Filling in Your Own Blanks
In my previous life as a superintendent, faced with the uncertainty of winterkill recovery, someone once came into my office and told me, "If you don't provide the information, someone else will fill in the blanks for you."
I leaned on my maintenance blog more than ever in 2014, knowing that the most important thing I could do was to have regular greens recovery updates available to members at all times. In those uncertain times, I couldn't afford the risk of rumors circulating around the locker room. There were too many loud voices that, given enough time and space, would control the narrative for me. We had a monumental task ahead of us, and it was my job not only to communicate and execute the plan with my team, but also communicate that plan and our progress to the membership and upper management.
Most golf course maintenance crews operate in the shadows, but I was determined to shine a spotlight on our team during the recovery process. This wasn't going to be a horror story, it was the making of a success story! The winterkill recovery effort was our story to tell, and I wasn't about to let someone else tell it for us.
During that challenging time, I realized that communication was the most powerful tool I had in my arsenal. Not only did my blog serve as an open line of communication to my members, but I believe that in the end, it saved my job as well.
As the 2017 season begins, I want to challenge you to start a blog of your own. Blogging is a quick, easy, and extremely effective way to communicate maintenance activities and agronomic challenges to your audience. Beyond that, the blog can also act as a digital resume, a time capsule, front page news, or a weather forecast—the possibilities are endless if you are willing to explore its potential.
This year, I decided it was time once again to tell my story, and after a two year absence, I am happy to announce my return to the blogging world. I invite you to join me and we can take this journey together. There is no better time than now to start telling your story. Remember, if you aren't out there providing the information, then someone else is filling in those blanks for you.
Although I used Blogger.com for my blog, there are several options out there for you to use including WordPress.com and SQUARESPACE. I recommend doing a little research and seeing which is the best platform for you.
About the author
Adam Garr is a Syngenta Turf & Landscape Territory Manager located in the Midwestern US. You may also follow Adam on Twitter: