Questioning Mechanic Cancel The title field is required!

1. Justin VanLanduit

   

   0 posts
   
   5/4/2013 8:05 AM

   Hi guys, looking to see if I could get opinions on a situation. I think I know the way I NEED to go but thinking before making the decision.
   This past Thursday we got out and mowed tees for the first time of week as they were aerified on Monday and topdressed heavy. Sand was worked in but still some on surface come Thursday. I had noticed prior in the week that our approaches had a funny look to them so I inspected and it looked as though the mowers weren't cutting the best. I knew we would be mowing tees so last thing I wanted to do was have my mechanic grind them to only get trashed, so I trusted that he was staying on top of things and making the decisions on adjusting/grinding. As I was headed out for a meeting at the end of day Thursday I saw the tee/app mowers were still outside telling me they hadn't been checked so asked my Assistant to inform the mechanic they needed to be checked and ready to go for approaches Friday morning. I was in a meeting for about and hour and when I returned to maintenance facility the mechanic was gone and the mowers put away. I was curious how they checked out so myself and my assistant grabbed some paper and walked back to check them, I know he checked them as there was paper still in the reels. Well, as I suspected the first mower we checked barely cut grass. The second pulled the paper right into the reel, they weren't ready to go in the morning.
   The next morning we wanted to give him as many opportunities to come clean with the condition of them. During the meeting we discussed mowing approaches and were directing guys to what approaches they would mow and he never spoke up. Once the meeting was finished I asked him how they checked out and he said they were fine, ready to go. I then came back with are you sure they are cutting good? At that time I think he realized I had checked them and he began to back peddle a bit saying they are ok but need ground soon, I asked how soon and he said probably after today. At that point I said lets grab some paper and go check real quick, we pulled out the first machine and it tore the paper across the left and middle and then pulled it in on the right. My temper was rising and I looked at him and calmly said, so this is ok to mow? and walked away. Out of 5 machines 1 was marginally ok to cut the others were trashed. Tough position to be in as it's the start of the season and mechanics are very important but need one I can trust. After this I find it's going to be hard for me to trust things are being done to the standards I have put in place and have communicated time and time again to him as we've had instances of incorrect mowing heights etc... I've given him the benefit of the doubt as he has learned all his trade here on the job over the 40 years he's worked at the club. I know we are all compassionate guys but I'm seeing it as he put the golf course in jeopardy as well as my job in jeopardy by thinking and if I hadn't check allowing those units to go out on the golf course. I sent him home yesterday and suspended him for the remainder of the day as well as the weekend and said we'd meet to discuss on Monday after I had time to calm down and think about where we go from here.
   
   Thanks in Advance for any insight and opinions.

   
   
   
   
2. Wahlin Scott B

   
   5/4/2013 8:05 AM

   In my humble opinion:
   
   1. Face the bedknives - This will give you a reasonable quality of cut between grinds.
   
   2. FORTY YEARS OF SERVICE; Working that long for a club that does provide a little slack. Run the freak away!

   
   
   
   
3. Justin VanLanduit

   

   0 posts
   
   5/4/2013 9:05 AM

   I guess I should have stated that this isn't the first or second instance. I have 2 documented instances where machines weren't properly set up resulting in damage as well as 3 other verbal instances where things weren't correct.

   
   
   
   
4. Sean Hoolehan

   

   0 posts
   
   5/4/2013 9:05 AM

   Justin,
   
   I would take the following approach.
   
   1. Let your boss know your are having some performance issues with a key employee who has a long tenure.
   2. Write down the incident you had with the mowers not being checked and your concerns about him covering it up in the form of a memo that is titled "counselling notice" . In the memo include corrective actions he needs to take and be sure to include in the memo that failure to take corrective action [u">could[/u"> lead to his termination. Copy someone else who either supervises him or you.
   3. Schedule a sit down meeting with him to go over the memo. Include your assistant if he also supervises the mechanic. In the meeting talk in low tones. Talk not just about the trouble your having but about the importance of his job on the course and your respect for his long service to the course. The key here is do not beat him up but try to build him up. Ask him what additional support you could offer him. Ask if there is something preventing him from getting his work done in a timely matter. Suggest some tools/training/tasks that could help him improve his performance. Schedule a follow up meeting to check back on how it is going.
   
   Now take a step back and see how he reacts. It going to either get better or worse. Try not to get mad at him but focus on the performance. In the end it will be his decision to stay or go. You should handle this a little more delicately considering his long tenure, but truthfully it is not material to the job. I always offer this advice to employees who are having personal problems off the course. "Don't make one problem into two." I would also do a second written notice prior to terminating him should his performance not improve. This second notice would be even more matter of fact and refer to the first memo that included suggested corrective action and the title should be "Second Counseling Notice". This memo should include "Failure to improve [u">will [/u"> result in your termination of your employment.
   
   These things are never easy but in the end it will be his decision to stay not yours, and you will have documentation. It is possible that your upper management may want to cut even more slack to him because 40 years of service is a long time. In that case see if you can get him a helper you hire. This works 2 ways your boss will have to financially support the decision to cut slack and you will have a ready replacement should the mechanic not get better.

   
   
   
   
5. Ronald Conard

   

   4 posts
   
   5/4/2013 10:05 AM

   I would include paragraphs.

   
   
   
   
6. Justin VanLanduit

   

   0 posts
   
   5/4/2013 10:05 AM

   Ronald Conard, CGCS said: I would include paragraphs.

   
   
   This better?
   
   Hi guys, looking to see if I could get opinions on a situation. I think I know the way I NEED to go but thinking before making the decision.
   This past Thursday we got out and mowed tees for the first time of week as they were aerified on Monday and topdressed heavy. Sand was worked in but still some on surface come Thursday. I had noticed prior in the week that our approaches had a funny look to them so I inspected and it looked as though the mowers weren't cutting the best. I knew we would be mowing tees so last thing I wanted to do was have my mechanic grind them to only get trashed, so I trusted that he was staying on top of things and making the decisions on adjusting/grinding. As I was headed out for a meeting at the end of day Thursday I saw the tee/app mowers were still outside telling me they hadn't been checked so asked my Assistant to inform the mechanic they needed to be checked and ready to go for approaches Friday morning.
   I was in a meeting for about and hour and when I returned to maintenance facility the mechanic was gone and the mowers put away. I was curious how they checked out so myself and my assistant grabbed some paper and walked back to check them, I know he checked them as there was paper still in the reels. Well, as I suspected the first mower we checked barely cut grass. The second pulled the paper right into the reel, they weren't ready to go in the morning.
   The next morning we wanted to give him as many opportunities to come clean with the condition of them. During the meeting we discussed mowing approaches and were directing guys to what approaches they would mow and he never spoke up. Once the meeting was finished I asked him how they checked out and he said they were fine, ready to go. I then came back with are you sure they are cutting good? At that time I think he realized I had checked them and he began to back peddle a bit saying they are ok but need ground soon, I asked how soon and he said probably after today. At that point I said lets grab some paper and go check real quick, we pulled out the first machine and it tore the paper across the left and middle and then pulled it in on the right. My temper was rising and I looked at him and calmly said, so this is ok to mow? and walked away. Out of 5 machines 1 was marginally ok to cut the others were trashed.
   Tough position to be in as it's the start of the season and mechanics are very important but need one I can trust. After this I find it's going to be hard for me to trust things are being done to the standards I have put in place and have communicated time and time again to him as we've had instances of incorrect mowing heights etc... I've given him the benefit of the doubt as he has learned all his trade here on the job over the 40 years he's worked at the club. I know we are all compassionate guys but I'm seeing it as he put the golf course in jeopardy as well as my job in jeopardy by thinking and if I hadn't check allowing those units to go out on the golf course. I sent him home yesterday and suspended him for the remainder of the day as well as the weekend and said we'd meet to discuss on Monday after I had time to calm down and think about where we go from here.
   
   Thanks in Advance for any insight and opinions.

   
   
   
   
7. Ronald Conard

   

   4 posts
   
   5/4/2013 3:05 PM

   Justin VanLanduit said:

   Ronald Conard, CGCS said: I would include paragraphs.

   
   
   This better?
   
   Hi guys, looking to see if I could get opinions on a situation. I think I know the way I NEED to go but thinking before making the decision.
   This past Thursday we got out and mowed tees for the first time of week as they were aerified on Monday and topdressed heavy. Sand was worked in but still some on surface come Thursday. I had noticed prior in the week that our approaches had a funny look to them so I inspected and it looked as though the mowers weren't cutting the best. I knew we would be mowing tees so last thing I wanted to do was have my mechanic grind them to only get trashed, so I trusted that he was staying on top of things and making the decisions on adjusting/grinding. As I was headed out for a meeting at the end of day Thursday I saw the tee/app mowers were still outside telling me they hadn't been checked so asked my Assistant to inform the mechanic they needed to be checked and ready to go for approaches Friday morning.
   I was in a meeting for about and hour and when I returned to maintenance facility the mechanic was gone and the mowers put away. I was curious how they checked out so myself and my assistant grabbed some paper and walked back to check them, I know he checked them as there was paper still in the reels. Well, as I suspected the first mower we checked barely cut grass. The second pulled the paper right into the reel, they weren't ready to go in the morning.
   The next morning we wanted to give him as many opportunities to come clean with the condition of them. During the meeting we discussed mowing approaches and were directing guys to what approaches they would mow and he never spoke up. Once the meeting was finished I asked him how they checked out and he said they were fine, ready to go. I then came back with are you sure they are cutting good? At that time I think he realized I had checked them and he began to back peddle a bit saying they are ok but need ground soon, I asked how soon and he said probably after today. At that point I said lets grab some paper and go check real quick, we pulled out the first machine and it tore the paper across the left and middle and then pulled it in on the right. My temper was rising and I looked at him and calmly said, so this is ok to mow? and walked away. Out of 5 machines 1 was marginally ok to cut the others were trashed.
   Tough position to be in as it's the start of the season and mechanics are very important but need one I can trust. After this I find it's going to be hard for me to trust things are being done to the standards I have put in place and have communicated time and time again to him as we've had instances of incorrect mowing heights etc... I've given him the benefit of the doubt as he has learned all his trade here on the job over the 40 years he's worked at the club. I know we are all compassionate guys but I'm seeing it as he put the golf course in jeopardy as well as my job in jeopardy by thinking and if I hadn't check allowing those units to go out on the golf course. I sent him home yesterday and suspended him for the remainder of the day as well as the weekend and said we'd meet to discuss on Monday after I had time to calm down and think about where we go from here.
   
   Thanks in Advance for any insight and opinions.

   
   
   
   No, not really but a touch closer.

   
   
   
   
8. Ronald Conard

   

   4 posts
   
   5/4/2013 3:05 PM

   Seriously though, have you documented the prior incidents and discussed them with the mechanic? We're become a litigious society and he sounds like he is of the age that you have to be careful.
   
   If you haven't started the whole documentation routine, this would be the starting point not the end. At-will or not, you have to be careful and really it would be the right thing to do in order to CYA you and your operation.

   
   
   
   
9. Stephen Tucker

   

   0 posts
   
   5/4/2013 5:05 PM

   I agree with Sean's approach. I think trying to understand things from his point of view will give you a lot of insight on whether he is unaware of the level of expectations, has to much on his plate, or just doesn't care period. Either way it's not an easy situation. It would probably be a good idea if one doesn't exist to create a detailed job description and have him sign it as well. Just so your both on the same page on what the expectations are. Just my 2 cents.

   
   
   
   
10. Justin VanLanduit

    

    0 posts
    
    5/4/2013 6:05 PM

    Ronald Conard, CGCS said: Seriously though, have you documented the prior incidents and discussed them with the mechanic? We're become a litigious society and he sounds like he is of the age that you have to be careful.
    
    If you haven't started the whole documentation routine, this would be the starting point not the end. At-will or not, you have to be careful and really it would be the right thing to do in order to CYA you and your operation.

    
    
    After you mentioned the paragraph I did look back and yea, that was long. Got carried away!
    
    Anyway, yes I have document 2 of the previous incidents but have had others where I verbally discussed with him with an Assistant present. Yes, and he is at that age where situation can easily flip from something to another. We are being careful in those regards.
    
    The last few days have given me time to step back and think. 40 years of service is a remarkable feat, and he deserves the respect and opportunity to explain from his side. I will give that to him on Monday so we can hopefully work together and move forward with no more incidents and on the same page. Lets hope for a resolve.

    
    
    
    
11. Justin VanLanduit

    

    0 posts
    
    5/4/2013 7:05 PM

    Sean and Stephen, thanks for your thoughts. Sticky situation as anyone who puts in the time he has deserves him well earned respect. Today I sat down and drafted a memo that will be shared with my President, Grounds Chairman, as well as GM. Both Assistants will sign as well since they were witnesses of the checking of the mowers as well as the whole conversation.
    Monday I will hold a meeting which will include myself, mechanic, and lead assistant giving him the opportunity to explain to his reasoning behind this latest situation. I'm curious how this will go as my experiences with him have shown he rarely accepts responsibility of mistakes and becomes confrontational. I hope it doesn't go this way.
    I will ask him questions to gauge whether or not he is even comfortable in his position, overwhelmed, etc... I just don't know, I've always told him to just let me know if he ever felt that way as I feel it's better to speak because if you don't all you can do is make things worse.
    I'm going to develop a description of his responsibilities. I will also develop a list of the downfalls we continue to address. I will explain this to and let him know I need to see improvement within the next month or we may be sitting down again. Also that if we pass that month in the positive direction to not assume things are in the past and fall back to old habits. This will be delivered to him as like in contract form for him sign if he agrees and we'll go from there.
    Thanks again guys. Never fun being in this position but part of being in charge.

    
    
    
    
12. James Schmid

    

    1 posts
    
    5/5/2013 6:05 AM

    Justin VanLanduit said: Sean and Stephen, thanks for your thoughts. Sticky situation as anyone who puts in the time he has deserves him well earned respect. Today I sat down and drafted a memo that will be shared with my President, Grounds Chairman, as well as GM. Both Assistants will sign as well since they were witnesses of the checking of the mowers as well as the whole conversation.
    Monday I will hold a meeting which will include myself, mechanic, and lead assistant giving him the opportunity to explain to his reasoning behind this latest situation. I'm curious how this will go as my experiences with him have shown he rarely accepts responsibility of mistakes and becomes confrontational. I hope it doesn't go this way.
    I will ask him questions to gauge whether or not he is even comfortable in his position, overwhelmed, etc... I just don't know, I've always told him to just let me know if he ever felt that way as I feel it's better to speak because if you don't all you can do is make things worse.
    I'm going to develop a description of his responsibilities. I will also develop a list of the downfalls we continue to address. I will explain this to and let him know I need to see improvement within the next month or we may be sitting down again. Also that if we pass that month in the positive direction to not assume things are in the past and fall back to old habits. This will be delivered to him as like in contract form for him sign if he agrees and we'll go from there.
    Thanks again guys. Never fun being in this position but part of being in charge.

    
    
    You were gone for an hour, and in that amount of time you expected him to grind 5 machines? I'm assuming they were walk mowers, but even in that case, it seems like a pretty tall order.

    
    
    
    
13. Hardy Andrew

    
    5/5/2013 8:05 AM

    Justin,
    
    If a sprinkler head was stuck on and nobody else was around to repair it would you make the repair? Of course you would. I was in a similar scenario two years ago and with some solid guidelines and a detailed job description my old Equipment Tech weeded himself out after 23 years tenure. If he were to sign any of these memo's, that would almost admit guilt.
    
    Good luck we are all in need of a good Mechanic especially as the season ramps up. But we also need team players willing to put the necessary time in to complete the required tasks. If he's overwhelmed, he should be communicating that as well.

    
    
    
    
14. Justin VanLanduit

    

    0 posts
    
    5/5/2013 9:05 AM

    James Schmid said:

    Justin VanLanduit said: Sean and Stephen, thanks for your thoughts. Sticky situation as anyone who puts in the time he has deserves him well earned respect. Today I sat down and drafted a memo that will be shared with my President, Grounds Chairman, as well as GM. Both Assistants will sign as well since they were witnesses of the checking of the mowers as well as the whole conversation.
    Monday I will hold a meeting which will include myself, mechanic, and lead assistant giving him the opportunity to explain to his reasoning behind this latest situation. I'm curious how this will go as my experiences with him have shown he rarely accepts responsibility of mistakes and becomes confrontational. I hope it doesn't go this way.
    I will ask him questions to gauge whether or not he is even comfortable in his position, overwhelmed, etc... I just don't know, I've always told him to just let me know if he ever felt that way as I feel it's better to speak because if you don't all you can do is make things worse.
    I'm going to develop a description of his responsibilities. I will also develop a list of the downfalls we continue to address. I will explain this to and let him know I need to see improvement within the next month or we may be sitting down again. Also that if we pass that month in the positive direction to not assume things are in the past and fall back to old habits. This will be delivered to him as like in contract form for him sign if he agrees and we'll go from there.
    Thanks again guys. Never fun being in this position but part of being in charge.

    
    
    You were gone for an hour, and in that amount of time you expected him to grind 5 machines? I'm assuming they were walk mowers, but even in that case, it seems like a pretty tall order.

    
    
    
    Wasn't expecting him to grind them in an hour was expecting him to check them and if they needed ground he'd still be there doing it. When he wasn't there that's where I figured they must have checked out ok and were ready to go. I inspected what I expect and the inspection came back that they weren't ready for use 1st thing in the morning.

    
    
    
    
15. Mark Van Lienden

    

    14 posts
    
    5/5/2013 11:05 AM

    Justin,
    I maybe reading too much into this but I think it might be more than sharpening tee mowers that are going out on sanded tees.I am guessing he has been there longer than you have and after 40 years might think he knows better.With that said make sure you are addressing the problem and not just a symptom.The old saying is I may not be right all the time , and I may not be wrong all the time but I am the boss all the time.

    
    
    
    
16. Trevor Monreal

    

    5 posts
    
    5/11/2013 11:05 AM

    The mechanic is the most important person on the staff (sorry assistants).
    A mechanic that has been there 40 years does deserve an appropriate amount of respect.
    Any communication (of importance) with my mechanic is made directly from me. That way when I say "ready" he knows exactly what "ready" means. Having a "go between" leaves it too open on both ends.
    Sure, do all the documentation and provide all the written expectations you feel you need to.
    If it were me and if he is a mechanic worth keeping, I would have a one on one to find out how I could help him meet my expectations.
    You say he can be confrontational and doesn't accept responsibility...we'll on Monday he may feel ganged-up on and I would expect him to be defensive rather than open to the discussion.
    Good luck!

    
    
    
    
17. James Smith

    

    112 posts
    
    5/20/2013 2:05 PM

    Mark Van Lienden, CGCS said: Justin,
    I maybe reading too much into this but I think it might be more than sharpening tee mowers that are going out on sanded tees.I am guessing he has been there longer than you have and after 40 years might think he knows better.With that said make sure you are addressing the problem and not just a symptom.The old saying is I may not be right all the time , and I may not be wrong all the time but I am the boss all the time.

    
    
    40 years of service tells me he may even know more then the Superintendent and has paid his dues. sorry guys but I started out as a mechanic but quickly converted to an assistant. I am not saying he was right in what he did because his biggest mistake was lying to the BOSS.
    
    5 mowers needing sharpened at one time sounds like a timing issue. my first question was why did those five reels get down to the point of needing ground in the first place. Maybe since I only have one tee mower I cannot grasp the concept but better rotation of equipment should fix some of the problem. If you are sanding the tees in which you know they will wear out the reel and bed-knife why not only use two or three of those mowers instead of five where the equipment tech has to get them ready overnight. I might be able to understand the situation if they had assistant mechanics to help out (do they, because if they do then the head guy is responsible for getting them to do the work).
    
    The way this played out was bad on the mechanics part for lying and not getting them ready but I have to step back and ask, did the Superintendent contribute to the issue by not managing his equipment properly when causing major damage to the mowers like mowing through sand? There is no way I would come in at the end of the day after topdressing my greens and then cutting them with a mower I expected to use the next day and expect my equipment tech to get them right before the next day. heck if I destroyed the reels on one day I would not even be cutting the next day since there most likely was not enough grass to cut in the first place. I am not placing blame on the Superintendent here but it is also our responsibility to manage our equipment and employees as well as the course. Like I said could the same work of been done with two mowers? that would of saved three for the next day while the tech worked on the other two.
    
    When I started at my club 18 years ago I let the mechanic go after 1 month because he did not lap the reels in like I showed him to on the bench. I came in one morning to find a wrench sitting on the mower that was supposed to be lapped in which told me he did a quick back-lap was all. that was what I had told him I never wanted again. so I let him go. bottom line was I was the boss and it had to be done my way.

    
    
    
    
18. Justin VanLanduit

    

    0 posts
    
    5/21/2013 1:05 PM

    To everyone that responded, I greatly appreciate the opinions and insight you all gave. Definitely helps as sometimes we can all develop tunnel vision and not see the big picture, especially in a situation like this where frustration can make it worse.
    
    I sat down and had a long conversation with my mechanic along with my Assistant whom has worked here at the club with the mechanic for 40 years. My Assistant is going on 50 years next season. A great deal of admiration and respect for both of these individuals. The bottom line was I let my mechanic know what took place wasn't acceptable. The mowers not being sharp wasn't even really the issue, the biggest issue was that he failed to let me know they weren't in condition to be used and when asked lied.
    
    I asked him what I can do to help him, was he overwhelmed? He admitted he was. We stepped back to about 3 months ago when we last had a conversation where I told him if he was overwhelmed to let me know and we would pull my Assistant who used to do maintenance work in to help as well as another guy on the crew whom knows how to sharpen. Told him I assumed the communication line was wide open and since he didn't say anything he was fine. Communication is one of the biggest things that keep these types of operation running smooth. Superintendent letting Assistants and Mechanics know what his plans are down the road, that way they can be repaired.
    
    After the conversation we came to an agreement that we both have things we need to work on, but he knows he hasn't been meeting my expectations and we can't continue to have issues. I think he took this as an eye opener and has gotten him refocused. He's working on his communication, organization, prioritization, and finishing things he's start. Hopefully after the 30 day probation we see positive improvement to where we continue working through the season in harmony and I budget for him next year.
    
    Never an enjoyable thing to have to go through, made for a long weekend thinking about it.
    Thanks again everyone. Best of luck through the summer months!
    
    Justin

    
    
    
    
19. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    11/23/2013 9:11 PM

    I know that if I just aerified tees and sanded them heavy, then admitted that when they went back out there was still sand on them, i would never expect my mechanic to be able to keep them perfect. Its only gonna take a couple of tees to make them horrible again if there is that much sand on them. He probably realized that for the next two mowings they are goin to be mowing sand so he adjusted them and let em go. The key is to find out if he was on top of the maintenance that was needed and if he was scheduling it in. If i sent out a set a fresh reels on freshly sanded greens, would i expect them to still cut after 18 holes? No way, i wouldnt expect them to cut after nine holes. Would i yell at my mechanic for that? Not a chance. No where in this scenario do i see you being realistic that you just aerified and sanded very heavy and that you expect the reels to be sketchy until the sand is no longer going through them. Thats when you expect your mechanic to have a fresh set ready to go. Of course your overwhelming him by expecting them to be perfect after mowing dirt and sand. I communicate with my mechanic during topdressing to let him know when i want the sand reels taken off and the good set put back on. While the sand reels are on they aint cuttin much, just cleaning things up while the turf grows through the sand and time helps it disappear in the canopy. Unless you have multiple mechanics and a high parts and repair budgets, it sounds as if your expectations are a little unreasonable after just aerifying and topdressing heavy. You have to understand that when your cutting dirt, your gonna wear em out. He knows that after being there for fourty years. He may have felt that one more mowing would get him past the sand and then he would have a fresh set ready. Just seems as if the communication about mowing sand had not been discussed here.

    
    
    
    
20. Jeff Strother

    

    0 posts
    
    11/25/2013 10:11 AM

    [This post has been removed in conjunction with GCSAA's forum policy.]