Written by: Mitch Rupert, Communications Manager, Bloom Golf Partners

It’s important to remember that as a manager at any level, you set the tone for your operation. But that tone isn’t just about standards and expectations, it’s an emotional tone as well.

Emotions are contagious. Happy, angry, tired, lazy, vengeful, condoning, kindness — they’re all contagious. And you, as the manager of your operation, set that tone.

The golf season isn’t a whole lot different than a baseball season, except it often lasts longer than the 162-game marathon Major League Baseball can be. But turf managers deal with the dog days of summer, they grind through the days searching for continuous improvement.

And much like a baseball team will follow the lead of its manager, a turf management operation will follow the lead of its Superintendent. Your joy, your frustration, your anger, and your energy (both positive and negative) is all palpable.

If everyone is riding the rollercoaster of emotions throughout a playing season — reaching euphoric highs and suffering despondent lows — and the team is going to be wasted by the end. But if you, as a manager and tone-setter, can run an even keel and know when to celebrate and when to grind, you can keep everyone engaged and working toward better.

Be cognizant of that. Understand what emotions you’re exuding. Set the tone for how you want your operation to run. Be the person you want your team to be.

About the Author

Mitch Rupert

Mitch Rupert brings more than 20 years of high-stakes interviewing experience—from covering professional and youth sports as an award-winning Associated Press journalist—to his role with Bloom Golf Partners. Since joining the firm in 2021, he has supported candidate communication, interviews, and due diligence while applying his storytelling and research expertise to the executive search process.