The summer of sophomore year, I acquired a job at Rush Creek Golf Course as a beverage cart attendant. I was required to be on the cart all day, driving the course, and offering a variety of drinks and snacks. I was responsible for reporting inventory to the clubhouse, handling cash inventory and credit card payments, keeping the cart looking clean and presentable, having efficient course knowledge, and, most importantly, interacting with all of the golfers.

          When I started at the beginning of the summer, I knew nothing about the course. Golfers would ask me questions, and I wouldn’t know how to answer. For example, they would ask, “What’s this next hole like?” or “When will we see the next beverage cart?”, and I would become overwhelmed at the moment and freeze up. I felt that I wasn’t trained enough to make sure I could fulfill all of my responsibilities. I was nervous to ask fellow employees for help because I feared it would show that I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to learn anything.

          I decided to start asking questions throughout my first month at the golf course. Sometimes my coworkers would seem a little annoyed that I didn’t know something simple, but most were very nice. During my first couple of weeks on the job, I would stop in the pro shop to ask questions throughout my shift. I needed reminders on the pathway I needed to drive on or how to make a drink. I didn’t know anyone, and it felt uncomfortable. Each time I would ask questions, I felt more and more comfortable, and it helped reduce the uncertainty with my coworkers by joking around that I didn’t know how to do something. By the end of the summer, it felt so natural to stop in the pro shop, and I looked forward to it. I was no longer stopping to ask questions, I just wanted to see my friends! It made my shifts a lot more fun, and I became friends with my coworkers outside of being on the job. This showed me how much I value the “learner” trait that my StrengthsFinder report reflects. I enjoyed the process of getting to know the course and the people that I worked with. By stepping out of my comfort zone, I was able to increase my resilience and overcome my fear. I felt I didn’t need to ask any more questions, and I started feeling very comfortable with customers. I am a naturally outgoing person when I am comfortable, so being able to interact with people every day was very enjoyable.

          Our golf course hosted many big tournaments, and it would get insanely busy on the course. I would have one other person I was working with on the course, but she was on the back 9 holes, and I was on the front 9 holes. We would have to communicate back and forth with each other through radios, making sure there were no problems on the course. I would also have to communicate with the rangers and pro shop if I needed more materials to be run out to me. It was an effective team collaboration, and I learned how to communicate with people whom I had only met over the radio. I had to take the initiative and contact course rangers when there were shortages, a golfer lost a club, or golfers were holding up the course. I learned how to problem-solve when facing inventory shortages or cart issues.             

To do this effectively, I relied on the skills found in my StrengthsFinder report. My top leadership quality is an arranger. I was able to look at all the different tasks and lead my coworkers on the course. As time went on, I felt confident when an issue occurred because I knew how to solve it, and I no longer felt overwhelmed. My biggest responsibility was providing excellent customer service. I was very interactive with the golfers and wanted to ensure they had a great experience and wanted to come back. Although it was hard at first, I started noticing who the usual customers were. I started remembering names and always had a positive attitude at the course. It also helped if they had a membership at the golf course because their name was registered in the system. I started to value the power of a positive attitude. A big part of my job was making sure the golfers, new or consistent, felt welcome. I valued those short moments of connection when I could make someone’s day a little better with a positive attitude or bright smile. I got to know the customers a lot better, and they got to know me!

           This experience was very important to my leadership development. Being under pressure during tournaments helped with my ability to manage conflicts in a timely manner. For example, I was working on one of the largest tournaments that we hosted, and my coworker and I underestimated how many waters and Powerade’s we needed to stock on the cart. We had thought alcoholic drinks would be the most popular because they usually are, but it was an extremely hot day. We learned quickly that most people just wanted water and electrolytes. After we were running short on drinks, we both were stressed because the rangers didn’t have time to help us. We usually were both stationed at one place, but to solve this issue, my coworker gave me all the drinks she had left over to go run back to get more. I had to then circle the course to serve all customers. We continued this pattern the rest of the day, switching off carts. We needed to make sure all customers were staying cool and hydrated. The method worked out perfectly! I learned how to communicate with coworkers, using our radios, to make sure to satisfy golfers. I also learned that we need to be prepared for any type of problem and be able to solve it. I took the initiative by being proactive when I already knew which golfers always got the same drinks. Customers loved it when we knew exactly what they were getting. It shortened the time that they needed to stop so they could move on to the next hole. Dealing with all the chaos, I had to value staying calm and not panicking when things went wrong. That’s how I demonstrated my new leadership skills throughout the summer!

          As I will be working on the same golf course this summer, I now know what it feels like to be new. I am a strong believer in leading by example and understanding the best way to communicate with others. I know that new coworkers may feel the same way I did: overwhelmed, unsure, and nervous. I don’t want anyone to feel the way I did. I will make my coworkers feel comfortable and want to ask me questions. As a leader, I focus on fostering a welcoming, supportive environment, and that starts with me being a positive leader, so that new coworkers feel comfortable asking questions, too. I can do this by reaching out and letting them know if they need anything, that I am here to help! I will remind them that it takes time to get to know the course. I will communicate with them and lead by example during their training. I am excited to put my new leadership skills to the test!  I have increased my confidence, upselling techniques, adaptability, and communication. I am working the same job this next summer, and new employees are joining our team. I have the opportunity to make them feel comfortable by reaching out and helping to train them. By being aware of how I felt at the beginning of my job this summer, I want to be a leader to them!

            As I reflect back and revisit this essay that I wrote sophomore year, I can gladly say that I implemented all the skills that I wanted to. I was able to help train new employees and see the golfers that I had seen the summer before, developing a deeper relationship. I am proud to have been able to grow so much throughout this job, especially in comparison to how I felt at the beginning!