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Written by Josh Mahar, CGCS
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Friday, 21 August 2009 09:14 |
I have never been very good at training new employees to mow and will pass it off to my staff if possible. My wife informs me that I can’t give instructions just once and expect someone to learn that way. I guess that is a shortcoming of mine which doesn’t bode well for a new employee under my tutelage. But whether it is me or my staff doing the training, our new employees learn to mow greens first. Some of you may be questioning my sanity to put a new hire on the most critical mowing operation right out of the gate, but it has worked for us. Why? I am not sure but maybe it is the trial by fire method that encourages the quickest, most advanced learning curve? That same trial by fire training engrossed me last spring when I became President of Nebraska GCSA. I knew as much about the association as the first day employee knows about mowing a golf green, but I climbed on and gave my best effort. Much like a new operator, I struggled to “find the controls” as I started out. Was it overwhelming? Yes. Did I make mistakes? Yes. But by the 6th hole the novice mower (and myself) were quickly adapting to a new venture. Follow along as I relate what that journey has meant for me.
Perhaps my experience will encourage you to jump headlong into our association. Being an officer or committee member could be the very best way to develop skills you never knew you had. As superintendents, we are challenged often enough by Mother Nature, golfer expectations, and tighter budgets, that we are not looking for more obstacles. We just want to get through another hot August day. I too have felt that way before, but taking on this office has challenged me in a different way, and has helped me to grow both personally and professionally. Would I have looked for it had it not been thrust upon me? Probably not, but I am glad that others prompted me to get involved and help the Nebraska GCSA advance. I definitely feel proud to be part of the team that has hired an Executive Director and completed a strategic plan for our association. Those two initiatives will guide the Nebraska GCSA for years to come. That progress would not have happened if not for several hardworking, dedicated volunteers, but that is another story for another time. Nebraska GCSA has a solid foundation but it needs to build a pool of future leaders to ensure continued progress. That can only happen if members challenge themselves by stepping into leadership roles in the association. What do you have to gain? You know the feeling of looking out over your golf course the day of the big tournament and knowing you did all you could to make the course its best that day. You can derive that same satisfaction by participating in this great association we have. I can tell you from my experience that you will not regret it.
This article has been floating in my mind for awhile now, and I was encouraged to see Derek Nicholson in the July Plain Turf, note many of the same things I have observed about serving as a Nebraska GCSA officer. As he mentioned, this experience has developed personal and professional talents that can be utilized in the workplace and beyond. Time management, public speaking, and organizational skills can all be honed in these positions. Participating on the BOD has improved all of those abilities, but more specifically it has made me more self-assured at my own course. Thankfully the Wild Hose BOD has always been very supportive of me and maintenance operations, but I was always hesitant when presenting budgets or just giving the monthly course report. Now I am more assertive and confident when giving these presentations to my bosses because of my experience as an officer with the Nebraska GCSA. Also I sense an increased level of respect from my board of directors. And when a couple of them mentioned the press releases in the newspaper, I could sense a bit of pride that “their super” is leading the state association. Undoubtedly, they now realize my competency as a superintendent and a leader. I relate these feelings to you to illustrate just some of the positives that you can take away from serving within the association.
By week’s end, the new mower trainee is delighted to have learned a new skill and proud to have done so. That too, is the way I feel about my term. I have been able to develop abilities that were untapped before and can utilize them in the future. You too can develop yourself personally and professionally by “climbing on that greensmower” for the first time.
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President's Message 
