Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
As I have hit 50 years old, I have come to realize the impact statements like this have had on my life and success. My grandma and mom use to preach another one at me too; early to bed, early to rise, makes one healthy, wealthy, and wise. Apparently, that didn’t stick, because I am writing this at 1:01am.
I really do think a culture of teamwork is extremely important. It needs to be the right people (another… if you want to be truly successful, surround yourself with truly successful people), and it must be a culture of positive inclusion. More than just teamwork, mentoring and networking make teamwork successful. In the past month, I have had four impactful teamwork experiences I would like to share.
First, is with our Section. I am always impressed by our leadership. I have so enjoyed working with Doug Doxie, and I would like to be the first to thank him and congratulate him on his impact as our District 14 Director. He has been an amazing mentor and friend to me and many others. His dedication to the game, his facility, the Section, and the Association is remarkable.
I would also like to say that I love working with Frank and the Section Staff. I have not only had the pleasure of working with Frank, but I have found a great friend that is extremely smart and passionate. His wife, Suzi is amazing too! The Section Staff continues to impress me with their ownership in their jobs and continued success, and our Chapter ED’s are amazing. We are all extremely blessed.
I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Chas Holmes for running for Section Secretary. Chas is an impressive PGA Pro and is going to do great things in this Section. Next week, I will have the opportunity to work with our new Section Secretary, John Grothe (Congratulations, John!), VP, Bill Shea, Past President, Howie Pruit, and Frank representing your Pacific Northwest Section at the PGA Annual Meeting. The experience is all collaboration and teamwork for a whole week. It should be another wonderful experience.
My second experience with teamwork and collaboration was at the PGA Hope and Wellness Conference in Washington DC this past week. I joined Angela Hinzpeter, Pepe Cortez, and Jeff Bojanowski in representing the PNWPGA at the amazing conference and witnessed golf saving lives. If you haven’t considered hosting a program or supporting a program in your area, please consider getting involved. The event brought PGA Professionals and Veterans from around the Country to collaborate, train, and celebrate the amazing success of this PGA owned program. I also was able to connect with one of my great friends, Chris Runyan, during that weekend. A great friend that I made while serving our Section on the Board of Directors.
The third impact I experienced this month was at my facility. I don’t know if you all are aware, but the economy and inflation stink! My management team, finance committee, and board of directors all came together this month a made difficult decisions for our Club. Our dues are going to increase by about 20%, and even more in some categories. The collaboration to do the homework, make tough choices, and be member-centric through the process was difficult for sure.
Finally, the teamwork of industry professionals and family supporting one another is amazing, particularly PGA Professionals helping each other. I want to thank James Hochrine, PGA of Tacoma Country and Golf Club for supporting and mentoring me by donating an hour of his time to go through his experience making the same tough decision a year ago. His insight helped me prepare and put my anxiety at ease as I went into the final meeting knowing we are all in the same boat. Tom Olson, PGA from Club Benchmarking was a fantastic help for us as well, taking my last-minute call and offering to be on call for our board meeting. I have also been blessed to have the support of my new wife of two months. Pam has been amazing through a tough season. She patiently listens to me talk way too much!
I hope you are experiencing the same things in your life and PGA journey. If you aren’t right now, please do. Help your associates move through the program. Have lunch with a colleague. Call a fellow Professional or family member for advice. Check in with a friend you haven’t in too long. Wish someone happy birthday. Congratulate someone on a job well done. Take a moment to thank someone for their service. Hug someone.
We live in a tough world. Ask someone for help if you need it. We are all in this together.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Chris Nowlen, PGA