I am not a perfectionist, and I think this is key to doing my job well. Some of those managing golf course turf may very well be perfectionists, but I’d be willing to guess more of them think it is what a golfer wants to hear, so that’s what they say they are – perfectionists. When asked to name three positive traits, more than a few interviewees will include, “I’m a perfectionist!” I will explain why striving for excellence rather than perfection leads to a more positive work environment, increased collaboration and greater fun. And, in the end, you’ll find that the excellence attained is pretty close to perfection.

Excellence is attainable, perfection is not.

A golf course is a giant organic beast. It lives and breathes, changing with the weather and any inputs the turf manager might provide. It sits outside, is completely exposed to the elements, and is used in a manner that causes continuous damage (e.g., divots and ball marks). Perfection is impossible; chasing it is a fool’s errand.

Adam Grant writes in his book “Hidden Potential” that research suggests perfectionists tend to get three things wrong:

1. “They obsess about details that don’t matter. They’re so busy finding the right solution to tiny problems that they lack the discipline to find the right problem to solve. They can’t see the forest for the trees.”
   
   
2. “They avoid unfamiliar situations and difficult tasks that might lead to failure. That leaves them refining a narrow set of existing skills rather than working to develop new ones.”
   
   
3. “They berate themselves (or others) for making mistakes, which makes it harder to learn from them. They fail to realize that the purpose of reviewing your mistakes isn’t to shame your past self. It’s to educate your future self.”
   

Some will disagree with me. They will say, "How can you maintain a wonderful golf course, desiring less than perfection?” Let me be clear, I’m not talking about a lack of quality. What I’m saying is to strive for excellence over perfection.

How does chasing perfection destroy the workplace?

To begin with, perfectionists drive themself crazy. There are not enough hours in the day to attain perfection. When the day ends, the course will inevitably be imperfect. The perfectionist will go home – if they go home – utterly unsatisfied because they have underachieved. They will not be able to relax, their family life will probably suffer, they will likely lose sleep, they will never be able to accept a compliment, and their minds will never be at peace.

The workplace will suffer because when the person in charge drives themself crazy, you can be sure it affects the team. Unreasonable expectations will be imparted because the course is never good enough. The staff will be expected to do the impossible – attain perfection – and since the goal is never achieved, they continually fall short of the perfectionist's expectations. The perfectionist believes only their mind can produce perfection, so the team isn’t allowed any space to think or problem-solve; they are simply carrying out the tasks of the perfectionist. Now, their lives become miserable as they are working all hours, coming home exhausted and questioning whether this job is for them.

There are too many good people leaving the turf industry. Many reasons exist, including low pay and the demands the job can place on one's time. However, I’d argue that the perceived need to be a perfectionist drives just as many or more of these people out of the industry.

“We usually associate aesthetic and technical prowess with a drive for flawless results,” says Grant. He continues, “Tolerating flaws isn’t just something novices need to do – it’s part of becoming an expert and continuing to gain mastery. The more you grow, the better you know which flaws are acceptable.”