to begin the project, even before the new pad and canopy could be constructed.

The area was adjacent to the 18th fairway, so the project had been postponed until fall because of the noise and construction costs. Tom sat quietly listening to this and then said casually, "You see that big oak tree down the hill? They have a time mowing around that tree, its roots are close to the surface."

The owner seemed a bit confused by the sudden change of subject, but replied, "Yes, I suppose they do."

Tom said, "You need to put some soil over those roots and reseed it."

"Yes, I guess that's one more little project for our crew," the owner answered.

"If you dig a hole right behind that big old barbecue, you'd have 10 or 12 cubic yards of soil," Tom explained. "Then just take your backhoe and push the thing into the hole and cover it up. Use the soil to back fill and fix the tree. I suspect it's a half days' work for one of your guys with a backhoe. A couple hundred bucks at most."

The owner's eyes lit up. "You are a genius," he said.

"Nope, just a guy who digs holes for a living," Tom replied with a wink.

You see, I have become a genius by hanging around with geniuses. I associate with geniuses whenever possible. Nearly every great idea I've ever had was borrowed or adapted from the thoughts of people who live in different boxes.

Cooperation between superintendents is common, and it requires just one person to initiate an association. Many out-sourced services can be made more cost-effective with a simple association. Bunker sand replenishment, deep-tine aeration, lime and fertilization all come to mind. Don't forget to let others in your area know if you have specialized equipment they might use in their operations. The expense of a water-injection aeration machine is much easier to justify if you can go to your owners or board with an agreement from other area courses to hire you to provide this service each year for a couple of years.

I have been a member of my local Rotary Club for many years. Not only is this a wonderful service club that provides an opportunity to do charitable work, but it's also an opportunity to associate with other men and women in all kinds of businesses. I have met a lot of geniuses through Rotary.

Obviously, I advocate associating with other superintendents and reading GCM, but open your ears and eyes to other avenues of association. You may find ideas and solutions anywhere, and you may help others with your expertise. You'll be surprised how many people will appreciate your thoughts and concerns about their problems.

Many years ago a little company called IBM instituted meetings in which they practiced a new way of associating called brainstorming. Everyone was encouraged to bring up even the most outrageous ideas. They realized that even a "dumb" idea can sometimes trigger discussions that lead to brilliant solutions.

Although the word "associate" can be a noun, a verb or an adjective and may be defined in many ways, I can promise you this: There are only positive consequences when you decide to become someone's associate.

John Baker is a one-year GCSAA member and the owner and operator of Pinecroft Golf Course in Gillett, Pa.