1/31/2013 9:01 AM
Tyler- Congratulations on your new position! I can speak from experience that the advice both Chad and Andy gave you was spot on! I was in a similar situation this past year. I graduated in the spring of 2011, then became the 2nd Assistant at a course I had interned at. One year later a head Superintendent position for 27 municipal holes opened up, I interviewed, and was lucky enough to land the job. I was then thrust immediately into the position of overseeing 2 courses and managing a staff that ranged anywhere from my same age to 60(!) years older than me. I will echo the other responses...COMMUNICATION is key.
Get to know your staff on a professional and personal level. Show them that you care, and are here to work as a team to provide the best results you can. Don't go in guns blazing and change things just because. I started out by observing the operation, seeing how things were handled, and listening to the staff's suggestions. Make adjustments from there, develop your own programs as time goes on, and settle in. Just because you are now the "boss," do not be afraid to pick the staff members brains...likely some of them have been at your course for a period of time and have great local knowledge. Don't feel like you need to know everything, utilize your resources and ask questions of your staff and peers in the turf industry!! I followed this outline and it was the best choice I could have made...Being a young superintendent myself I have what some consider "fresh" or new, creative ideas and ways to do things with new technology and what not....use this to your advantage, but undoubtedly combine those skills with everything your staff knows and has done in the past...more times than not the tried and true methods work! The combination of taking what was in place at the course, listening to staff's ideas, and tweaking things with my personal preference has produced the best results.
Don't get frustrated or overwhelmed....there are going to be days when staff members are arguing, its a 100 degrees and a mainline broke, and the club championship is coming up, and you think to yourself "what the hell am I doing?!" Take it in stride, handle the situation in the present one piece at a time, and learn from your experiences.
Use the GCSAA and this forum as a resource. If you have a problem/question, look around, a solution or ideas have likely been passed around. If not, ask! These guys have been through it all for years, utilize their expertise.
Good luck and enjoy it! (sorry for the long response, felt the need to post as I have recent experience with this situation).