11/9/2012 9:11 PM
Unbelievable! Your employee felt comfortable enough to be insubordinate and challenge your assistant? And your assistant felt the appropriate response was to pull a knife?
I'm a little confused about your role in your organization. You are the superintendent and are responsible for the actions of all staff reporting directly to you. Why is it necessary to get permission from your President, et al.?
This is a case of gross insubordination, unless the employee was being asked to wash the assistant's car. No...the employee was being instructed to maintain his equipment.
Your assistant pulled a knife on another employee. Was he being threatened by another deadly weapon? Apparently not, but regardless, a supervisor pulling a knife on an employee?
If this doesn't fall into your club guidelines as "for cause", then something needs to be rewritten.
Your President, and all of those above you, should be giving you enough respect to handle your own department. Which I assume to be the largest department at your club, and without a doubt the most important.
Perhaps your arrangement is unusual, but unless you wish to be seen by your entire staff, and even more importantly those you work for, as someone who is afraid to act without someone else making that decision for them, then you need to act decisively. Now. With confidence and authority.
You are either the superintendent, with full powers to act when it is a legitimate, or you are just another staff member, but with another title.
Jim,
This incident has the potential of either showing your true authority, which your President, owners, etc., should respect and admire, or letting everyone know that you feel you are simply a staff member, unable to act without guidance.
You're either the golf course superintendent, one of the most important and respected positions in any club, or you're not.
Which is it?
Terminate both of them. Immediately!