As a branch off the Dick Gray tree of personnel management, John Cunningham recognizes the importance of an engaged and inspired team of employees.
He knew it as a superintendent at Martin Downs and Black Diamond Ranch, both in Florida, the Four Seasons in Irving, Texas and Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis where he eventually was both head greenkeeper and assistant general manager. As the general manager at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia, Cunningham spends more time than ever trying to attract quality employees and trying to keep it."People are interested in learning and getting better. I have to put my superintendent hat on for a minute. I go to classes and learn there. It's no different in the role I am in now," Cunningham said. "A lot of what we do is leadership, mentoring and coaching.
"The selection process is unbelievably important."
As a former superintendent, Cunningham knows full well how difficult it is to attract and retain employees. Americans don't want to do the work, and it is increasingly difficult to get seasonal help from the guest worker pool. His managers throughout the rest of the operation experience similar challenges.
"It's here, it's there, it's everywhere: bag drop, porter, valet, golf operations," he said. "Try finding someone who can park luxury vehicles at night. How do you find that one?"
Cunningham also knows how important it is to stay in constant communication with staff and members. Addressing expectations and providing performance-based feedback feeds employees, and keeping members updated on course conditions and projects helps keep golfers happy.
As Aronimink's GM, he still keeps in touch with members, and most of his messages once aimed at assistant superintendents and hourly employees now are targeted toward his management team.
"What if we're getting 70 percent out of our team? What if we can get 85 percent? How do we do that?" Cunningham said.
"On the golf course, superintendents are good at writing standards to maximize member experience, which is what we are always preaching. Member experience is why we are all here."
Some of the recent communiques Cunningham has shared with his staff include "Create a growth culture, not a performance-obsessed one" and "How to stay ahead of customer expectations in the club industry".
According to the latter, high standards must be teachable, domain specific, recognizable and realistic.
For a growth culture to take hold, a workplace must be safe, must foster learning and experimenting and provide feedback.
"You have to nurture and take care of them. How do you do that and push them to be better? Too much challenge without reassurance overwhelms us. Too little challenge and too much time in their comfort zone, then there is no growth," Cunningham said. "That's the delicate balance.
"Surveys show money is not the No. 1 motivating factor for employees. It's up there, but it's not No. 1. If someone trusts you, you can challenge them and they'll respond. If they don't trust you, it's going to be tough for you to challenge them."