On the Fringe... Carolinas PGA Section Newsletter May 2, 2012

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MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME AND PERSONNEL One of the hallmarks of PGA Professionals has always been the variety of “hats” we wear and roles we fill at our facilities. However, some PGA Professionals tell me they find it challenging to be productive and stay on top of their workload with all the demands on their time and services. This has become more the case in recent years as many facilities have been forced to downsize their staffing, while asking their PGA Professional to take on additional job priorities and management responsibilities. In the heart of the busy season, with a limited staff and a lengthy “to do” list, it’s natural to feel that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done. Everything can seem like an urgent and high priority task that only you can handle, which can lead to increased stress and the possibility of burnout. Making the best use of your time and personnel is even more critical now, with the introduction of the Golf 2.0 initiative and the focus on player development. If you are the top ranking PGA Professional at your facility, it’s important that you allocate time to take the lead in implementing Golf 2.0 initiatives, including communicating strategies with your employer, developing and promoting ideas from the Golf 2.0 Playbooks, and utilizing your staff to achieve measurable results. So what can you do to avoid feeling overwhelmed? A good first step is to learn and practice good time management skills. Research shows that most of us spend the majority of our time working on unimportant or low priority tasks, instead of utilizing that same time on higher priority or more valuable projects. One of the fundamental time management principles is prioritizing items into the following matrix: (1) high importance/ high urgency, (2) high importance/low urgency, (3) low importance/high urgency, (4) low importance/low urgency. Using this matrix can help you decide which items to tackle today and which can be set aside for later or be delegated to someone else. If you don’t use some type of system to prioritize your work, everything will seem like an urgent high priority item and your level of stress will increase. Another good time management skill is to eliminate time wasters and distractions. Try keeping a diary of everything you do for three days to determine how you are spending your time. You will likely be surprised at how much time you are devoting to non-productive tasks and dealing with interruptions, at the expense of the things that are more important. To help eliminate this, plan your day and schedule specific times for various functions. Without a plan, you may find yourself working in a disjointed way and drifting from one thing to another all day. Designate time for administrative work, returning phone calls and emails, teaching and time on the practice range, interacting with customers in the golf shop or on the first tee, etc. In your daily scheduling, don’t forget about your own needs – playing and practicing, family time, meals, etc. If you feel that you are not using your work time efficiently and your days are filled with constant chaos, consider taking a time management class at a local college and incorporate the ideas and techniques into your daily routine. There are also a number of time management courses as part of the PGA Certified Professional Program 2.0 library, available on PGALinks.com. Going hand in hand with managing your time is delegating and utilizing your staff, which is a critical skill for successful managers in any business. Effective delegation can free you to focus on the areas of your job where your expertise and personal supervision are needed the most. It can also motivate your staff, increase their productivity, enhance their skills, and help them feel more a part of the team. Naturally, you need to be careful not to delegate important responsibilities that your employer expects you to handle yourself. To help determine which items you should delegate, ask yourself the following questions: • Is it something that your employer expects you to handle yourself and requires your own personal attention? These responsibilities should rarely be delegated. • Is it something that you normally take care of but could also be handled by a staff member with some guidance or brief training? This type of work can often be delegated. • Is it something that is not a good use of your time and could easily be handled by a staff member? These tasks should almost always be delegated. It’s inevitable that some of the items you delegate will be routine administrative work and other mundane tasks. Even though these are necessary to most golf operations, you don’t want your employees to feel that you are just dumping more busywork on them. Make sure to assign meaningful projects and areas of responsibility as well, so you can give your staff members the opportunity to be creative and use their own initiative. The Official Golf Car of The PGA of America Continued on the next page... CAREER NOTES May/June 2012 By Dick Bradow, PGA PGA of America Employment Consultant 4
Keep in mind that delegation will often fail if you assign a project but don’t provide clear directions, and then find that you are disappointed when the project is not completed to your expectations. As a result, the next time you may feel compelled to do the work yourself, rather than delegate it and risk another “failure.” This will lead to increasing frustration for you, and a feeling on the part of your employees that you don’t think they can do the job. To create a positive cycle of delegation, make sure your employees have a clear understanding of the desired result, a time or date for completion, and any guidance that might be needed. When discussing how the task can be achieved, listen to the employee – they may have a different (and sometimes better) idea on how it can be handled. For ongoing programs or activities, monitor their progress with routine “checkups” so you can provide feedback to the employee. After a successful project is completed, praise the employee for a great job and let others at your facility know how well the employee handled the assignment. This can be a wonderful motivator for any staff member, and they will be eager to move on the next assignment and continue to be an asset to you and your operation. If you are a PGA Professional who feels you were hired to do all the work yourself, try making better use of your time and your staff. You will reduce your stress and enhance your productivity, allowing you to better serve your customers, meet the needs of your employer, and promote the success of your facility. Dick Bradow is an Employment Consultant for the PGA of America and a PGA Certified Professional. He can be contacted at (502) 458-2002 or by e-mail at dbradow@pgahq.com. Carolinas PGA Grand Opening April 23, 2012
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On the Fringe... Carolinas PGA Section Newsletter May 2, 2012

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