27
April
2023
Introducing your peers who have been awarded Accreditation status. Learn more about their backgrounds plus how and why they got involved in the scheme. Susie Waldock General Manager | Aberdovey GC Accredited Manager Level 1 What was your motivation for applying for GCMA Accreditation? I was promoted to general manager here at the beginning of last year, which was the same time that the GCMA were launching the mentor program. I was successful in my application to be a mentee, and it was a natural next step in my personal development to actually put it all down on paper and try and capture where I have been, where I am now and obviously where I want to get to in the future. How did you find the accreditation process? It was really extensive and took me a lot longer than I thought it was going to take, but it was good. It was great reflection time, in terms of recognising what you know, and what you’ve actually achieved. I come from a slightly different background - my previous career was in HR and training – so I don't have the core golf background of some golf club managers or PGA professionals, and it was an interesting process. How do you support your team’s CPD? It’s all about learning about the individual themselves - spending time with each team member and understanding what their needs and wants are in terms of developing themselves. In recent times, we haven’t been the best at investing in our people, but that mindset is changing and we have a decent budget for staff development this year. How do you approach your own CPD? I like to do things like use the SkillGate platform, which is easy to pick up and put down as its learning in bite-sized chunks and can easily be done in your own time. I also like to keep up to date with what's going on in the golf industry – I spend hours on LinkedIn – reading through articles and seeing what other clubs are doing. Do you have a plan for gaining additional accreditation levels? I think it’s mostly about gaining more experience in my role, but there are some specifics which I will be looking to address to fill the knowledge gaps. I plan to continue working with my mentor, and with other people at the golf club who I can glean that knowledge from. I haven’t got a development plan set in stone, but I think that will evolve as the role, and I, evolve too, so we’ll see what happens next. Did the GCMA Mentor process help you in identifying those areas? I think what being a mentee has given me is a broader knowledge of my own personal development, particularly around the softer skills. I was probably subconsciously aware of what I need to develop, so it was a matter of bringing that to the forefront and then actually challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone and... Please LOGIN to read the full article.
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