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Communication between a superintendent and his staff can be a challenge under ideal conditions. Throw in two entirely different languages, and the challenge can escalate quickly into a considerable problem.

Overcoming a language barrier isn’t unique in business, but in certain parts of the country – where the vast majority of the work force speaks Spanish and little, if any, English – the inability to communicate can cripple a staff and course maintenance.

Communicating can be hard enough without the language barrier getting in the way.

Whether it’s instructing an employee to mow tees and aprons or rake bunkers, a superintendent needs to know his words are getting across. The lack of communication can result in a range of issues, from unraked bunkers to damaged greens with costs totaling in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Jason Harsh, superintendent at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, says he has learned key words in Spanish to work a little better with his employees who speak limited English. Learning the Spanish word for soil, sand, shovel, rake, etc., has been effective for him daily at his 18-hole, city-owned course.

“You don’t need to know fluent Spanish to get them to understand,” Harsh says.

Harsh purposely doesn’t speak too much Spanish at the course to encourage his staff to learn English.

In addition to the few key words he knows, Harsh will make the extra effort of taking his employees to the area and physically show them the task that needs to be done.

Timothy Powers, certified golf course superintendent at the 18-hole, public Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame, Calif., says he knows enough Spanish based on his high school classes and what he’s picked up along the way. Powers has 14 employees, most of whom don’t speak much English. So Powers, who’s been in the business for 25 years, sent one of his employees to school to learn English. That worker now acts as a translator.

“We exchange words back and forth and just keep working on it,” he says. “We get by. They’re all trying.”

Powers bought a Spanish translation book specifically intended for golf course management and might take a seminar at the Golf Industry Show if he can work it into his schedule. The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America is offering two seminars in Atlanta that address the language issue: “Managing the Hispanic Work Force” and “Getting Started with Hispanic Labor – Legal and Communication Issues.”

Picture this
Gary Dalton, superintendent at San Diego Country Club for the past 16 years, says he’ll draw a picture for his Spanish-speaking employees to help them gain a better understanding of what needs to be accomplished.

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” he says.

Like Dalton, Harsh says he’ll use pictures to get his point across. On a day-to-day basis, he says he uses broken English or broken Spanish along with pictures.

“As long as you get your point across and they understand what you’re saying, you can get them to do what’s needed,” Harsh says.

That said, he admits if a superintendent is a perfectionist, not everybody is going to do it exactly like he wants it done.

Some superintendents make the extra effort of taking employees to an area and physically showing them the needed task.

Powers uses a dry-erase board in the maintenance facility to draw anything that’s not being understood verbally.

“If it’s drawn out and they’ve got directions, they understand where you’re going with it,” he says.

Powers also cross-trains his employees so everyone knows different jobs and can help each other out – avoiding the language barrier altogether.

Building a team
According to Dalton, 80 percent to 85 percent of his employees speak Spanish, with the vast majority having been with him for 10 years or more. Eighteen of his 22 employees have logged more than a decade at the course. Dalton says he’s fortunate to have many bilingual employees and says there would be only four or five employees who would have a problem if San Diego Country Club didn’t have people who were fluent in Spanish and English.

As for having the right people on staff, Dalton says his hiring practices have been extremely beneficial.

“It hasn’t been a problem for me,” he says about hiring new employees at San Diego Country Club. “I’ve been able to bring in the right people.”

Dalton’s assistant superintendent, foreman and irrigation technician are bilingual, but that wasn’t always the case. At a previous job, the language barrier was a problem because Dalton didn’t have the budget to hire the right personnel, he says.

“Hire the right people or learn Spanish yourself,” he says, stressing the importance of having a go-between person.

Dalton has worked hard to keep the people on his staff around through the years, which also has lessened the burden of training employees to not only do the job, but also learn the language.

Breaking the language barrier

• Learn the language • Learn key words • Buy a translation book • Talk slowly and clearly • Draw pictures • Use hand signals.

“A lot of the employees couldn’t speak English when they got here,” he says. “I’ve tried hard to treat them right and provide them with good wages.”

The job pool used to be much better than it is now, according to Dalton, so that makes retaining his laborers that much more important. He says many of his new hires are limited in what they can do on the course because of the language barrier, but if they last and learn better English, they receive training and can advance.

Harsh, a superintendent for 7.5 years, says he’s been fortunate to maintain his core group of employees from year to year as well. He says if an employee doesn’t understand English, it’s difficult for him to advance at the course.

Powers never has to go fishing in the job pool. Most of his employees are related to each other or are acquainted with each other and can bring in additional help from their circle of friends and family. Crystal Springs finished many extra projects this summer, such as new cart paths and tees and 18 new bunkers. Powers had his employees bring extra staff to serve as temporary workers and complete the projects.

Superintendents can overcome language barriers by drawing pictures of what needs to be done.

“I’ve got a terrific group of kids,” he says. “They work hard and get along well together. They’ve all got great work ethics and want to do a good job.”

Powers says his staff polices itself and guys harp on those crew members who don’t carry their weight.

Powers points to the financial benefits of learning the language when encouraging his staff to speak English.

“I tell them ‘you can make more money, the more you know,’” he says.

Advice
Neil Payne, managing director of Kwintessential, a provider of cross-cultural communication services, says language represents only 7 percent of what people communicate and there are many ways to overcome the language barrier to allow for cross-cultural communication. Payne suggests:

• Using physical gestures and facial expressions.

• Using emotions to express fright, frustration, anger or joy transcend linguistic barriers.

• Trying out words. Slight knowledge of English or common words shared between the languages can assist communication. Also, saying the word slowly or with a different pronunciation can help.

• Drawing. Pictures speak louder than words, Payne says. Drawing a rake or shovel can be easier than trying to describe it.

• Asking for help. Using a translator can avert problems.

• Confirming meanings. If you’re unsure whether the message has been understood, confirm it. Don’t ask, “Do you understand?” Try rephrasing what you’ve agreed or discussed.

• Being patient. It’s not your or the other person’s fault that you can’t speak each other’s language.

Payne also suggests slowing down when talking and avoiding slang. Failure to do so can result in the misunderstanding of words and missed meanings. Additionally, be supportive. Effective cross-cultural communication is about being comfortable. Encouraging those who speak weak English gives them confidence, support and a trust in you.

Broken Spanish is OK for describing what needs done on the course, but Harsh uses a translator when reviewing procedures and disciplinary actions.
Powers advises superintendents to educate themselves.

“Learn the language,” he says. “Because communication is the biggest thing. It helps with all the training, safety issues, monthly meetings … Don’t rely on other people to do the talking.

“They appreciate the fact that I make the effort to learn the language,” he adds.
In addition to having a translation book handy, Harsh says he tries to get his workers to play golf. His reasoning: If they understand the game, they’re more likely to understand the demands.

Dalton believes in a hands-on approach.

“The best technique is to show them exactly how it’s done, not just explaining it,” he says. GCN