Rogat+-+Interview+Questions

Michelle Rogat

Interview Questions
 * at the country club - some questions are asked over again to multiple parties in hopes of shedding light on how the realtionships amongst the staff and management affect what gets done with respect to the env
 * the house committee
 * how much do you clue in members about decisions being made at the country club? Are they informed regularly about the practices at the club? Or at all?
 * how much of a role does the membership play in decision making? As in how much of a say do they have?
 * relative importance of the environment amongst other management issues
 * how much do you see the club in competition with other country clubs and golf courses in the area? how interested are you in finding that competitive edge, and do you feel its necessary?
 * how much do you know of the former land use of this site?
 * has there been any proposals for changes to the club and/ or the golf course that has been turned down? why was the change wanted in the first place? why was it turned down?
 * How do you view golf or business and the environment?
 * How do you view sustainability? follow up - Do you think sustainability is profitable and could be an advantage?
 * How do you think the outside world views the country club and golfing community? Does that affect how the place is ran in any way?
 * How do you value your membership at the country club? How do you value being a member of the golfing community?
 * the grounds super
 * 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?
 * any recent or proposed work on the golf course and any environmental considerations?
 * relative importance of the environment amongst other management issues
 * what is your or the clubs attitude towards having a carefully manicured course?
 * do you have any sort of ecological data baseline to inform you on what may have consequences on biodiversity?
 * where does the club get its env information pertaining to GC's? if at all...?
 * what is the current status of certain geological locations (pond, river bank, etc) at the club? does it have any other specific env features to the land?
 * 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?
 * 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?
 * can you explain aerification of the greens and what is the purpose? What are other alternatives to aerification?
 * can you give me information on how you currently manage the GC? Including turf grass, mowing management, water management, water quality and source, pesiticide use, nutrients management, erosion and sediment control, stormwater management, wildelife habitat management, any interaction with water sites such as the pond, waste management, and energy management? Basically everything that has to do with managing the golf course and the property and building of the club and your maintenance building?
 * 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. Were environmental impacts considered here? What was the impact economically and environmentally?
 * the golf pro
 * how do you value being a part of the golfing community?
 * how do you think the outside world views the golfing community?
 * what is your or the clubs attitude towards having a carefully manicured course?
 * do you have an established relationship with the USGA? If so, do you have any responsibilities of passing anything along like new information and practices?
 * how do you view sustainability? does that have any connection to golf courses?
 * how do you think golfers view their role with the environment?
 * any members that seem to notice and appreciate the env and nature or wildlife when their out on the course golfing?
 * do golfers ever suggest or have complaints about how the course is managed?
 * what about the Schuyler meadows golf course? they have been certified by the Audubon International. Do you notice any more complaints or appraisals there?
 * to ask members at the country club
 * how do you value your membership at the country club? What were your reasons for joining?
 * How do you think the outside world views the country club and its members?
 * How do you think the outside world values the golfing community?
 * how much does your employment/career shape what is done or isn't done at the country club?
 * golfers - how do you feel about having to fix the ball marks you make? do you feel it makes a difference and do you do it?
 * how much do you care for the course to be "carefully manicured"? how would you feel if that were to change in some way?
 * have you golfed at schuyler meadows? did you notice anything different about how the GC is kept? How did you feel about those differences?
 * golfers - how do you feel about the aerification process and how you can't golf for a day or two because of it?
 * do you read the squire? for what kind of information? would you like anything else to be in the squire that isn't there now? do you bother to read Chris Strong's article on how he is currently managing the golf course or no?
 * would you like there to be more info in the squire regarding how certain aspects of the club are ran?
 * have you ever wanted to submit an article in the squire? did you? or did you find it hard to be able to do that?
 * specific members to interview
 * Mr. XXXX - wildlife/bird enthusiast
 * what would he like to see at the country club, is he aware of what we do now?
 * would he be interested in having nature walks, etc. at the clubs for members to participate in?
 * is he involved in any local organization that might be interested in doing something at the club?
 * Mr. J McD - because his views are very contrasted to mine, would be a good perspective to gain
 * Lynn - on what happened when ordering the new uniforms
 * to ask professional consultants (Sarah Parks, Paul Murphy, a NYSERDA commissioning agent and/or a project manager...)
 * what and where did you get your education
 * what made you go into this field/ compelled them to do what they are doing? - get at the sense of their background
 * what is the most frustrating initiative you've been involved in?
 * Paul Murphy specifically
 * what was he saying when mentioning he was involved in local program/company that is turning food waste into biofuel?
 * how could the country club get involved, what would it cost, what would it be doing, and what would the club have to do?
 * how was his work with Green Business Solutions and Greener Communities Programs?
 * does he know of local case studies I could look into - businesses, other clubs, other gc's, restaurants - that are trying to go green?
 * Audubon Professional
 * Where did you get your education, and what in to prepare you for this job?
 * What are your standards and are they commissioned by an outside agent?
 * Do you know why the businesses and GCs come to you for certification in the first place?
 * Describe the experience of advising an establishment like a country club or hotel where the usual goal is luxury and responsibilities and the environment could be seen as downplayed.
 * Did some of the establishments you worked with show some hesitation or resistance to the guidance given to them? Could you give some detail on that?
 * What was the most frustrating project you've been involved in and what were the circumstances?
 * Were there projects you were involved in that failed and why do you think they weren't able to succeed?
 * What do you believe is the key to success in implementing these programs?
 * Do you know anything about the certification of the Sxxxxx-Mxxxxxx Country Club? How did their certification process go?
 * Do you know anything about how the members of the GCs reacted to the changes being done? And in turn did this make it harder for the GC to follow through with the rest of the process?
 * Did you find times when something new and efficient was installed but its whole purpose was undermined because of the lack of communication and training among the GC management and employees?
 * Do you help with financial assistance or helping to find funding sources? If not do you know how these GCs and other establishments find the funds?
 * When I mentioned your program to the GM at the XXX he responded with this notion that the Audubon was looked at as just an organization to through money at and get the certification wanted. What is your response to that?
 * How do GCs come out at the end of their certification process? Do they have feedback on how they are getting along afterwards? How the whole process has benefited them?
 * Do you have any suggestions of establishments working on becoming sustainable at the moment that I might be interested in interviewing?
 * You mentioned you will be joining Audubon International at Cornell. May I ask what Audubon's relationship is with Cornell and what you will be working on?
 * If I want to interview someone else form this office in the future, who would you suggest I could go to? And can I email you with any follow up questions I might have?
 * Food waste hauling service
 * How do you feel about sustainability? Did you go into this business with sustainability in mind?
 * Why do businesses come to you in the first place? What their first motives were?
 * What are some examples of projects that had issues? What was your most frustrating project and why?
 * How were these businesses able to overcome these issues?
 * What is you part in training these businesses and their employees? How well does that usually go? What do you find the hardest thing for businesses and their employees to get used to?
 * The first thing you recommend an establishment to do is a food waste audit. Do you help them to perform this in any way? By providing guidance or equipment?
 * How much does this service cost?
 * Is it a contractual business deal? Are any issues broken down then?
 * How easy is this for your customers? Do they have to separate out meat or provide their own liner bags or anything?
 * Do you know of any of your customers in the hospitality business, like restaurants, hotels, country clubs, etc., that are doing many things to become more sustainable?
 * Do you know of any of your customers in the hospitality business, like restaurants, hotels, country clubs, etc., that are doing many things to become more sustainable?

Suggestions for and how to do the interviews
 * try not to be intimidating or threatening in any way so as to avoid "don't know" answers
 * use non-directive probes like - tell me more about that, expand on that, anything else
 * do open-ended questions in the interview first and then move onto the specific questions so they don't get so narrowed in from the start