BEING IN
I speak from long term experience in golf course greenkeeping and management in the most exacting and frustrating environments which exist. I learned, very early in my career, that unless I was the one who made the decisions on labour, materials and equipment, the playing surface provided would not be good enough.
I now find myself in equipment sales management serving the needs of the leisure industry (following a short spell in the health & safety area) and I come into daily contact with people who are responsible for playing surfaces. Unfortunately, the very common comment I hear is that the person, or persons, who hold the purse strings will not allow that responsible person to be given the necessary finances required.
In almost all cases we blame everyone but ourselves for this situation, Unfortunately, and this is the most difficult thing to swallow, it is our own fault!
I believe that if we do not greatly improve in the following three main areas we will not achieve what we want.
• Image (he/she just cuts grass – what does he/she know?)
• Personal presentation/communication (what to say, when to say it, and how we present yourself)
• Confidence in our own abilities
control
Is it not time that we all got our act together and controlled our own situations instead of others dictating what we need to do our jobs – after all if things go wrong and the playing surfaces do not come up to the standards which are expected we are the ones who carry the can!
We also often overlook the fact that the treasurer, director, committee, general manager, secretary, member, or whoever plays on the surface we maintain, wants exactly the same as we do; the best conditions possible.
So how do we become more in control and therefore more comfortable in our jobs, and achieve what we all want?
1. Accept that there is no one else to blame but ourselves - no matter how difficult that is.
2. Contact the necessary professional association and seek training in image, personal presentation/communication - confidence will follow.
3. Enjoy that newly found confidence when you present to your employer your plan for the future of the facility – from experience I know they will listen and agree to your needs, because you will have described to them how to achieve what they want.
Health & Safety legislation is often looked on in a very negative way; time, the paperwork involved, equipment safety switches, operator presence controls etc. etc.
Why not use it to our advantage? Up to date equipment complies with all current legislation so, when planning, include Health & Safety as a major factor in your future needs; no one can argue against
Days OFF! legislation.
The most important person at any sports facility which has a playing surface is the person responsible for the surface’s maintenance – believe it and live it – there is simply no argument to the contrary!
A perfect opportunity has arisen recently in the form of Great Britain winning the Olympic bid. Government, through various bodies will back (with considerable finance) well thought out provision for improvements to any sports area which may improve our chances in 2012. It is in their own best political interests, no matter which Government is in power! It is accepted that we cannot improve athletes’ abilities without improved facilities and surfaces.
The future is therefore in our own hands. We do not get opportunities like this very often so, grasp it, and enjoy the future, instead of dreading it.
Duncan McGilvray Area Manager Lloyds & Co (Letchworth) Ltd
... or what Pitchcare readers get up to out of office hours
LOUISE CLEGG, Co-Founder Trustee of the National Turfgrass Foundation: Having a full time job buying shoes, means that much of my spare time is spent selling seed and organising speakers and beds for the NTF (National Turfgrass Foundation) Conference. Despite the copious amounts of time spent organising other people’s lives, and Martyn Jones, I do like to spend some quality time in the evening with my pet chicken. I’m a big fan of horse racing, having grown up with my dad and brother’s gambling habits and can be seen regularly at York and Ripon. I do study the form closely, but for me, if I’m honest, it’s more about buying a new outfit than the gee gee’s. The money I win at the races usually buys me a meal out and a few drinks and I can often been seen in Manchester about 11.30pm with chilli sauce dripping down my face, pressed up against the window of the Pound shop paying homage. My ambitions are to own a racehorse and a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes…. and be able to browse the Pound shop when sober! (Ed. Me thinks that this might not be too serious!)
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