Team up

With 65 employees working on three golf courses, Tray Maltby, superintendent at Reunion Resort in Davenport, Fla., oversees employees ranging from youngsters fresh out of high school to seniors nearing retirement. With such a wide range of ages, generational differences are bound to surface, but the skills Maltby acquired at Syngenta Business Institute help him keep course maintenance running smoothly.

"I really wasn't that aware of the generation differences before SBI. I guess I just didn't pay attention," Maltby admits.

Although each individual is different, Maltby found that the wide observations about each generation helped him communicate more effectively. "The Baby Boomers, the generation before me, seem to have more loyalty to the job, the company and even to their immediate supervisors. When you give them a job, they like to see it to the end. They have a strong work ethic."

While Maltby's own Generation X still has a good work ethic, they are not as trusting as the Boomers. "We saw our parents and grandparents work hard," he notes. "The ups and downs of the economy gives us a different perspective."

Generation X is also more comfortable using today's technology. "While we're not quite the technology generation, we're still connected," Maltby says.

As to Generation Y (or the Millennials),"I have two of them in my household," Maltby laughs. "They are not lazy, but things came easier to them. They still want to work and have a work ethic, but some might feel a bit more entitled to a good job, especially right out of college."

As SBI points out, Boomers live to work while Millennials work to live. "A lot of young people are more than happy with a low-level job that just pays the bills," he explains. "Then they can forget about it once they go home."

Maltby wasted no time putting his new awareness to work. "It changed my attitude, my disposition and the way I approach different people," he says. "I think a little more before I speak or direct someone."

Developing more personal relationships with his younger staff was recommended. "Now I try to find out more about their families and their likes and dislikes," Maltby says. "It's not like I'm going to the pub with them, but you can develop personal relationships while still keeping things professional. Opening my mind to their mindset helps me develop better relationships, which make my business goals attainable."

Maltby has changed the way he assigns tasks, as well. "What I've tried to do is pair different people together. I try to mix and intermingle the different generations to get the best out of each person and the group," he says. "For example, if I have a crew detailing a bunker, the younger guys might want to try something new and the older guys have proven methods. Then they meet in the middle and get a better solution."

His new perspective is already producing results. "They all have a new-found respect for each other," Maltby says. "Everyone wants to be involved, do a good job and be recognized for a job well done. When they work together and crack a joke together and are happy, it improves morale and ultimately productivity as an end result."

Maltby notes that his staff is now more of a team than ever. "Growing grass is the easy part," he says. "It's the relationships with and within our staff that's important."