Daily challenges keep Georgia on my mind

I've now got six weeks under my belt and I'm starting to feel as if I have a place in society.

I would not be exaggerating if I said that this has probably been one of the most difficult tasks I have ever dealt with. It's one of those scenarios that provides immense rewards, yet it's also a case of: where do we start?

If we look to Steven Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, then there lies a good framework. "Put first things first" and "begin with the end in mind" are quotes I offer the team daily.

I am fortunate to have a wonderful senior management team who share the vision and are inspired to see us become one of the most unique resorts in the USA. Barnsley Inn is historically rich, and the fact that the resort has been styled as a 19th-century English village already sets it apart.

Those of you who play golf will, I'm sure, have heard of the very famous golf course architects and designers, the Fazios. We have a Fazio-designed championship course, which, though only a year old, has already been voted best resort course in Georgia.

This year, I hope to add clay-pigeon shooting, horse riding and croquet to our list of sporting activities.

Life in the South is good and, scenically, this area is beautiful. I knew very little of Georgia prior to arriving and it is lush, hilly and densely forested. I had imagined something quite different and was pleasantly surprised.

Atlanta itself is a thriving city, growing by the day, and is the hub of the East Coast. The Olympics have certainly left their mark and, although it is ultra-modern, there is a beauty which is hard to describe. The historical and modern have been cleverly integrated.

The city itself has not been planned or designed around a grid system, so getting lost is a regular occurrence.

Atlanta International is now officially the world's busiest airport. I look on in awe and, as Rowan Atkinson says, probably resemble a guppy fish at feeding time as I watch this giant, well-oiled machine.

If we need to look for an analogy for our staff which depicts communication and the necessity for systems and procedures, look no further. I may take my team for a trip.

Euan McGlashan is general manager of the Barnsley Inn &Golf Resort, north of Atlanta, Georgia, USA