Wednesday, October 25, 2006

What Kind of Manager Are You?

An NFL football coach was fired the other day. No surprise there.

It was revealed the fired coach was “too gruff” with the players. Also, no surprise there.

What is it about people who think they have to be as nasty as Godzilla to gain respect from the people they manage? When will they realize their management styles are as outdated as shag carpet?

I recently spent time with two golf industry veterans who manage with authority — but with respect. I watched Ray Davies, a certified superintendent who’s the director of golf course maintenance and construction for CourseCo in Petaluma, Calif., interact with the people he manages, including the several superintendents he oversees at CourseCo-operated golf courses. Davies showed them respect and vice versa. It was easy to tell they enjoyed working with each other. They had a team mentality.

I also spent time with Dave Catalano, the director of Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. I watched Catalano pay a wonderful compliment to the starter of Bethpage’s Black course. It made his day. I also watched many others smile widely and acknowledge Catalano as he walked by them. It told me a lot about the man.

What’s your management style? How do you command respect — for all the right reasons?

— Larry Aylward, Editor in Chief

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