Top 10 ways to get fired

Top 10 ways to get fired as a Club Manager

All clubs are different, and there are many ways to succeed – or not – as the manager of a club, reflects Staffan Tuomolin CCM from Finland’s Sarfvik Golf.

When I worked as a General Manager for the first time 20 years ago, the auditor of the club jokingly told me, “It is the purpose of the General Manager to make himself as useless as possible ” .

All joking aside, what he insinuated was that it is thejoboftheGMtotakecareoftheprocessesinsuch a way that the club didn ’t rely on the GM being present every hour of every day. Okay, so this might not be possible in every club environment, but but I did get the point.

There are many pitfalls to success in this industry and Boards can be quick to replace the GM if things don ’t go as planned. So here are my thoughts on 10 ways to get booted from your GM role early!

1. Don’t mind the NUMBERS

Being a GM is a numbers game. Numbers don ’t lie. You can manipulate reports by including or excluding numbers, but when you have the right numbers, they don ’t. You HAVE to understand the numbers, the cash flow, the investments, the book keeping to such an extent that you, and the Board, can make the right decisions for the club. Otherwise, you will be out.

2. Don’t mind the BOARD/CLUB PRESIDENT

You have to be on good terms with the Board of Directors and especially the Club President. It is also your job to make the Board and the President look good in the eyes of the members. Gain their trust or be replaced.

3. Don’t mind the MEMBERS

In addition to the Board, you need to gain the trust of themembers.Educateyourself,beinformedaboutthe industryyouareworkingin.Makethemproudofhaving you as their Manager. Communicate clearly and often. Be visible. Listen to the members. It’ s your job.

4. Don’t mind the STRATEGY

Never make decisions for the club that go against, or undermine, the club strategy. This will, with good reason, alert the older members and board and they will immediately start seeking for somebody else to do the job better.

5. Don’t mind the CULTURE

In my club we have never had tee-time bookings. My members pay premium fees to make sure they can just show up and play golf whenever they want, with-

You need to gain the trust of the members. Educate yourself, be informed about the industry “

you are working in. Make them proud of having you as their Manager.

Communicate clearly and often. Be visible. Listen to the members. It’s

your job.”

out having to wait. If I was so much as to HINT in the direction of trying out tee-time booking in any shape or form I would be mentally executed by the elder members of the club and surely fired within days! Soplease,besuretounderstandthecorevaluesofthe club culture that you are in and protect those values.

6. Don’t mind your IMAGE

In today ’ s world everything is on social media. Be mindfulaboutwhatyoupostpubliclyanddon ’tmake a fool of yourself or the club. Try to stay out of politics or picking sides. Be diplomatic and don ’t become a representative for a smaller group of members. You have to represent them all.

7. Don’t mind the TEAM

You have to have the trust of the people that work for you. If the Board asks them questions directly, you have to know that they will have your back. This requires spending time with your team and getting to

Staffan Tuomolin CCM

know them thoroughly. They will have to know that you will be there for them as well, when needed. Pay them well if you can, and educate them. Their wellbeing is your well-being; remember that.

8. Don’t mind about the CLUB

Inthenordiccountriesspecifically,notallpartsofthe club operation is handled in-house. You might , for example, have outsourced the F&B to another party, have golf coaches and pro shop operations outsourcedandsoon.Itiscrucial,therefore,tobeableto hire the best suitable partners for your club’ s operation so that the operation as a whole is up to par (or preferably birdie!) or the members and Board will not-be-happy.

9. Don’t mind about the BALANCE 11. Additional mention – BAD LUCK

Take care of yourself and try to find a work/home balance so that you have energy to do your job properly. Your job is to take care of your members and staffandyoucan ’treallydothatifyoudon ’ttakecare of yourself first. The club can ’t do much with a GM that is burned out.

10. Don’t mind about the RESPONSIBILITY

Be accountable for your actions. Take responsibility for mistakes made by you or your team. It’ s not the end of the world. Stand up for the decisions that you knowarerightfortheclubbutatthesametime,don ’t take it personally if sometimes the Board take actions you don ’t agree with. It’ s a marathon, not a sprint. Let’ s be honest – there are some quarrelsome clubs and situations where Boards decide they want anothermanagerforthetimebeingandithasnothingtodo with anything the manager did or did not do. Sometimes they just want a change. Try not to take it personally and move on. You ’ re probably better off in the long run - not immediately, but over time.

There are, of course, more obvious ways to get fired in all industries, from attitude issues to inappropriate comments, but hopefully the club management-specific attributes listed here will help us all to stay in our roles as long as possible.

I hope you enjoyed the read!

CONTACT DETAILS

Staffan Tuomolin CCM is Managing Director at Sarfvik Golf, Finland. He has worked in the golf industry for over 30 years, 20 of which as a Manager of five different golf clubs. He has been a Certified Club Manager since 2012 and is currently the Managing Director of leading private golf club Sarfvik Golf as well as the Vice President of the Finnish Golf Managers Association.

He can be contacted at staffan.tuomolin@golfsarfvik.fi