Issue link: http://pgaofcanada.uberflip.com/i/1051475
25 This author only had to dig a li le to uncover the career histories of the Head Teaching Profession- als profiled in this study. Their stories were residing just below the surface and emerge rather eas- ily with a few well-placed ques ons. While most could remember the roles they had held during their careers, they struggled to remember the key learnings or experiences from each par cular role. However, when prompted, they were all able to pinpoint significant career events that were instrumental to what they are now able to do but more importantly, who they are. There are now 20 such stories (illustrated as Career Maps) and they represent a unique narra ve of some of the PGA of Canada's most respected Head Golf and Teaching Professionals. Now wri en, these Career Maps can be used as a window to view how these individuals success- fully navigated through their careers to reach two of the top posi ons within the golf industry. While every Career Map is unique, there are important overlaps in the roles held, experiences gained, and key influences that helped shape their careers. These points of intersec on, were an important focus for the author and what the 'Recommenda ons' sec on has a empted to summarize. One noteworthy similarity among the Head Teaching Professionals was the shared set of values that governed their day-to-day behaviors and influenced the expecta ons they had of those they hired and promoted. Aspiring professionals would do well to reflect on their core values, seek some feed- back on how others see them, and if necessary, look for ways to adjust their current behaviors to more fully align with these expecta ons. Career Maps are under the feet of all of us and there is no one 'right' path to follow. Consequently, it is recommended that everyone spend me to reflect on where they have been, what they have learned, and where their careers are headed. Hopefully this research has shown how aspiring Teaching Professionals can take charge of their own development and avoid the common pi alls that can knock someone off track. The good news is that everyone can use the findings from this research to set an achievable career path. The bad news is that career success does not happen overnight. Everyone interviewed for this research, including former tour players, needed me to learn how to teach, how to deal with customers, how to successfully manage their me, and how to deal effec vely with set backs. If you have the ambi on to achieve a Head Teaching Professional role, be sure you believe in what you are trying to do, don't be afraid to ask for help, and be ready to work harder than anyone else to get there. Don't mistake ac vity with achievement. -- John Wooden