We all know that Northouse says path-goal theory is about how leaders motivate followers to accomplish their goals. The leader needs to figure out how to motivate their subordinates, given the different situations and follower characteristics and behaviors to accomplish the goals and tasks. Over the course of the tenure of leadership at your place of employment, you learn about your followers skills, personality, psyche, motivational needs, attitude and you use that information to put the right person on the job, train your followers to learn more and do more and when needed give them a pep talk about certain things they might be shy about or nervous, etc.
I have been learning my leadership style for about 11 years now and I pretty much have it figured out. I just have a few things to work on. I have the ability to recognize when a subordinate or even an equal is feeling down about their skills, or when a mistake is made and even when they’re learning something new. I feel it is important to get to know your staff and your boss and those in a similar position of authority.
Since May, our new mechanic has proved to be a decent mechanic. He is clean, cares about doing well, friendly yet lacks organization, priority setting skills and sometimes feels inferior because he may not know something. His proud behavior prevents him from asking questions or for help or clarification. He feels the need to do it himself. While I have an understanding of that personality, I have learned that it is better to ask for help when you think you need it, or to clarify a directive before walking away and most importantly, walk away when something is frustrating or stopping when you feel rushed and in a hurry.
Some things need to be learned to be a better mechanic, manager, even a leader. Since our time together, our mechanic has needed a good pep talk to keep his spirits up, a good behind chewing for not accomplishing something crucial and repetitive reassurance that it is ok to order a part to get the broken machine running again, with in reason. I think he has to gain acceptance on purchases higher than $300.
At one point, our membership was raving about the golf course, the speed of the greens were just perfect, the nice stripes in the fairways proved very aesthetically pleasing, the flowers lining the front entrance just made the whole thing exceptional. However, because he made a small mistake and it cost us crucial time in getting the members off at the allotted time he was feeling sad, angry at himself, just down on himself. I quietly told him that I had 50 members stop today alone to mention their pleasure with the course conditions. As he walked away from me, I said “you know, you are apart of that!”. He stopped in his tracks and turned to smile and from that moment, he was a different person.
Now, fast forward to last Thursday. A large deck mower went down with a blown hydraulic hose, one of those steel hoses that can handle a large amount of fluid and high pressure. After about ten years, things wear out and accidents happen, especially when you are working with a considerably lower budget than previous years.
In his hurry to leave work with no overtime, he managed to drive the mower unit down a main road within the golf course facility that has heavy traffic while the leak became heavier as the hole in the hose grew. So, a good one hundred yards of about a foot wide hydraulic spill occurred during lunch time rush hour. I was having lunch with those few crew members who decided to take lunch that day and witnessed this heart pounding, stomach sinking events.
Now, as a golf course manager, we inherently care very much about our environment and the safety of our staff, members and just about everyone. It is not just fertilize, water and mow out there and we sure don’t like removing trees from the course or try to kill beneficial organisms such as bees. So, when I saw this leak, I promptly asked “where did you come from?” As well as “Did you take the road?” When the answer was “yes” to both, I jumped into action with that serious tone of voice, “drop what you are doing and load some of the soil in a cart and spread it over the oil, we need to absorb that pronto!” All five staff members jumped off their lunch time and did exactly what I direction as well as myself.
Unfortunately, with the lunch time rush hour traffic, there was some confusion, some drivers disregarded our traffic directives and because of that a minor accident occurred. This lead to the local police on scene, which led to the local fire department to make sure we didn’t need hazmat or the environmental police. A certain amount of fluid leaked would have caused much stress for us, the company. Fortunately, only about 4 gallons leaked after checking the reservoir. All ended up ok after the police knew that we weren’t trying to hide anything and clean it up ourselves and the fire department was happy that it was only a small amount and happy that we jumped on it as quickly as we did.
After a meeting with the G.M and Asst. G.M, I returned to the shop to find the mechanic flustered, angry at himself, remorseful and afraid that he just lost his job. By all rights, his status as a manager should have resulted in such actions, but given my position, I didn’t have that authority to make that decision. I gathered him and the original operator to ask a few questions to get to the bottom of how and why it happened. Basically, the mechanic didn’t follow through on his thought to call me before he decided to take the road. The operator and the mechanic were afraid of killing the grass and getting in the way of the members who were out playing golf and losing more fluid would have been worse as I mentioned.
So, I thought about it for a minute. I rationalized their thought process and decide that the operator should not have already known the exact protocols for proper actions for a leaking hydraulic hose out on the far end of the course. I felt it was the mechanics position as a manager, a knowledgeable person with such matters and precautions, he should have called me and the three of us could have came up with a solution. One of which was leave it there until we could get a trailer, which didn’t seem like the right option to the mechanic.
After we spoke about the incident and how it was and should have been handled, i gathered the rest of the crew to inform them of what happened and set out train and guide them on the important aspects of hydraulic leaks and the dangers of it, not just for the grass. I also reminded them that “grass can grow back, we have seed!” I mentioned that being afraid to call me for my decision was not a cause for me think you incapable of doing your job, nor would it make me disrespect you or think any less of you. I made sure everyone knew that when there is a hydraulic leak, all managers know about it, myself, the head golf course superintendent and the mechanic and that the three of us will decide how to get it back to the shop for repairs.
Now as I see it, I use the path-goal theory well Throughout the year, I use Directive Leadership when handing out daily job assignments and when I am seeking a specific outcome of a particular task, like raking the bunker edges down, not up. I also use SupportiveĀ Leadership when a crew member feels insecure about their job performance or doing a newly learned task again.I understand their apprehension to completing the task, they don’t want to make a mistake. Sometimes the fact that I am watching is the cause of more pressure.
Many times I “Participate” in completing assignments on the golf course, for instance when tournaments come up, you will see me out there with a weed whacker, a backpack blower, what ever needs to get done I will assist. As for Achievement -Oriented Leadership, when many things need to get done quickly, like the rough this week before the rain, I give everyone the heads up that the end result is mowed rough by Wednesday afternoon, how you get it done is up to you, but I don’t want to see scalps, slips and slides down hills, misses in mow patterns and mowing the most grass in the most efficient matter is of utmost importance. Guess what? its Tuesday and the rough is 80% finished!
How about them apples?
Thanks for reading,
Jason Woodring