(This is the fourth blog message in a series of nine that will address the concept of expanding chapter service to better provide for its members.)

The fundamental issue every chapter must face in today’s world is that its management team (Board and committee structure) is virtually void of private sector business experience in an era where private sector experience is essential to overcoming the repercussions of a bad economy.

Consequently, critical employment issues go unattended to the point where now: (i) chapter membership roles steadily decline; (ii) the best and most experienced superintendents are losing their jobs; (iii) fewer and fewer (less than 20%) superintendents are granted access to written contracts; and (iv) course employers more aggressively and summarily dismiss and often abuse golf course superintendents on the way out of jobs. Clearly, it is time to draw a line in the sand.

Because the concept of a chapter Executive Director is the most effective and timely way to introduce private sector management expertise into the chapter world, the following profile is intended to educate chapter leadership and members to what specific qualifications a competent candidate for chapter Executive Director should have:

Imagine what an across the board impact a qualified Executive Director would have on chapter operations! The sky is the limit. I understand that this is hard to comprehend because there is no precedent for this.

However, many might conclude after reviewing the above qualifications that the chances of a chapter (big or small) hiring an individual with the above credentials are quite remote; i.e., a “pie in the sky” situation. Fortunately, this is not the case because such qualified people are available at affordable compensation levels – especially in this economy. Don’t settle for less.

Immediately following blog messages will advise chapters how to find, interview, train and pay for solid Executive Director personnel. Stay tuned.

(I am suspending my nine-part “Chapter Update” series this week to present the following important public service announcement. The “Chapter Update” series will resume next week.)

Some of you will remember that my April 2004 Golf Course News magazine column initially introduced the concept of golf course superintendents developing their own personal career web sites. Response to this then new concept came slowly but has escalated today to the point where:

• +/- 18% of all superintendents have developed a career web site to date.
• +/- 60% of all interview slots are being assigned to candidates with quality career web sites.
• +/- 70% of all new jobs are going to candidates with quality career web sites.

All of the above percentages will continue to grow indefinitely because candidates with career web sites are “stealing” jobs every day. Join the party, or resist at your career’s peril.

“Submitting an address for a quality career web site within a job application cover letter today virtually guarantees that a candidate will be granted an interview …

I have been waiting for six years to find a reliable source where I could refer the many constant requests I have received for help in designing personal career web sites. That day has now arrived:

The company is Playbooks For Golf, whose principals are Greg Wojick, CGCS (a respected former superintendent) and Matt Leverich (a high-tech former assistant superintendent). Visit Playbooks web site for a first-hand look at actual quality web sites developed for superintendents and assistants – among other appealing services and products.

Fee Schedule: (Guaranteed through September 15, 2010)

• For assistants and superintendents who have lost jobs: $500 due when request for a web site is accepted; with the balance of $450 not due until a job is obtained.

• For presently employed superintendents: $350 payable when request for a web site is accepted; with the balance of $600 due when client approves and accepts the final web site product.

This is an ideal opportunity for presently employed superintendents to prepare career web sites in anticipation of their applying for new jobs either out of choice, or by necessity because they have lost a job. Always be prepared!

Service Profile:

• Playbooks will require clients to submit: (i) an informal career summary that Messrs. Wojick and Leverich will re-write into professional web site text; (ii) from 8 to 12 supporting digital photographs; (iii) a copy of a recently updated resume; and (iv) a viable credit card number.

• Playbooks will present clients with three web site format options to pick from.

• Playbooks will provide web site hosting for $150 per year (standard industry fee). While clients would be free to find another hosting site for their new web sites, this is not recommended because it will always be easier and less expensive to update a web site where it was initially developed.

• Playbooks will update web sites once developed without a fee for reasonable minor revisions; but will charge a to-be-negotiated fee for more major web site revisions.

• Playbooks will revise layout and custom design submitted resumes to match visual web site theme for inclusion in the final web site product.

• Playbooks (without an additional fee) will also custom design stationary, envelopes and business cards to match the visual web site theme and forward – along with the final custom-designed resume – to clients via pdf, which will allow clients to produce final products at their own cost.

• Playbooks will maintain strict confidentiality with all client products produced.

Development Time: It takes Playbooks approximately two months to develop a final web site product provided the client submits information requested and reviews web site drafts on a timely basis.

Submit questions and requests for web site development to: Matt Leverich at: matt@goplaybooks.com. Web sites will be developed on a “first come first served” basis.

Spread the word to friends and associates; i.e., web site utopia has arrived.

(This is the third blog message in a series of nine that will address the concept of expanding chapter service to better provide for the welfare of its members – focusing specifically on job enhancement and job security issues. Accordingly, chapters are encouraged to wait until this series is totally presented (see schedule below) before considering how and when to implement series recommendations.)

I closed my last blog message with the following thought:

“In my professional judgment, golf course superintendents will not realize the long sought highly justified fruits of their labor until their chapters begin to address employment issues embodied within carefully worded chapter mission statements…

To best prepare readers to understand and digest the essential meaning of the above premise, a profile listing of what the balance of this series will address follows:

3.   Schedule Caution (This blog)

I am concerned that chapter leaders may think that by presenting this series I am suggesting they move to implement series recommendations – including the hiring of an Executive Director -ASAP.

This is not the case because different sized and funded chapters have different needs that will require a wide rage of due diligence planning before giving serious consideration to implementing series recommendations.

I anticipate that all 103 chapters will eventually address/implement the key provisions presented within this series – with the larger chapters leading the way initially and with the smaller chapters following this lead through a five-plus year period. Each chapter must determine when is the right time for it to implement the recommendations presented in this series.

4.  Chapter Management (February 25)

This blog message will focus on the following pivotal issues: positioning private sector experience within the chapter Board and Long Range Planning committee; how to search for, interview and eventually train qualified candidates once employed for the position of chapter Executive Director; and how existing staff can support a newly hired Executive Director.

5.   Long Range Planning (March 4)

This blog message will focus on the need for chapters to commit to serious long range planning that would include a newly formed “Employment Oversight” sub-committee, which is the one element within this series that can/should be implemented now to pave the way for more effective future chapter planning.

6.   Funding (March 11)

This blog message will illustrate how multiple source funding can generate adequate moneys to meet chapter needs; and make the further point that just as housing costs decline significantly in a bad economy – so too, the varying salaries (will identify salary ranges) the larger and smaller chapters will be required to pay a qualified Executive Director.

7.  Legal Counseling (March 18)

This blog message will focus on providing chapter members with low cost affordable legal counseling to see them through employment-based issues, but not larger litigation-based matters.

8.  Outreach Programs (March 25)

This blog will focus on developing a effective chapter-based outreach program to best ensure the opportunity chapter members will have to find meaningful employment as a superintendent, elsewhere in golf, or outside golf when without a job.

9.  GCSAA Role (April 1)

This blog message will confirm what has been previously stated; i.e., that because chapters directly interface with the nation’s golf courses, their playing clientele and representatives on an every day basis – they are the sole entity in golf with the face-to-face opportunity to educate and generate effective response from within America’s golfing community relative to the imperative issue of addressing superintendents’ job enhancement and job security concerns.

This is not meant to suggest that GCSAA itself does not also have an imperative role to play in direct support of chapter employment-based initiatives. This blog message will demonstrate how only a total chapter-GCSAA team effort will establish new beachheads on this critical too long neglected employment front.

Stay tuned because the future welfare and job security of every individual throughout the profession rides on how effectively chapters accept the responsibility to lead on employment issues.