Communication is defined as the act of transferring information from one entity to another. It is a vital component to the efficient operation of all sorts of social systems. Communication helps us relay our wants and needs to another person or group, and it helps us interpret how our message was received. The primary goal of communication is to transfer your ideas and feelings to another party in the most effective and efficient way possible. In the ever-changing industry of turf management, communication is oil in our machine.
First, communication allows us to work as a cohesive unit with a common goal. When we are working towards a common goal, we are referred to as a "team". For communication to be most effective in a team environment, certain channels of communication (I am not talking about radio channels!) must take priority over others. An example of this is in the assignment of daily tasks to the members of a turf crew.
A superintendent may communicate his wants and needs to his assistants. The superintendent and assistant(s) must be able to effectively communicate with each other in order to develop a productive plan for the crew that day. For the assistant, the most highly prioritized channel of communication at the beginning of the day is that channel shared with the superintendent. Depending on circumstances that arise throughout the day, perhaps the most important line of communication for the assistant is between other employees (irrigation technician, mechanic, etc.). Next, when the assistant relays the morning message from the superintendent to the crew, the highest priority is clear communication to the crew. From the standpoint of the crew, the highest priority is receiving the message from the assistant clearly. When a crew member encounters a problem that they are unable to solve alone, it is important that they are able to confidently communicate to their coworkers and their supervisors to find a remedy.
If communication between people or groups is unclear, a couple of things can happen. Miscommunication may result in conflict between parties, a lack of efficiency, or counterproductivity. Lets assume that the superintendent's message was to "cut greens and then lightly topdress with the R8's and finally lightly irrigate to help get the sand particles into the canopy". The assistant is hearing this during the meeting and he knows this procedure has been done here numerous times before, but he can not remember the order. Being too embarrassed to ask the superintendent to clarify, and being somewhat confident that he can figure out the order himself, he leaves to convey the message to the crew. He informs them that "we need to topdress greens and get them cut before membership arrives to play".
The crew hears this, and those selected to carry out the task assemble the required equipment. Since the first thing that the assistant told them to do was topdress, they load up the R8's and lightly topdress the first green. Looking at the material perched on top on the uncut green, they decide they will radio the assistant and tell him that the sand is not working in to the canopy. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you guys to water that sand in lightly. Pop up the greens heads for a 2 minute cycle", says the assistant. The assistant has made the assumption that the workers have already cut the green, and have just now topdressed. The workers do exactly as they are instructed, and thinking that the assistant knows best, they carry on mowing.
The wet sand is everywhere! Sand is getting picked up by the reels causing damage to the cutting units. The sand that is not getting picked up by the reels is being picked up by the rear roller. Every time the greens walkers turn around for their next pass, the sand from the rollers is deposited on the collar. The crew member mowing collars picks this sand up in his reels and destroys them as well. The crew thinks something doesn't quite look right, but their assistant knows best, and they continue through all 18 greens this way.
As you can see, one misunderstanding can become magnified as it is communicated and re-communicated to others. The cost here was hours of wasted labor, new bedknives, a lengthy process of spinning and relief grinding 3 separate reels, wasted sand, and lost trust. When miscommunication occurs, trust can be lost as a result. The superintendent trusted his assistant to relay his message effectively, and he was let down. An important aspect of communication is trust. Without trust, you are unable to confidently "hand over the reigns" and are forced to supervise everything, lowering productivity.
For you to be successful in this industry, you must be able to communicate effectively. The superintendent must be able to relay his thoughts to the assistant and the assistant must be able to comprehend the superintendent. The assistant should have communicated his confusion to the superintendent. The crew should have communicated their situation to the assistant. The assistant should have followed-up to make sure the task was being completed correctly.
Communication is not only about relaying your thoughts to another party; communication is about comprehension. Communication is about confidently proposing your ideas and your views and never making assumptions. Communication is about developing strong relationships based on trust. In closing, in an industry where the individual efforts of many, contribute to success as a whole, communicating with each other is not only important, it is vital.
First, communication allows us to work as a cohesive unit with a common goal. When we are working towards a common goal, we are referred to as a "team". For communication to be most effective in a team environment, certain channels of communication (I am not talking about radio channels!) must take priority over others. An example of this is in the assignment of daily tasks to the members of a turf crew.
A superintendent may communicate his wants and needs to his assistants. The superintendent and assistant(s) must be able to effectively communicate with each other in order to develop a productive plan for the crew that day. For the assistant, the most highly prioritized channel of communication at the beginning of the day is that channel shared with the superintendent. Depending on circumstances that arise throughout the day, perhaps the most important line of communication for the assistant is between other employees (irrigation technician, mechanic, etc.). Next, when the assistant relays the morning message from the superintendent to the crew, the highest priority is clear communication to the crew. From the standpoint of the crew, the highest priority is receiving the message from the assistant clearly. When a crew member encounters a problem that they are unable to solve alone, it is important that they are able to confidently communicate to their coworkers and their supervisors to find a remedy.
If communication between people or groups is unclear, a couple of things can happen. Miscommunication may result in conflict between parties, a lack of efficiency, or counterproductivity. Lets assume that the superintendent's message was to "cut greens and then lightly topdress with the R8's and finally lightly irrigate to help get the sand particles into the canopy". The assistant is hearing this during the meeting and he knows this procedure has been done here numerous times before, but he can not remember the order. Being too embarrassed to ask the superintendent to clarify, and being somewhat confident that he can figure out the order himself, he leaves to convey the message to the crew. He informs them that "we need to topdress greens and get them cut before membership arrives to play".
The crew hears this, and those selected to carry out the task assemble the required equipment. Since the first thing that the assistant told them to do was topdress, they load up the R8's and lightly topdress the first green. Looking at the material perched on top on the uncut green, they decide they will radio the assistant and tell him that the sand is not working in to the canopy. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you guys to water that sand in lightly. Pop up the greens heads for a 2 minute cycle", says the assistant. The assistant has made the assumption that the workers have already cut the green, and have just now topdressed. The workers do exactly as they are instructed, and thinking that the assistant knows best, they carry on mowing.
The wet sand is everywhere! Sand is getting picked up by the reels causing damage to the cutting units. The sand that is not getting picked up by the reels is being picked up by the rear roller. Every time the greens walkers turn around for their next pass, the sand from the rollers is deposited on the collar. The crew member mowing collars picks this sand up in his reels and destroys them as well. The crew thinks something doesn't quite look right, but their assistant knows best, and they continue through all 18 greens this way.
As you can see, one misunderstanding can become magnified as it is communicated and re-communicated to others. The cost here was hours of wasted labor, new bedknives, a lengthy process of spinning and relief grinding 3 separate reels, wasted sand, and lost trust. When miscommunication occurs, trust can be lost as a result. The superintendent trusted his assistant to relay his message effectively, and he was let down. An important aspect of communication is trust. Without trust, you are unable to confidently "hand over the reigns" and are forced to supervise everything, lowering productivity.
For you to be successful in this industry, you must be able to communicate effectively. The superintendent must be able to relay his thoughts to the assistant and the assistant must be able to comprehend the superintendent. The assistant should have communicated his confusion to the superintendent. The crew should have communicated their situation to the assistant. The assistant should have followed-up to make sure the task was being completed correctly.
Communication is not only about relaying your thoughts to another party; communication is about comprehension. Communication is about confidently proposing your ideas and your views and never making assumptions. Communication is about developing strong relationships based on trust. In closing, in an industry where the individual efforts of many, contribute to success as a whole, communicating with each other is not only important, it is vital.
(Picture obtained from www.promaudio.ch)
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