May be what you didn't learn in the classroom

Whilst flying back from Saint Lucia back to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, I decided to take the opportunity to reflect and share my experiences of my week away, preparing the grand opening of the new Point Hardy Golf Club, Cabot Saint Lucia.

As a fellow Director of Agronomy within the Cabot Group, I took the opportunity to go Saint Lucia to support Damon Di Giorgio , Director of Agronomy at Point Hardy Golf Club, Cabot Saint Lucia. My reasons for this were simple, I have experienced opening a golf course myself and I know how much preparation and last-minute tasks are required to ensure that everything is completed on time. Supporting and working together is what Cabot does very well and the support for Damon and his team allowed them to achieve their goals. This allowed for the whole Point Hardy team to celebrate the successful opening which was extremely rewarding on both a personal and professional level.

Many people may view my posts highlighting my travels as exotic and luxurious and that I’m lucky, however this misses the significance of what these opportunities bring. Travelling to different regions and countries, being exposed to new cultures, meeting new people, expanding your network and learning in a new environment has enables you to expand your knowledge, grow as an individual and can ignite a hunger to learn more, regardless of how exotic (or not!) the location may be.

During my week in Saint Lucia, I learnt two very important things. The first was on a practical level. Having the chance to shadow, watch and listen to another leader (Damon) implementing his approach to managing a team, who initially had very little understanding of the game of golf let alone turf management. Accelerating their knowledge and training which grew the team as professionals has enabled the course to already be ranked in the world top 100 golf courses, which is truly remarkable achievement. The second, and most beneficial to my role as Director of Agronomy at Cape Breton, was learning and understanding how our new developments are evolving, but equally how the Cabot properties connect to each other. This level of success wouldn’t be possible without Ben Cowan-Dewar entrepreneurship and great skill (this is another story all on its own).

My personal knowledge has grown this week, gaining insights into warm season turf management, positive strategies to grow and develop amazing people and how all of this underpins this amazing property. But the takeaway message of this post is about the value of seeking out opportunities to develop yourself in the first place. Very rarely will people ask for your involvement or help, but recognising that help is needed and putting yourself forward is often greatly appreciated. There are opportunities around us every day that have the potential to enhance your life and career for the better. Some events may be simple, small, local, and even seen as insignificant, some can be complicated, challenging and may require some personal sacrifice, taking vacation time, incurring costs. Ultimately, volunteering your support and time has so many benefits that you may never learn in the classroom. If you are seeking growth but choose to do the same things every day but you are expecting a different outcome, is madness as quoted by Albert Einstein.

Those of you that want change and progression in your career and want to seek greater success. Think of this post to help create the inspiration that you need for something new. Right now there may be something that could make that difference to your growth and development, you just have to look for it, be open to it, and now go for it.