First-line Supervisors Of Landscaping, Lawn Service, And Groundskeeping Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

Description

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in landscaping or groundskeeping activities. Work may involve reviewing contracts to ascertain service, machine, and workforce requirements; answering inquiries from potential customers regarding methods, material, and price ranges; and preparing estimates according to labor, material, and machine costs.

Tasks

Establish and enforce operating procedures and work standards that will ensure adequate performance and personnel safety.
Inspect completed work to ensure conformance to specifications, standards, and contract requirements.
Direct activities of workers who perform duties such as landscaping, cultivating lawns, or pruning trees and shrubs.
Schedule work for crews, depending on work priorities, crew or equipment availability, or weather conditions.
Plant or maintain vegetation through activities such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, or pruning.
Monitor project activities to ensure that instructions are followed, deadlines are met, and schedules are maintained.
Train workers in tasks such as transplanting or pruning trees or shrubs, finishing cement, using equipment, or caring for turf.
Provide workers with assistance in performing duties as necessary to meet deadlines.
Inventory supplies of tools, equipment, or materials to ensure that sufficient supplies are available and items are in usable condition.
Confer with other supervisors to coordinate work activities with those of other departments or units.
Perform personnel-related activities, such as hiring workers, evaluating staff performance, or taking disciplinary actions when performance problems occur.
Direct or perform mixing or application of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides.
Review contracts or work assignments to determine service, machine, or workforce requirements for jobs.
Maintain required records, such as personnel information or project records.
Prepare or maintain required records, such as work activity or personnel reports.
Order the performance of corrective work when problems occur and recommend procedural changes to avoid such problems.
Identify diseases or pests affecting landscaping and order appropriate treatments.
Investigate work-related complaints to verify problems and to determine responses.
Direct or assist workers engaged in the maintenance or repair of equipment, such as power tools or motorized equipment.
Install or maintain landscaped areas, performing tasks such as removing snow, pouring cement curbs, or repairing sidewalks.
Perform administrative duties, such as authorizing leaves or processing time sheets.
Recommend changes in working conditions or equipment use to increase crew efficiency.
Confer with managers or landscape architects to develop plans or schedules for landscaping maintenance or improvement.
Negotiate with customers regarding fees for landscaping, lawn service, or groundskeeping work.
Answer inquiries from current or prospective customers regarding methods, materials, or price ranges.
Prepare service estimates based on labor, material, and machine costs and maintain budgets for individual projects.
Tour grounds, such as parks, botanical gardens, cemeteries, or golf courses, to inspect conditions of plants and soil.
Design or supervise the installation of sprinkler systems, calculating water pressure, or valve and pipe coverage needs.

Knowledge

Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Work Activities

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Work Context

Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Outdoors, Exposed to Weather: How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results: How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Frequency of Decision Making: How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets: How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?

Interests

Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Work Style

Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self Control: Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Leadership: Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Concern for Others: Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Work Values

Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

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Lay Titles

Athletic Fields Superintendent

Buildings and Grounds Supervisor

Cemetery Workers Supervisor

Custodial Supervisor

Facility Maintenance Manager

Field Manager

Garden Supervisor

Gardening Manager

Golf Course Manager

Golf Course Superintendent

Greens or Grounds Superintendent

Greenskeeper

Greenskeeper Supervisor

Grounds Crew Supervisor

Grounds Foreman

Grounds Foreperson

Grounds Maintenance Manager

Grounds Maintenance Supervisor

Grounds Manager

Grounds Supervisor

Grounds Worker

Groundskeeper Supervisor

Head Greenskeeper

Horticulturist

Irrigation Manager

Landscape Contractor

Landscape Engineer

Landscape Foreman

Landscape Gardener

Landscape Installation Foreman

Landscape Manager

Landscape Supervisor

Landscaper

Landscaping Manager

Landscaping Supervisor

Lawn and Tree Service Spray Supervisor

Lawn Service Manager

Lawn Service Supervisor

Maintenance Supervisor

Nursery Supervisor

Operations Manager

Sod Farm Manager

Sports Field Manager

Tree Trimming Supervisor

Turf Manager

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $20.27 hourly, $42,160 annual.

Employment (2008):: 99,010 employees