NACE/APWA 2015 Joint Conference presentation

1. Jim Robinson, P.E., Director
Department of PublicWorks
City of Jacksonville, Florida
How to Become a Great Public Works Director?
Take Golf Lessons

2. Who Said This?
"I feel that hitting specific shots - playing the ball to a certain place in
a certain way - is 50 percent mental picture, 40
percent setup and 10 percent swing.That's why setting
up takes me so long, why I have to be so deliberate. In competition I
am not simply trying to hit a good shot, but rather the perfect shot for
the particular situation. I frequently fail, of course, often because I've
mentally pictured the wrong shot. But unless I can set up exactly
right in relation to the shot I have pictured, I know I have no chance
of executing it as planned.Therefore I must get perfectly set - it's
almost a compulsion before I can pull the trigger. My mind simply
will not let me start the swing until I'm 'right' no matter how long it
takes."

3. Mental Picture

4. Key Skills to Get a Mental Picture
 Accountability
 Accountability is the road to higher achievement
 Higher achievement produces higher results
 Higher results give you greater success
 Positive Expectancy
 Positive expectancy creates resolve
 Resolve overcomes obstacles and roadblocks
 Overcoming obstacles and roadblocks delivers results
 Goals
 Goals produce focus
 Focus produces drive
 Drive produces results
 Visualization

5. Coaching
• We cannot see ourselves
perform
• We absolutely have blind
spots and weaknesses
• Who would be the best
“coach” in your
organization?

6. Setup

7. Grip
• Grab the tools you have at
your disposal
• Know when to hold tight
and when to let loose
• You want your hands to
work compatibly, so one
doesn't override the other
• Always put your left hand
on first

8. Stance
• Are you always in the best
position
• An athletic stance is a
relevant principle in the
work place
• The body should be aligned
with the face of the club
• When standing over the
ball, a player should assume
a relaxed posture

9. Ball Position
• Even the smallest
adjustments can sometimes
create solutions and
positive outcomes
• Situational awareness can
help us recall a good
strategy
• How many times do we
actually practice what we
do?

10. Alignment
• Are your actions goal
directed?
• Play virtually all of your
shots from a square stance
• Remember – your knees,
hips and shoulders should be
in line or parallel to your
feet
• Standing behind the ball
looking at your target, pick a
mark a few feet in front of
the golf ball that is directly
on your ball-to-target line

11. The “Swing”

12. Takeaway
• Sometimes we just need to
get started
• When your golf club is
parallel to the ground during
the golf swing takeaway the
toe of the club head should
be pointing towards the
sky
• A poor golf swing takeaway
forces you to make
compensations or
adjustments in the golf
swing (sometimes many) to
return the clubhead square
at impact

13. Halfway Back
• When the club reaches a
good takeaway position
(about hip height), allow
the wrists to start to cock
upwards
• Check that the club is on
plane by checking that the
butt end of the club points
directly at the ball

14. Top of Swing
• Do we overextend
ourselves to the detriment
of ourselves and others?
• Are we running a sprint or
a marathon?
• Ensure your head has
remained at the same
height and feel that the left
arm is strong and not
flexed

15. Transition
• To initiate the downswing,
start by shifting your hips
to the left, in a small lateral
slide or‘bump’
• Simultaneously draw your
right elbow downwards
and slightly backwards,
towards your right hip
pocket
• As your hips now start to
turn, your body uncoils
and your chest should turn
past the golf ball pulling
your hands forwards

16. Extension and Rotation
• Immediately after impact
with the golf ball, you
should feel as though the
golf club extends right
down the line of your
target
• As your body continues its
turn through and beyond
the impact
position,maintain your
spine angle to avoid
lifting out of the shot too
early

17. Keep Your Head Down
• It is more correct to say
“Keep your head still”, but
better still to say “swing
such that your head stays
relatively still”
• Do all these things and you
will find that you are
swinging in such a way that
your head stays pretty still,
without really trying to
keep your head “still” or
“down”

18. Follow Through
• Your momentum and the speed
of the club should pull you
round and upwards, to a
balanced finish.
• Check that your belt buckle is
facing the target, your chest
facing at or slightly left of target.
• 95% of your weight should be
on your left foot, which should
still be planted in the same spot
at which it started.
• Also check that your right foot is
only touching the ground with
the tip toe, and not resting on
the ball of the foot, as this will
allow too much weight to stay
back on the right foot.
• You should feel able to hold this
poised position for a few
seconds, at least until the ball
lands.

19. So, How Do We Get Better?

20. A Different Way to Think…
Every organization has two things in common…
a Present and a Future.
All organizations have Processes…
They may be productive or dysfunctional, formal or
informal, documented or undocumented
FuturePresent
QualityCommunication
Meetings Service
Phone calls
Interruptions
Productivity
Shipping
Planning
Ordering
“Fires”
Employees
Everything in between is called Process.
Process is the activity of daily operations.

21. A Different Way to Think…
The Quality of the Process determines the Quality
of the organization’s Performance.
Performance
Process
QualityCommunication
Meetings Service
Phone calls
Interruptions
Productivity
Shipping
Planning
Ordering
“Fires”
Employees
FuturePresent
The Quality of the Performance determines the Future of the organization.

22. A Different Way to Think…..
For our organization to improve its future
(better results or move to the next level)
the necessary change is driven from the
enhancement of and focus on
Process not Performance!
A sole focus on Performance, usually involves
inspirational or educational activities designed to
improve performance at the individual level.
Results are reviewed “in the rear view mirror”.

23. A Different Way to Think…
We need to begin by enhancing the Process.
This will transform your Department by using more of its untapped
potential.
Better Communication
Better
Meetings
Enhanced
Service
Effective
Phone calls
Reduced
Interruptions
Increased
Productivity
Faster Shipping
Superior
Quality
Stronger Planning
IMPROVED Performance
ENHANCED ProcessPresent Future

24. Smoooooooth!!!!

25. Questions & Discussion