Task Flexibility Cancel The title field is required!

1. Churchill Kevin

   
   12/16/2011 1:12 PM

   I am curious to hear about how some of you schedule your staff day to day for assignments. My philosophy is to cross-train the majority of my team so that many can setup, mow fairways, mow tees, rake bunkers, etc. I feel that this makes each employee more valuable, changes up any monotony, and gives me more flexibility with task assignments, among other things. It has its downsides, however......square tees coming out of alignment, shrinking greens, high-low plugs, etc.
   
   Obviously there is some staff limited in what they can do. In general though, do you tend to lean more towards cross-training.....or do you tend to keep the same "experts" mowing tees, mowing fairways, mowing greens, setting up, etc? Do these "experts" ever really become "experts"?
   
   Thanks,
   
   Kevin Churchill
   Kelly Plantation Golf Club

   
   
   
   
2. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   12/16/2011 2:12 PM

   Our guys typically do the same tasks each day. But, are also cross-trained to fill in during vacations, etc...

   
   
   
   
3. David Brandenburg

   

   3 posts
   
   12/16/2011 2:12 PM

   We have mainly retirees and students and are very flexible. Most employees start out learning greens and soon after tees as we use triplexes for both. As they adapt to that they learn fairways and then trimming and rough mowers.
   
   By the end of their first season most of our employees can do any job with the exception of changing cups, that we limit to a select few.

   
   
   
   
4. Gary Carls

   

   20 posts
   
   12/16/2011 4:12 PM

   While all of our staff are trained to pretty much do anything and everything they typically do the same jobs most of the time. The good news for us is that some guys like being on mowers all day while other guys like doing section work most of the time. The most important thing is they all take pride in doing their work no matter what task they are assigned and don't complain when we change things up a bit during the Holidays or vacations when we might be short a guy or two. It also helps that only two persons on our entire team have been here less than 10 years so they really know the courses well no matter what time of year it is. I think the only time they "cringe" a bit is when I get on the fairway mower for a few days during aeration time. Great crew!!!!

   
   Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative
   
   
5. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/18/2011 8:12 AM

   I like to cross-train our staff, but there are a couple we keep on certain machines, it seems to work for us. I too like to limit our golf service to a select few, with just two full time guys plus myself, we do keep items like that and irrigation repair to just us full timers.
   
   At one time we used to give that job to our newbies, and also switch people from day to day, but found that made it harder to correct people when they did have high and low plugs. Went to scheduling that task by the week. That way they could still get some variety yet, held them accountable to a degree.
   
   In my opinion a lot of it depends on the make-up of that season's staff.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
6. Robert Crockett

   

   4 posts
   
   12/18/2011 11:12 AM

   gcarls said: While all of our staff are trained to pretty much do anything and everything they typically do the same jobs most of the time. The good news for us is that some guys like being on mowers all day while other guys like doing section work most of the time. The most important thing is they all take pride in doing their work no matter what task they are assigned and don't complain when we change things up a bit during the Holidays or vacations when we might be short a guy or two. It also helps that only two persons on our entire team have been here less than 10 years so they really know the courses well no matter what time of year it is. I think the only time they "cringe" a bit is when I get on the fairway mower for a few days during aeration time. Great crew!!!!

   
   You are Blessed Man...Merry Christmas!!

   
   
   
   
7. Gary Carls

   

   20 posts
   
   12/19/2011 4:12 PM

   thanks Turf Man,
   
   You are so right!! Given all the things that go on these days having a great crew sure makes my job a lot easier than it could be. I've known some of these guys for over 25 years and a few of them have even came with me as I changed jobs in the past. It's been a long time since I had to worry about who might or might not show up on any given day and some of the posts on these forums really make me see how fortunate I am to have them. Talented and dedicated is a pretty good combination to have in your staff!!
   
   Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All.

   
   Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative
   
   
8. Churchill Kevin

   
   12/20/2011 9:12 AM

   Thank you everyone for your responses. Great info! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
   
   Kevin Churchill
   Kelly Plantation Golf Club