Future gazing and creating

Crystal ball gazing, a favorite pastime at this time of year, became a lot trickier when Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States.

In the days leading up to the president-elect taking office, many of those with a stake in global supply chains — which includes all of us — were taking their best guess at what the next four years would mean for the cost of goods and services on which their businesses rely.

As a candidate, Trump vowed to implement stiff tariffs on imports. If those promises hold, overseas manufacturers and U.S. retailers importing basic goods could face significantly higher costs. Sectors that figure heavily in a superintendent’s business plan include gasoline and petroleum-based products — large amounts of crude oil are imported from western Canada and refined at U.S. facilities — fertilizer, maintenance vehicles and other equipment. Familiar issues concerning labor and finances rest at the foundation of what is shaping up to be a volatile 2025.

Labor

In a tight labor market, recruiting, retaining and inspiring your team will continue to demand managerial vigilance. Keys to assembling and retaining a top-performing team bring focus to several concerns:

• Compensation and benefits: As housing and transportation costs rise, workers need improved compensation to meet their needs. Your staff members want to see that you’re looking out for them.
• Training: A primary concern gleaned from GGA Partners’ 2024 Employee Perspectives Survey is workers’ desire to get better at their jobs. Training remains one of the best investments you can make for your people’s future and your facility’s health.
• Respect: Being part of a winning team with the organization’s respect is a top priority for your teammates. Show respect by making sure they understand their roles in achieving the club’s and course’s goals and expectations. 

Financial management

Although owners and boards recognize the essential nature of the asset you manage, that doesn’t mean they want to spend a dime more than is necessary to maintain it. Their conservative fiscal bias necessitates that superintendents become masters at advocating for primary and secondary spending needs well ahead of the budget cycle. The superintendents who prosper in 2025 will be alert to financial matters and provide ample background, support and coaching to those with budget-approval authority.

The coming year will demand a mixed bag of challenges for superintendents. Beyond trade and supply chain issues, three factors are likely to dominate: rising labor costs, supply-chain disruption and environmental impacts.

Economic factors

In addition to rising labor costs, projected in late 2024 by the Society for Human Resource Management to range from 3.5 percent to 3.8 percent, anything related to the cost of a barrel of oil will impact your budget. Beyond the slightly declining cost of fuel for mowers and rolling stock, 2025 budgets should allow for the volatility of global events. Dealing with the unpredictable will require an advanced cost-tracking capability to stay ahead of changing markets. The best sources of this information are peers and your vendor and supplier network; keep your network open and active. 

Geo-political disruptions

During the pandemic, smart turf managers put themselves ahead of the supply chain by coordinating with vendors — sometimes competitors — to ensure they were supplied with critical goods. Given the current state of global conflict and the interdependency laid bare by the pandemic, savvy planners are monitoring this risk in real time. Converting data from a physical to a digital format is essential to real-time supply management. If you still rely on a folder of purchase orders, it’s time to upgrade your approach.

Environmental impacts

Superintendents are renowned environmental stewards. Pressure points converging on golf facilities start (but don’t end) with water rights and limitations. These concerns are spreading progressively as climate change uncertainty, along with societal and governmental pressure, continues to paint golf facilities as wealthy indulgences. Informed stewardship and advocacy remain your best ally.

Predicting the future is an errand for fools and columnists. And there’s no doubt looking into our crystal balls has become a lot murkier. As management guru Peter Drucker said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” And when it comes to creating a future with golf’s health as its mission, you wouldn’t want to bet against the women and men who are the first ones at work every day.