Rogat+-+Interview+Questions+-+Superintendent

Michelle Rogat Interview Questions with the Country Club's Superintendent

1st Interview held on January 30, 2014
 * will be focused on what he has control over and focuses on for his job as Superintendent and the member's involvement in what his job entails
 * will then be asking more specific questions on his thoughts on becoming a certified Green Golf Course through Audubon International, and how far he is willing to work towards this certificate, how his bosses expressed interest in it and what they told him to do with this idea.

PART 1 - Explain my role in this research and make sure he knows not to mention people by name, but by title so that their privacy is kept.
 * I will be first explaining to him what my position is with these kind of sustainability projects that are presented to the club or that the club considers pursuing. I will be presenting ideas such as this to the club and give them minimal information, just as I would if I had an idea at work and mentioned it to a boss. I will be letting the country club take it from there, allowing them to act as they normally would with these suggestions and have it as close as possible to a real working scenario outside of this research. Then I observe and follow their lead asking questions about their opinions, thoughts, and decision making proccesses.

PART 2 - his job in general
 * what education, formal or informal, did you have for this position at the club?
 * are you a member of any organization having to do with this job?
 * do you continue to educate yourself on new information in your field to transfer those ideas to your job? Such as the USGA Green Section Record?
 * what personal rules or philosophy do you follow when considering how to manage the golf course? Do you tend to prefer a specific kind of way or style of practice or do you just follow what the members want?
 * do you have any sort of ecological data baseline to inform you on what may have consequences on biodiversity?
 * What are your own thoughts on environmental sustainability and "green" practices? How much does that come into play with decision in the job?
 * what is the relative importance of the environment among other management issues
 * Working for a golf course, do you find that golfers are more aware and conscious of the environment around them?
 * what is your or the clubs attitude towards having a carefully manicured course?
 * do you find what the members want done to ever be at odds with how you would like to manage the course? how much does the members' wants play into how you have to manage the course?
 * I have read some of your articles in the club's newsletter and I was wondering what your hopes are with your articles? (It sounds as though you are trying to explain to the members what is being done on the course and why so that they understand and won't complain about this or that without knowing what's going on. Am I right in this?)
 * what do you remember about the changes done to the golf course with the resoration under the Renaissance Golf Design? What did it include? What were the aims of such a restoration? Was the environmental impact taken into account? Did you agree with the changes?
 * Tell me about the computerized water irrigation system that takes from the pond on the property.
 * What were the motivations behind installing the new system? Was it a necessity or was it a choice made for improving efficiency and saving money? Were environmental impacts considered here? What was the impact economically and environmentally? Any problems with installing it, including any opposing opinions among the club staff?
 * Besides the new water irrigation system, have there been any recent or proposed work on the golf course and any environmental considerations?
 * What were the motivations behind installing the new system? Was it a necessity or was it a choice made for improving efficiency and saving money? Were environmental impacts considered here? What was the impact economically and environmentally? Any problems with installing it, including any opposing opinions among the club staff?
 * Besides the new water irrigation system, have there been any recent or proposed work on the golf course and any environmental considerations?

PART 2 - Green Certification through Audubon International
 * First off, how did your boss come to you with this idea? Did he seem interested in it for the club or was it mostly for my research? (Want to know so as to understand how well the information can relate to the real business world.)
 * How much leeway and control do you have over how much progress the club can make towards becoming certified?
 * Do you think this is a good idea? Do you have any reservations about it? I know you were concerned with having an inspector on the property because of other practices at the club that might not be up to date.
 * How much have you looked over the Audubon Handbook? What is your reaction to the practices and suggestions they list?
 * Do you find that the club uses most of the practices anyway or are you surprised by their suggestions?
 * How much work do you think would need to be done to get certified? Do you look at how much the club would have to update and think 'oh, that's going to be such a hassle' or do you look at it and consider making the suggested changes to better the golf course anyway?
 * After looking over the handbook, are you interested in pursuing certification? Why?
 * Are there boundaries or limits that would prevent you from being able to bring the club through the certification process? Such as?