DON'T LOSE FOCUS: PART 2
The effective leader ensures their obligation to create and manage the club’s value system while driving the operational and organizational success and member experience. Effective leadership relies on listening, efficient planning, inspiration, and motivation of the Team culture through the use of effective communication. The foundation of success and achieving club goals comes through the leader’s ability to communicate.
You must gather, inform, market, and drive your brand through effective communication. Effective communication is the binding factor for effective leadership of strategies and people. Leadership should provide a platform for everyone to have a voice while effectively deciding on and executing strategic direction.
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Don't forget that the most important piece of the communication process is not necessarily speaking, but listening. You must be an excellent listener to be an excellent communicator.
In the various factions throughout the club, communication is a necessity for success. Effective committee and governance leadership must be grounded in the understanding of the entire membership on exactly how you serve on a committee or the board. An effective leader will communicate this directly to the membership. Board orientations should be a critical piece of the governance model while transparency, visible direction, and strategic financial thinking is understood by all.
You must also gather as much information as possible and use focus groups or surveys to understand member needs and engagement trends. If specific members are found to be utilizing the club less than they should be, you need to know why and then do something about it. Usage equals retention. All new members must be efficiently onboarded to the club; it is critical to future engagement and participation. You must keep your members engaged. Above all, Leaders must be highly visible and be accessible. The club is a community, and relationships are the key ingredient.
Effective employee communication is accomplished through several means. You must have a critical “shoulder to shoulder” approach to leadership and the club’s service priorities. There must be a clear strategy for staff training, and this staff training must be prioritized through the specific department heads and the established Performance Management Systems in place. The vision and goals of the training program must be thoroughly and thoughtfully communicated, and the employees themselves should have a say in the process. There must be an effective employee recognition program and dedicated appreciation and rewards programs.
An effective, thoughtful, and well-thought-out employee recognition program has the power to positively impact every aspect of the team dynamic and the success achieved. This will serve to help in attracting new staff members, staff engagement, retention, productivity, and morale. In turn, it will have a positive impact on the member experience as the highly engaged staff emphasize their commitment to the club and the membership. This goes back to a positive club culture and is the basis of contagious excellence in hospitality.
You must work hard to become the workplace of choice and then maintain that reputation. This goes back to culture and relationships, which are the foundation of the business.
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Connect with the staff. Respect is a two-way street. Challenge them, hold them accountable, and ensure your success is their success. Never hold them back, do everything you can to develop, mentor, and allow them to grow to achieve their goals. Train them, teach them, and give them every resource at your disposal to guarantee success.
Collaborate and motivate, and be the leader the staff wants to follow!
