44 minute read
TRIBAL MAGIC
Who Are You?
Wanting to know you
People want to know people and places — quickly.
People want to know because they need to make decisions — quickly. Do I have coffee with this “online unknown?” Do I want to work for this supervisor? Do I want to work with this employee? Do we want to hire this GM? Do I want to join this club, eat in this dining room or play on this course?
People want to know if their values, personality, wants, needs and expectations align with another person, a particular place, a club culture, or an experience.
People want questions that’ll lead to conversations that’ll provide deeper insight into who, what or where.
But figuring out who they are or what they are “ain’t easy.”
And figuring out who they are or what they are is critical to right choice and proper alignment.
Guidance is needed. Questions need asking.
Consider these.
THE BASIC THREE
If you want to know or to evaluate a person, place, thing or experience, or if you want to dive deep into who you’re with or where you’re at, or if you want others to better understand who you are and why you do what you do, you’ll need some simple, easy to remember, easy to use “focus questions” — applicable most anywhere at any time with most anyone.
The questions you’ll need — the basic three — can be twisted and tweaked to fit most anyone you meet, places you’ve visited or things you’ve done.
Consider these: 1. What’s the one word that you’d use to describe this person, place, thing or experience? 2. Fill in the following: “You’ll know you’ve met this person, visited this place, experienced this thing or done this particular something because ______.” 3. If you had only one photo to show others that would capture you, another person, place, thing or experience, what would that photo be?
The basic three will provoke, energize and stimulate conversation and will lead to a deeper dive into people, places and things.
There are lots of opportunities to ask the big three. Staff about this job or other jobs. Members about their club and other clubs. Guests about area restaurants. Kids about kid programming. The basic three can be tweaked to address most anybody or any situation.
For example:
Who are you as a workplace?
You’re advertising for new employees. Applicants have a 30-second attention span — the messaging needs to be short, pithy, distinctive and interesting. You’ll let them know who you are by giving answers to the big three: 1. When our staff talk about our club, the one word they most frequently use to describe us is? Fun? Boring? Crazy? Exciting? (After which a long conversation can be had as that one word is examined in detail.) 2. Our staff tell us that you’ll know you’ve worked at this club because each day is different and never boring. Or it’s never-ending high energy. Or the manager knows everyone’s name and loves talking to the employee team. Or you’ll be working 12 hours a day every Saturday and Sunday during the summer season — and you’ll never be given vacation time in June, July or August. 3. When we want to let people know who we are, we show them this one photo. Is it the entire employee team laughing during the monthly staff meeting in the main dining room? Or the big Fourth of July celebration with employees, members and their children crowded together waiting in line for a camel ride? Or the beautiful 17th fairway with lots of old people playing slow golf?
At which point they’ll ask, “Do I still want to work here?”
Who are you as an applicant?
You’re interviewing for the GM position. It’s a great club and it’s highly competitive. You want the transition committee to know who you are — quickly.
You want to show them you’re different, unique and special. Quickly.
So, introduce yourself with answers to the big three hoping, in the process, to stimulate a bit of an in-depth conversation: 1. What’s the one word you’d use to describe yourself? (Energy? People? Books? Talk? Laughter? Silence?) 2. Fill in this sentence: “You’ll know you’ve met me because I’ll say hi to you before you say hi to me? Because I’ll ask you a boatload of questions? Because I’ll answer questions with enthusiasm and insight because I’ve already asked and answered those questions in preparation for member/staff/board member encounters?”
3. What’s the one photo you’d show a club member that says, “This is the me I want the world to see and know”? (Leading an all-staff monthly meeting? Hunched over the desk pounding out paperwork? Playing golf with Michael Jordan? Riding my bike through the French countryside?)
At which point they’ll be asking, “Do we still want to hire this character as GM at this club?”
Who are you as a club?
You’re looking for a club to join. There are lots of clubs “out there” to choose from. You’re the sort of person most clubs want as a member. After visiting the club, you ask three questions: 1. What’s the one word you’d use to describe this club after your visit? (Fun? Stuffy? Formal? Family? Golf?) 2. I knew I visited that club because staff greeted me enthusiastically in the parking lot. The GM high-fived my 5-year-old son? Staff in the pro shop ignored me and the kids? None of the members I walked by looked me in the eye. 3. What’s the one photo you took — or would have taken — to capture this club’s culture? The dull and unsmiling team in the pro shop? The crowd of twentysomethings in the swimming pool? The empty parking lot?
At which point they’ll ask, “Do I still want to join this club?”
Who are you as a GM?
What do others think of you? What might an abbreviated three-question 360 reveal about you?
1. What’s the one word you’d use to describe the GM to someone who’s never met the GM? Clever? Dumb? Introvert? Extrovert? Exciting? Boring? Lazy? Energizing?) 2. How would you fill in the following sentence?
“You’ll know you’ve met the GM because he’s got more energy than anyone I’ve ever met? She’s always visible, smiling and talking and delivering The Love? He’s never visible and when he is, he looks like he just ate a large unripe lemon? She looks professional? He looks like a slob? 3. What picture would you show of the GM that would let others know “this is our GM”? Waving to members as they enter the parking lot? Pouring coffee for members at 8 a.m. on Saturday mornings in the pro shop? Greeting wedding guests in the lobby? Eyes on his feet, hands in his pockets, walking past you in the hallway?
At which point you’ll ask yourself, “Am I, the GM, leading this club the way the members, the staff and the board want to be led?”
Discovering you
Everyone wants to know who you are.
Everyone wants to know if who you are and what you’re offering align with what they want.
They need tools for going deep.
They need the big three.
Ask the questions. Ponder the answers. Decide what you’ll do. Enjoy the journey. BR
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
JACQUE MADISON Jacque Madison is a PGA Career Services consultant serving the Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota PGA sections. Jacque can be reached at (785) 341-6047 or jmadison@pgahq.com
Focus on the Fundamentals When Designing Your Team
With this issue’s focus on design, I thought long and hard about what topics I might bring to the table that would tie in with the theme.
It finally hit me as I reflected on the design courses I took in my first year of college — fundamentals of design, basic architectural drawing, etc. — that design, like most everything in life, is built on fundamentals.
If I apply that thinking to my career, I also need to focus on fundamentals if I want to be successful and put myself in the best position to achieve my dream job.
The same is also true when designing the team at your facility. Selecting team members with good command of the fundamentals will go a long way to create successful teams.
The fundamentals of success in any career are communication skills, presentation, and work ethic. Let me break that down a little further.
Communication skills are of the utmost importance. The first communication with potential team members is usually in the form of a resume and cover letter.
A candidate’s writing must be informed, persuasive, and accurate both in the facts and in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Candidates who do not meet this basic standard will likely not be effective communicators as members of the team either.
A potential team member’s written and verbal communication might be excellent, but the visual presentation must be good as well. The resume and cover letter need to be visually appealing in addition to error-free.
Personal presentation in an interview needs to be excellent as well, with professional attire in good condition. What defines professional attire may differ by industry, by club, and by department, so if there is a specific attire expected that may differ from the interview norm of a suit and tie for men or business suit for women, please show the candidate respect by clearly communicating that in advance.
The communication will work both ways when the candidate is a member of the team, so it is best to start that expectation early in the process.
Potential team members should also present with professional language in the interview that will reflect the image your facility wants to present.
Work ethic is apparent when communication and presentation are done well. Work ethic also shows in a candidate’s interview responses.
It is apparent when a candidate has thoroughly researched the facility website, carefully read the job description, and called members, patrons, and current or former staff to get a feel for the culture and expectations.
Work ethic shows when a candidate’s references provide letters of recommendation addressed to the hiring manager or search committee chair by name.
Finally, work ethic shows in the little details, such as sending a “thankyou” email in a timely fashion.
Designing your team for success will lead to a more successful operation. Creating high-performing teams starts with hiring high-performing people.
Of course, there are no guarantees, but it is a good sign that potential team members who do not meet these standards in the interview process will not be the high-performing individuals needed to elevate the operations at your club.
Taking the time to screen your potential candidates for the fundamentals will increase the odds that you will build the right team.
PGA career consultants are here to help clubs and facilities define roles and provide information that will empower you to build a high-performing team.
Please reach out to your regional PGA career consultant to schedule a talk or a facility visit when they are in your area. The better we get to know our facilities when you are not actively looking for talent, the better we will be equipped to assist you when you are. In the meantime, focus on the fundamentals. BR
ROSIE SLOCUM Rosie Slocum, MCMP, is the director of membership and marketing at BallenIsles Country Club, Palm Beach Gardens, FL. She can be reached at rslocum@ballenisles.org HISTORIC COMMITTEE
Bringing History and Traditions to the Forefront
Many clubs have a storied past. Using historic milestones can be a great way to celebrate and share your history and traditions with your membership and to create positive public relations internally and externally. Defining moments keep these stories in the forefront and not left in the past.
This year, BallenIsles Country Club (then known as PGA National) in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, celebrated “1971 Year to Remember.”
It was 50 years ago on Feb. 28 that the club hosted the 1971 PGA Championship on its famous East Course — a rare alteration from the usual late-summer spot on golf’s major championship calendar.
Jack Nicklaus won in a wire-to-wire victory, cementing his place in what would be the foundation to his legendary profession as the greatest champion in golf, winner of 18 majors.
This was an exciting period for Jack and his professional career; for BallenIsles, it was an opportunity to create history, reveling throughout the years that followed.
BallenIsles proceeded to capture this historic 50-year anniversary moment in a celebration of Jack’s famed win. The making of a notable occasion of this scale takes great collaboration and careful planning, especially during COVID times.
It starts with an idea to host an outdoor event that will recognize a significant happening in the club’s history. The stage is set. All hands on deck.
Plans ramp up with a call from the club’s general manager/COO, Ryan Walls, to the Nicklaus team to secure Jack and Barbara’s availability to attend the celebratory event where it all happened on the anniversary date, Feb. 28, 2021.
UNIQUE DOUBLE
Also significant to the day is Barbara’s birthday — the same as it was in 1971. Jack calls it “a unique double” — winning a major championship and his wife’s birthday. The Nicklaus’s accept the club’s invitation and work begins to put together an event to recognize an historic happening in BallenIsles history.
Many professionals help gather historical data, collect memorabilia, build social media, invite local TV stations for event coverage, prepare press releases, capture event attention in printed publications and produce a montage video for YouTube, “BallenIsles 50th Anniversary 1971.”
The video includes photographs, tournament video clips, interviews with PGA historian Bob Denney, PGA Tour professionals Lee Travino, Jimmy Wright, Jim Awtrey and Bob Zender, Don Allan, then caddy and Jeff Fitzherbert, the director of golf at BallenIsles.
All of which to use for marketing purposes and excitement leading up to the Feb. 28 celebration. The YouTube video turns out to be an invaluable piece that will be used for years to come in member awareness and marketing of BallenIsles Country Club.
The guest list and featured speakers include the BallenIsles Country Club membership, the Nicklaus family, PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, Nicklaus Design representatives, Troon executives, the club president and key staff.
The food and beverage and marketing and communications departments piece together a design, near the 18th green, the site of the Nicklaus victory, as an outdoor theatre-style seating event, with a raised stage, member check-in area and surround sound. Moreover, a wing and a prayer for good weather.
The day approaches, sunny skies and all.
Jack and Barbara arrive and are greeted by the club’s general manager, who tours them through the club and down “History & Championship Hallways,” which displays lifesize photographs that include Jack with other professional players, celebrities and memorabilia from 1971.
SEE HISTORIC COMMITTEE | 112
“Follow the trends. They change constantly and are different by gender, age, family make-up and time. Trends develop from socio-economic influences,” he emphasized.
“Take COVID-19 as an example. It brought out the very best in the private club industry. Clubs reacted quickly and with amazing creativity, reinforcing what is the hallmark of the private club experience, community. From to-go services to drive-in movies on golf carts, as we now know, most clubs actually did better during the pandemic. A sagging golf market was literally resurrected by a need to be outdoors and engaged.”
But what additional trends are likely?
“Members more than ever before are working from home. This freedom has all forms of manifestations from where we live to how we use our time,” he asserted. “The demand for golf has already created potential issues for tee time availability.
“And will Starbucks-type workstations become an opportunity for clubs, or business support services? Although not solely the result of COVID-19, out-migration in major cities continues to drive warm weather and rural relocations. What happens to the markets that are diminishing and likewise to the markets that are receiving the in-migration?” Coyne pondered.
In the earliest days of the industry, the membership secretary, one of the most powerful members of the club and perhaps the community, functioned as the gatekeeper of membership invitations.
With few clubs available and largely dominated by the rich and powerful, access remained a sought-after commodity.
“This still exists in some locations,” Coyne suggested, “but for most clubs, however, things have changed. The responsibility has shifted many times from board to membership committee and, ultimately, to the membership director, none of whom can be successful without building a strong member experience, brand and sense of community.
“Change has been necessitated by the oversupply of private clubs, shifting consumer attitudes and the need to listen carefully to the needs of members and those that you wish to attract as members,” Coyne accentuated.
“While membership was once a sought-after privilege, supply/demand has altered that dynamic. Today’s club must align itself with the needs and desires of its members and potential members. It’s an ever-changing dynamic.
“More subtly, what member usage trends will emerge as the pandemic restrictions are eventually lifted? The key to the future is curiosity,” Coyne stressed.
During his 50-plus years of working in the industry, Coyne says, “He’s been blessed to work with incredible people. Through these relationships and the many experiences and discussions, trends have been identified early and often.
“At the Professional Club Marketing Association as an example, we clearly charted the importance and changing role of women in the private club long before it became a trend. We identified the generational impact on clubs years before it was a popular discussion.
“It was never clairvoyance or being smarter than anyone else. It was simply curiosity for the things that would affect the industry that I love,” he concluded.
And it’s a curiosity that still drives Coyne today. BR
from Nancy’s Corner | 107
ticipation like providing a cap or a bag tag with their name on it.
As I was finishing this article, I stopped by our pro shop to check in with Chris Horn, a Class A PGA assistant professional on our teaching staff. I asked Chris what he thought about junior golf programs. He answered without hesitation: “Without junior golf, we wouldn’t have a future.”
This is a critical time for the golf industry. My advice: Grab the opportunity now to grow the next generation of golfers. If you don’t, who will?
Any discussion of junior golf must include Joe Lewis Barrow Jr. and the small group of golfers from Atlanta that organized The First Tee in 1997 along with integrated core values. The LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program works closely with The First Tee.
Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA, has committed the USGA to grow junior golf. We need to not only grab the opportunity to grow the game but also to hold on tightly to the grip that Joe Lewis Barrow Jr. handed to us. BR
from Historic Committee | 111
Jack reminisces about the early days. A memory to behold...
The event starts with introductions and welcomes and follows with speeches about the importance of the club’s history, PGA of America, interesting memories and cover history of the 1971 PGA Championship. Finally, an appreciation plaque is presented to Jack and Barbara.
In addition, the club presents Barbara with a birthday cake, kids from the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and Children’s Miracle Network Hospital wish her a happy birthday via a pre-produced video, and members of The First Tee of the Palm Beaches sing to her in person.
The club secures the PGA Championship Wanamaker Trophy, named after the founder of PGA of America, Rodman Wanamaker in 1916, and takes a current photograph of Jack and Barbara with the trophy, capturing a unique moment.
All in all a great day that will forever be entrenched in the club’s history.
Celebrate your club’s milestones. Be proud of your storied past by sharing history and traditions. BR
Remember to bring your executive demeanor to the interview and present yourself accordingly. For the interview, you are not sitting at home but in an important meeting.
Your interview will most likely have a designated start and stop time. Be succinct. Do not look away from the camera to think about your answers. If you need prompters or reminders to keep the interview moving along, place sticky notes on the wall behind your screen to aid you, such as “look at webcam”, “stay focused”, etc.
“IT” HAPPENS…
As Forrest Gump says, “It happens…Sometimes.” Our best laid plans can go awry. Eliminate all potential issues and distractions. Find a quiet, uncluttered space to conduct a professional interview; we live in unprecedented times and have all had our share of “COVID-age” work interruptions.
from Executive Committee | 30
Retain — The quantity of position vacancies is causally related to the quantity of staff that leaves. There is natural attrition in any company and turnover costs can be as high as 30 percent of the person’s first-year wages (or more for executives). If we want different results, we must do different things. Instead of suffering the turnover cost, why not invest in your human capital?
It’s time to think out of the box on how to really become an employer of choice, reach and communicate with viable candidates, onboard them effectively, train them frequently, and put a workplace and compensation package together that promotes retention, thereby mitigating turnover.
Lack of flexibility and ongoing development opportunities paired with unclear or unreasonable job expectations are
If it happens during your interview, remember you are on camera. How you handle the unexpected situation indicates how you might respond to a minor work situation, so respond wisely.
Perhaps the lawncare company showed up a day early and you hear the lawnmower outside your window. You might want to apologize and ask if they can hear you clearly and if the noise is distracting. The right move might be to apologize and excuse yourself for one minute, turn off your video/ audio and remove the distraction. Apologize for any inconvenience, don’t get flustered, and jump right back in where you left off.
Whether in-person or through one of the many video platforms available today, the interview is often the most important part of the application process. Our goal and commitment is always to help you present yourself in the most professional manner possible. BR
retention busters. Our industry places high value on personalized service. A valuable compensation package may not revolve around wages alone; it can be personalized to the individual.
To show you have your employees’ needs and goals in mind, ensure schedules are posted promptly to allow employees to plan their time away from work.
Why not go a step further and personalize their pay with things that matter to them, like paying for a semester of college schoolbooks, providing a mileage stipend, or offering a rotating schedule of four, five, and six days per week within the team, allowing everyone more flexibility, some nights and weekends off and maybe an occasional holiday, too.
If we do things differently today, we will set ourselves up for a better tomorrow. BR
from Executive Committee (Nanula) | 32
A top-ranked club in North Carolina is considering a $9-million master plan renovation of its club-house, pool and other facilities. The board president has unofficially set a 90 percent positive vote requirement as a condition of moving ahead with the project.
His theory is that getting over the 51 percent bylaw vote requirement will not be difficult, but that threshold is irrelevant – if the club loses 30 or more members because of the assessments to pay for a new bank loan, the club will enter the dreaded “downward spiral.”
After all, the club still has bank loans left over from the last renovations, in addition to the millions of dollars in member refunds to be paid. One way of ensuring low attrition is to set a high positive vote threshold – before spending the money.
These strategic planning ideas recognize that the bylaws of member-owned clubs serve a purpose but have limitations. Bylaws adopted decades ago do not take into account current club industry realities, and club bylaws were never intended to address economic issues, such as potential member attrition due to assessments.
Remember, if the bylaws require a 67 percent vote, a vote that “passes” by only 70 percent means that 30 percent of your members voted against – and you are headed toward a large member exodus if the board moves ahead with the project.
Take a straw poll or set a high vote threshold assuring almost no attrition – if the threshold is not achieved for a major capital project, the club can pursue a smaller renovation plan or partner with a firm who will fund the improvements, or table the plan as unwise. BR
the typical “Mr.” or “Mrs.” Remember that the male is not always the primary member or the doctor in the family. • Avoid attachment overload by using a “flip book” platform that converts a multi-page PDF into a digital booklet with animated page-turning. This approach is more entertaining for the end-user, and it allows you to send more information within one easy-to-consume format rather than attaching multiple high-resolution files that could render your message undeliverable.
Video
• Although the concept of video is certainly not new, the virtual tour is one of the best examples of technology integration by necessity. Suddenly faced with the inability to walk a prospect around the club once the pandemic set in, membership sales teams picked up their phones and invented another way. According to Forbes, viewers retain 95 percent of a message when they consume it via video, compared to 10 percent when reading text out of a brochure or email. Views of branded video content increased by 258 percent since 2016, and on Twitter, a video is six times more likely to be shared than a photo. If a picture is worth a thousand words, video is proving to be worth a million, so get creative. Continue to share your recorded full tour, but how about creating shorter more impactful virtual tours on unique segments of the club to supplement today’s version of the prospect visit, which isn’t likely to change from its newly abbreviated timeline any time soon.
Online
• A website redesign allows a club to provide members and prospects with enhanced functionality and aesthetics. Bundling your website with an app changes the game – and we are not just talking about eliminating the plastic membership card. Important updates can be conveyed with pop-up notifications, meals-to-go can be ordered with ease, and vogue new virtual events, like trunk shows, wine tastings, and fitness classes, can be promoted and registered for – all from a device in the palm of your hand. • The artificial intelligence (AI) software of a chatbot simulates human conversation to easily add chatbots into websites and social media channels. • Gone are the days of emailing a contract so that the user can download, print, sign, and email it back. The pandemic gave us a compelling reason to provide touchless and more secure interactions, but digitizing documents into fillable PDFs with an e-signature component has turned out to be one of the easiest and most productive ways for the private club industry to enhance the customer experience, increase productivity, and reduce the opportunity for error.
Technology’s overlap with humanity can never replace the very human need to get together and enjoy connections with other people, but the rapid migration to digital technologies during the pandemic will continue its course.
And as technological innovation continues to permeate our daily lives, we will see ever-increasing ways to optimize the systems and processes we use in the private club world. BR
from Plights and Insights | 104 from On the Frontlines | 105
ing non-member revenues, it’s only logical that hosting golf outings and other events for “outsiders” will become more and more alluring in the future.
The thing is, in reaching out to these charitable organizations, is the private club taking a close look at all of its costs associated with hosting events? It could very well be that the club would be a whole lot better off financially if it hosted a golf and drinks event only – rather than golf and all the trimmings. BR the specifics of rules and, most importantly, study case studies of leading bocce clubs on how to build successful leagues and country club events.
I’m sure of one thing. Leadership is the secret sauce to successful bocce programs at country clubs. Not courts. Courts are just an empty swimming pool without water – without engaged, informed leadership to promote, organize and run bocce events at a club.
The other thing I’m sure of is this: The reason bocce is exploding at clubs everywhere isn’t because of bocce. It’s because bocce creates belonging.
“We have 25-year-olds playing in a league with 75-year-olds, who then come to the bar and have drinks and dinner together. It’s truly multi-generational!” said Howard of Bel-Air Bay Club. “Bocce has transformed the level of engagement at our club, it has created a biggest ‘destination’ activity we have, and it has tremendously impacted the culture and brand of our club.”
Many GMs are telling me that bocce is filling a need for members that are aging out of tennis and golf. While, on the other hand, bocce/cocktails/music is a spectacular way for Gen X, Y and Z to do a weekly activity with their pals or spouse/partner. As they say about bocce, “You can learn to play in five minutes, but it takes a lifetime to master.”
If you have a bocce program at your club, I’d love to hear about it. If you’re interested in putting in courts or training someone on your team to bring this level of engagement to your club or have your team be considered for the Bocce American Cup – I’d be honored to connect. BR
job descriptions of the board and encouraged to throw their name in the hat.
“Once elected, the most important educational activity is a comprehensive board orientation, which focuses on, club governance, board deliberation protocols, the club’s strategic plan and the annual business plan and budget,” Kapoor explained.
Fran Vain, president of the McMahon Group, St. Louis, MO, suggested the educational process “must begin at the committee level. Then, it must be continued at the board level, beginning with an effective orientation. This should be a mandatory exercise and take place well before their initial meeting. There must be committee orientations also.”
“The education of board members begins a long time BEFORE they’re selected to serve and continues, in a more focused way, once they’re selected for board service,” explained Gregg Patterson, president of Tribal Magic, a private club industry consulting firm based in Santa Monica, CA. “Board education is part of a much larger educational process – first as a member, then as a committee member, then as a board member and – after serving – as a mentor to future board members. An educated member becomes an educated committee member becomes an education board member. Let me explain…
“Every member should get a “soft education” in club governance (that is, in the decision-making process!) and the big issues, both strategic and tactical, from the moment they become a member,” Patterson added.
“Future board members start their education, without even knowing it, during the new member orientation, and it’s continued each month with the club newsletter, is furthered with each letter to the membership, each forum attended and each annual meeting that’s witnessed. Boards know that an educated membership is critical to good governance.
“Once an already informed member is selected for committee service, the focused education begins. A governance workshop should be given at the beginning of the committee year, including a tour of the facility, an explanation of club governance and a review of the big strategic issues for the club, and a detailed discussion of the committee specific tactical issues dealt with in the prior year and anticipated for the coming year,” Patterson explained.
“The focused education continues, in a far more concentrated way once the member has been selected to serve on the board. The board orientation is key, including an in-depth club tour, a deep dive into the governance manual and the policy book, a review of the bylaws, and a discussion of the strategic issues dealt with by the board in the prior year and anticipated in the coming year.
“The education of the board is continuous after that. White papers are issued, annotated agendas are delivered, monthly variance reports are prepared, committee assignments, historical minutes are reviewed, outside professionals are consulted and the policy book is reviewed with frequency, “Patterson recommended.
So, are private clubs providing enough education for committee and prospective board members?
“Not really,” expressed Vain...and for various reasons.
“People are busy and it’s to get volunteers to put in the time required to really understand the club business and function as an effective leader. Clubs must adopt an effective governance model and commit to executing it. It’s easy to discount underperformance since the participants are volunteers.
“However, the culture of the club and governance model must be not to accept mediocrity. Put a system in place and require people to follow it. There must be criteria to be eligible for board service, and orientations must be man-
from Legislative Committee | 16
or independent contractor under the FLSA. Effective May 6, the rule has been officially withdrawn.
The final rule would have adopted an economic reality test focusing on two core factors for consideration to determine the degree of economic dependence in the relationship. These core factors focused on the nature and degree of the worker’s control over the work and the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss based on initiative and/or investment.
In its announcement, the DOL cited the following reasons for withdrawal: • The rule conflicted with the FLSA’s text and purpose, as well as relevant judicial precedent
• The rule’s prioritization of two core factors for determining employee status under the FLSA would have undermined the longstanding balancing approach of the economic realities test and court decisions requiring a review of the totality of the circumstances related to the employment relationship • The rule would have narrowed the facts and considerations comprising the analysis of whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, resulting in workers losing FLSA protections.
The rule was originally slated to become effective on March 8 but was delayed on Jan. 20 when the Biden administration froze all non-emergency rulemaking.
For employee classification, clubs should reference the existing regulations. BR
datory, the club must spend the time and resources to build a network of advisors, etc.,” he added.
Kapoor suggests clubs are not providing enough education because “often management feels uncomfortable conducting education and training of the new board members, their new bosses. It may help to have the practice of orientation be conducted by an outsider, a consultant someone who is not conflicted.”
Kapoor also recommends the following be included in the educational process: 1. Concept of collaborative governance 2. Club By-laws, governance, rules & regulations 3. Job descriptions 4. Committee structure & descriptions 5. Strategic plan/master plan 6. Annual business plan
“More education is always needed and more can certainly be done,” expressed Patterson.
“More ‘soft education’ of the general membership. More’ focused and committee specific’ education of committee members. More’ deep and intense’ strategic education for the board. More focus on creating and reviewing institutional memory. Boards and managers need to be conscious of the need to educate, identify the tactics required to provide that education and then make sure those tactics are ‘calendared’ and done,” added Patterson.
And in Patterson’s opinion, “the longterm general manager, whose business is clubs is the ideal mentor/coach/educator for the board.
“The process also includes the management team members, who through their actions, examples and explanations, educate, and the board, through the committee process and ongoing communications, and past board members who contribute their institutional memory. And, ideally, an outside professional, fluent in club governance, who can highlight the governance process during the annual board orientation,” Patterson added.
McCarthy explained that there are plenty of tools at the disposable of clubs for educational purposes, including “BoardRoom magazine, Club Management ➤
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Association of American, the National Club Association and top consultants in our industry for clubs to access as much information as they need to build the proper educational platform for their future leaders successfully.”
During the past 15 years, McCarthy’s board of directors at Addison Reserve Country Clubs have focused on four main objectives: 1. They hire and fire and are involved with only one employee and one employee only - the CEO/GM - all other staff decisions are left to the CEO/GM 2. They have financial oversight and are heavily involved constantly in making sure that our long-term financial goals will continue to be met, so we can continue to reinvest in the future of Addison Reserve. 3. They set policy, and 4. Most importantly, they are strategic planning constantly.
McMahon’s Vain suggests training should include: • Financial training – understanding the sources and uses of revenue. Understanding the difference between the operating ledger and the capital ledger and clarifying what it means to be in the ‘dues business.’ • Privacy - most clubs are 501(c)(7) institutions. Clarify what that means and why it should be valued • The meaning and execution of strategic governance and empowered management.
For eons, micromanaging has been the scourge of private club management…with board members continually sticking their fingers into management’s pie. Undoubtedly, a lack of a proper board members’ educational process can lead to micromanaging…a situation that arises because board members don’t have a clear understanding of their roles… However, through collaborative governance, boards establish policies and procedures and clearly define which decisions belong to the board and which belong to management.
In broaching board members’ education, “the board needs to understand the club’s culture and needs to be fluent in the principles and practices of that culture,” said Patterson.
“Board members need to ‘smell the future’, to become fluent in what’s happening out there in the world and how what’s happening will affect the club. They need to be educated in the culture as it is now, as it should be, what needs to be done and how the board will take the culture from ‘here to there,’” he added.
“The culture needs to be dissected and questions asked. What is our governance process? What is our ‘why’ for being? What goods, services and programs are needed to express that why? What type of facility is needed to deliver those goods? How do we finance all that? What type of members and staff do we need? To properly educate the board, they need to analyze the culture.”
FACING THE CHALLENGES
“The club industry has been challenged and shrinking for decades. Serving on a club board is no longer an honorary posting where directors make decisions about golf events or dinner parties. Instead, it can be about the very survival of the club, or at least about deeper issues of strategy, membership development, financial stewardship and capital investments,” Vain stressed.
“This ramps up the challenge for directors and the rotating form of governance where there is a new president almost every year and some one-third of directors turnover is often not up to the task.
“To live up to the challenge, clubs must take a longer view and they must Institutionalize governance development. One of the key steps in this process is to move away from the task-oriented focus of the nominating committee and form a board development committee,” Vain added
“Nominating committees focus on filling the necessary postings for that calendar year. Unfortunately, they often start too late and do a so-so job of recruiting and interviewing. A board development committee is in session year-round. The committee members focus on all aspects of governance and identify and train future leaders from the standing committees.
“They create training exercises, build a network of experts to serve as advisors, and expose the leadership to educational and training opportunities. The key is to
move from an event focus - “let’s nominate three new people to the board” - to an ongoing effort to identify, recruit, train, refine and advance the club’s governance practices,” Vain emphasized.
“Board education is one of the biggest challenges facing clubs today because the education must be constant and too many clubs think that doing an orientation once every few years does the job. It does not,” Addison’s CEO McCarthy declared.
“Board education is continuous and, in my case, is nearly 20 percent of my time. Board members change yearly and without ongoing education, the organization most likely will lose focus of its vision, core values and what it represents. As the paid leader, the more you educate the volunteer leaders, the better the members and staff will benefit. The GM/CEO and President must be fully committed to this. This is hard work,” McCarthy stressed.
“Decisions are what the board does and decisions ‘done right require education –knowledge of the issues, the facts applicable to those issues and the principles used to decide the issues, and decisions are what the board does. So, to do decisions right, boards need to get educated,” Patterson injected.
So, how can clubs go about meeting and beating this challenge?
Here’s are Patterson’s recommendations: • Start early and educate ALL the members about governance and the big issues • Give a proper governance orientation to every committee every year addressing governance, the big issues and committee specific issues • Conduct an in-depth board orientation focused on the governance manual, containing the governance process, past policy decisions, strategic and tactical issues dealt with and anticipated and the basics of finance • Continue the education with the weekly board update, monthly variance reports, white papers and continuous discussion of the issues • Institutionalize what was done and why with a policy book, white papers and post-board service on a committee • Hire and keep a great club manager who knows clubs, knows this club, talks clubs and can guide the club educational process for decades, and • Accept that member, committee and board education is continuous, incremental and forever!
Additionally, for clubs to beat the educational challenges, McMahon’s Vain suggested: • Right-size the board - have no more than nine directors • Empower management • Form a board development committee • Set criteria for serving on the board, including a requirement to serve on multiple committees before being eligible for board service • Eliminate the contested election and move to a slate program whereby the Development Committee recruits and nominates qualified people for the roles • Develop and maintain a strategic plan • Hold an annual off-site board workshop at the start of each new board year to review and update the goal plan • Have an all-committee meeting at the start of every new administration to thank all the volunteers in the committee system and update them on the club’s strategy and vision. Enroll them in support of this mission. All too often, committees function in a vacuum without knowledge of the bigger picture. • Develop a quarterly communique to keep members up to date on board actions. Boards often think the president’s note in the monthly newsletter is all they need to do to communicate about governance topics. It’s not. Communication is at the core of any successful relationship and club boards are generally very poor communicators.
They isolate themselves in an ivory tower and defend themselves from incoming questions. They should turn that around - educate the membership to create alignment around a mission and vision. Most members will follow and support a board if the board communicates about what they are doing and why they are doing it. • Make data-driven decisions and seek member input. All too often, conversations in the boardroom are dominated by emotion and opinion. Many boards do not understand the basics of what drives their business plan. As a result, they spend a lot of their time talking about operational issues and not enough time on strategic issues and capital planning. • Use benchmarking and dashboards to convey the key business metrics. Regularly collect member input and use it to drive your vision and programming. For example, club boards often want to tell members and prospective members what they want when it is the consumer that sets value.
The industry has atrophied because of irrelevance where older directors want to preserve and perpetuate policies and activities that are not relevant for the up-and-coming generation. However, by understanding what drives the business - dues - and responding to what members want, boards can be successful.
PUBLISHER’S FINAL THOUGHTS
“A board member is there to consider the greater good.” That’s where a thoughtful, beneficial education should start.
Education and training remain one of the biggest challenges private clubs face today.
Often without a clear understanding of their role, board members assume they should roll up their sleeves and do what they do best – get things done. But for eons, micromanaging has been the scourge of private club management…with board members continually sticking their fingers into management’s pie.
Undoubtedly, a lack of a proper board members’ educational process can lead to micromanaging…a situation that arises because board members don’t have a clear understanding of their roles…because a club’s board has failed to develop policies or procedures and properly delineating appropriate roles for staff versus the board.
However, through collaborative governance, boards establish policies and procedures and clearly define which decisions belong to the board and which belong to management. Board members are aware of who does what, when, how and why. Of course, both the board and the club’s management are on the same team…not opponents.
This is where BoardRoom Institute
comes in. BoardRoom Institute’s online board orientation and training will help decrease the dysfunction and disruption boards often encounter.
Board orientations assure that board members are all on the same page and can help transform board and committee members from novice volunteers to knowledgeable contributors.
Board orientations and retreats are imperative every year and all board and committee members need to participate. Not only does this become an orientation for board members and future board members, but it also allows a longer view of the future based on the club’s strategic plan.
It’s as we’ve always said at BoardRoom magazine, “Replace emotion with facts.”At least, that’s the way I see it. BR
John G. Fornaro, publisher
For more information about BoardRoom Institute, contact Gordon Welch, president of the Association of Private Club Directors and BoardRoom Institute at: Gordon@apcd.com
ACCP .......................................................... 91 Addison Law..................................................... 11 Ambassador Uniform............................................ 75 Angela Grande Design ........................................ 36-37 APCD .......................................................... 67 BoardRoom’s Distinguisehd Clubs.......................... 113, 114-115 BoardRoom’s Distinguished Golf Destinations...................... 99 Boothe Group ..................................................123 Bozeman Club & Corporate Interiors ........................... 38-39 BrightView ...................................................... 2 C2 Limited Design Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-41 Castor Design Associates, Inc................................... 42-43 Chambers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Clay Pryor Interiors........................................... 44-45 ClubDesign Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46-47 ClubTec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Country Club Technology Partners ................................123 Creative Golf Marketing .......................................... 3 CSR Data Privacy Authority ......................................123 ELM - Ervin Lovett Miller...................................... 48-49 Emersa Waterbox ............................................... 26 Ethos ........................................................... 11 Eustis Chairs.................................................... 83 Forbes Travel Guide ............................................. 29 GCSAA .........................................................127 Gecko Hospitality ................................................ 6 Golf Maintenance Solutions ......................................121 Golf Property Analysts...........................................121 Golf Business Network............................................15 GSI Executive Search ............................................. 11 High-End Uniforms.............................................. 91 Hilda Allen .....................................................119 HINT – Harris Interiors.........................................50-51 Jonas ...........................................................13 Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace .................................... 5 & 25 MAI – Marsh & Associates..................................... 52-53 McMahon Group, Inc.......................................... 54-55 MembersFirst................................................... 23 Northstar ..................................................... 128 Peacock + Lewis Architects and Planners .......................... 61 PGA ............................................................ 8 Pipeline........................................................ 33 Proform Mating ................................................ 83 Rogers McCagg ................................................. 62 RSM ...........................................................119 St. Timothy Chair ...............................................123 Studio JBD ..................................................... 63 Troon...........................................................31 USPTA ..........................................................71 Videobolt ...................................................... 35 Vivid Leaf .......................................................17 Wausau Tile ................................................. 58-59 WebTec ........................................................ 19 XHIBTZ ........................................................ 89
BOARDROOM MAGAZINE COUNTRY CLUB INDEX
Nancy Berkley, green committee and marketing committee, Frenchman’s Creek Beach & Country Club, Palm Beach Gardens, FL Jarrett Chirico, USPTA,PTR, PPTA,PPR, director of racquets, Baltimore Country Club, Baltimore, MD Frank Cordeiro, CCM, COO, Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, TX Jim Deitis, the director of golf, Midland Golf Club, Midland, MI Susan Dienes, member, Jacksonville Golf and Country Club, Jacksonville, FL Kevin Dunne, GM, Blackhawk Country Club, Danville, CA Boris Fetbroyt, director of racquets, The Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia, PA Susan Greene, director of membership and marketing, The Oaks Club in Sarasota, FL. Bill Howard, GM, Bel-Air Bay Club, Pacific Palisades, CA Dr. Bonnie Knutson, the Country Club of Lansing and the Michigan Athletic Club Denise Kuprionis, president, Kenwood Country Club, Cincinnati, OH Nancy Levenburg, member, Spring Lake Country Club, Spring Lake, MI Anne Lockie, President, The Oaks Club, Osprey, FL Brett Long, President, The Quechee Club, Quechee, VT Christopher Manning, President, The Apawamis Club, Rye, NY Lyndell Maddox, President, The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, TX David Mackesey, Diablo Country Club member, vice-chair, 2018 strategic planning committee, Diablo, CA Joe McCart, President, The Club at Admirals Cove, Jupiter, FL Mike Meath, President, Midland Country Club , Midland, MI Kathy Nyman, LPGA instructor at Deer Creek Country Club in Jacksonville FL Sheryle Rowland, general manager, Silver Springs, Golf and Country Club, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Rosie Slocum, MCMP, director of membership and marketing, BallenIsles Country Club, Palm Beach Gardens, FL Suzy Whaley, former president of the PGA of America and head golf professional at Mirasol Golf and Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
