Talking It Out
Golf courses and sports fields nationwide are suffering from lack of communication between manager and operator, and as a result problems are occurring. On Thursday September 17th 2009 I attended a field trip with my Turf Management class to a seminar put on by the Sports Turf Association. A handful of talented speakers were in attendance. Among these speakers was Dr. Eric Lyons of the University of Guelph. His main concern was that management in the turf industry is lacking, this is due to poor communication between co workers. Among several key points that Dr. Lyons had, I believe that he summed it up with one simple quote “If there is no direct answers then how can we hope for easy solutions”.
Managers within the industry are realizing that flaws are occurring more often. They have been devising easy to follow problem solving techniques. Some of these techniques include: meetings to discuss how to foresee potential problems as well as hiring diligent operators. Change is being noticed by both managers and clients nationwide but the key ingredient is to stick to what works. Operators are responding well to the new setups in the workplace and the relationship between manager and operator is growing tremendously. With these adjustments the turf industry will surely thrive.
I believe that the problems that occur can easily be dealt with. Field managers and superintendents need to have strong communication skills with there operators, I cannot stress this enough. If we over look simple problems then we over look everything. As a result we will lose our clients and watch the industry that we know and love suffer miserably. Following simple direction and using problem solving techniques as a group and doing something so easy as talking will help the turf grass industry flourish.
Information was gathered from a seminar put on by the Spots Turf Association
6 Comments »
Leave a Reply
About
My name is Brandon Moyer I was born on April 5th 1985. I am originally from Delaware a small town near London Ontario. I grew up on the country side of life. My family as been involved in the horse business for as long as I can remember. My father got my brother and I into the sport of rodeo when we were 4 and 5 years old. Now 20 years later we both still compete in the bull riding event and never regret a second of it. Some people called us crazy and we said it was just another day at the office.
Aside from riding bulls I have grown a vast interest in the turf industry throughout the years and life’s road has lead me to the turf management program at the University of Guelph. I love playing golf and soccer, both of which are turf related sports. My passion for the industry goes beyond words. For me to have a golf course or a series of sports fields under my watch would be a dream come true. Nothing connects to me more then the feeling of looking at a perfect green or an untouched sports field. During my time at Guelph I hope to absorb as much information as I can handle, and develop a professional approach to the industry that I love so much.
Brandon Moyer
Thanks for tweeting your blog post — that’s how I found it. Nice post. I like how you call the industry to higher standards.
I’d like to hear more about management and communication skills. For example, is an effective approach to team leadership in the turfgrass industry different from leadership in other industries? Specifically, what management techniques and communication skills work best for turfgrass teams? I see one example here: “meetings to discuss how to foresee potential problems.” How would you run this meeting?
Maybe this is some potential material for future blog posts.
This blog I found was very interesting. In every workplace there is a lack of communication between managers and their staff. I work as an Activity Director in a seniors residence, and can not emphasize the importance of communication at any workplace. As you stated in your blog there are several easy answers to overcome and improve this communication problem. You state “If we over look simple problems then we over look everything”. This is a perfect example, yet a simple solution to any problem one may encounter. I think that if many people read this they would get a better understanding of the importance to communcating effectively with staff. I would hate to see all our lovely golf courses suffer from communication problems, as well as those golf course workers that spend most of there time on the green, and making sure everything is at par! FOUR!
Carly, just wondering if you’ve taken action to improve communications in your workplace, and if you could please pass on any tips.
I think we can all agree that in any meeting with any staff there is going to be disagreements, and alot of questions. When running staff meetings on a monthly basis i ensure each staff member of every department is aware of what the meeting is about, and what the outcome will be. this could be regarding patient care, procedures that needs to be met, to even team work. I always make sure I have a person documenting questions, concerns, and answers staff has. Being at management level and try to communicate with those who I forsee can be difficult as times. However it is very important that all staff understand why we are here, what can we do to make the facililty a better place for our patients, and what is important to improve or maintain our building. i think that if every staff memeber looks at the bigger picture and thinks equally of one another and can understand the importance of why you do your work can have a positive affect in communication. At the end of every meeting, which by the way we hold every month i ask if any one has any further questions, or concerns that can be addressed as a team. I am sure that each staff member recieves a copy of each meetings mintues to ensure clarification, and answers to those questions that were adressed. i hope this helps!
A Leading Global Golf Brand; Maker
Of Superior Golf Clubs And Balls.
[...] do not get solved without taking action. Referring back to one of my earlier post’s “Talking It Out” I highlight that exact problem. It is too much to set aside such a huge problem. Setting up [...]