Future club leaders are groomed early—often by serving on committees before being elected to the club board. Successful clubs give much thought to leadership succession in the club boardroom. However, is that same process incorporated into management succession planning? In order to maintain a strong system for club governance, the same amount of attention should be spent on how to mentor up-and-coming managers who are presently in a supportive role at the club. Mentoring tomorrow’s general managers about how to strategically collaborate with club boards is crucial as they attend their first house, grounds or membership committee meeting. Strategic and capital planning oftentimes omit the most important non-balance sheet asset, the staff or “human capital.” This column will explore the importance of succession planning as it relates to preparing the management team to work strategically with the board and club committees.
Involving Staff at the Grass Roots Level
Strategic planning is one of the most important roles for a club board, especially as board members serve as stewards of club culture and tradition. Developing a strategic plan incorporates a structured process that may take several years and require the commitment of consecutive boards with one vision and without personal agendas. It has been written repeatedly, strategic planning and long-term goal development will help the club avoid crises, allowing the board to adopt programs initiated through the committee development platform in tune with member expectations.
A governance best practice involves working with standing committees to continuously examine if programming is on track to meet expectations and reach planned objectives. This allows the board to incorporate opportunities it might have missed if focused on items outside of the club’s strategic mission and considered day-to-day concerns. By focusing on the strategic plan, the board will systematically improve club governance by creating a framework in which a true partnership is established with the general manager to improve member confidence.
Implementing the strategic vision adopted by the board and supported by membership is the responsibility of the committees and general manager, but requires many hands to pull off successfully. Clubs that drive grassroots innovation to achieve member satisfaction have more success because they have leaders who effectively communicate the vision to staff by making the plan their own. Challenging staff to develop plans to reach strategic goals lets ownership become a motivating factor. Also, the club’s staff may be the best source of “real time” member-driven data, as they interact with members several times during each club visit.
Developing a governance culture that encourages grassroots innovation demands commitment from all stakeholders. A nurturing role is needed to develop departmental managers not previously exposed to committee and board structures. Committee chairs are often composed of seasoned members familiar with navigating the boardroom. It is the board’s responsibility to provide an environment that encourages an assistant golf professional, assistant grounds superintendent, sous chef, accountant and dining room manager to prepare for and understand the dynamics of successful committee management in a volunteer organization. Effective leadership at the board level will empower the team to drive innovation.
Committee Interaction
Committee chairs should expect that departmental staff will adopt and execute programs for the strategic vision. These programs should:
- Anticipate member need
- Offer supportive data to explain the recommendation
- Provide an implementation plan
- Include clear goals to measure the recommendation’s success
This process prepares department-level staff to understand the steps involved in planning for a committee presentation that anticipates member needs. This fosters an environment where departmental management staff develop day-to-day operational actions, and allows the committee to guide and fine tune the presentation to ensure it is compliant with the strategic vision. The department managers soon feel they are part of the solution with the club appreciating their professional opinion. When the board or planning committee meeting agenda is developed, the chair and general manager should invite the departmental manager to make the presentation for his or her department’s program.
It will be quickly understood when grassroots innovation is used from development to execution—the staff member will learn valuable skills needed to take their career to the next level.
Today’s leadership dynamic assumes managers are competent in their respective discipline, but do they have the soft skills to be effective when allocation of resources are required for approval? By providing a collaborative culture that utilizes grassroots innovation, the general manager will be able to mentor the departmental management teams to anticipate members’ needs. This helps the club provide more relevant services, improving member satisfaction and retention.
The general manager should also mentor the staff so they know what to expect when attending board or committee meetings by teaching them:
- How to understand the key points of the club vision and strategic plan
- How to translate member feedback in developing programs relevant to club vision which will attain/reach the goals of the strategic plan
- How to provide committees with clear direction regarding departmental goals and expectations/feedback on actual performance
- The importance of developing and providing an agenda for the meeting
- The importance of proper preparation for the meeting, which may include how to develop committee reports and sending the reports early for committee review
One skill often overlooked by management teams is the ability to collaborate with the committee while presenting a new program. Junior staff should understand that changes to the original program often develop during this meeting. When the staff embraces these recommendations, they will quickly realize the revised program incorporates ideas they may not have considered.
Leaders who encourage a culture where the entire club understands the main tenants of its operating vision shape good governance. This extends beyond boardrooms and should become part of the fabric of management discussion. Welcoming your junior management team into this discussion will work to ensure energies and resources are focused toward a single goal and driven by member satisfaction.
Daniel J. Farrell, CCM, is a senior associate with GSI Executive Search, Inc., where they provide executive search services to the private club industry. He can be reached at dan@ gsiexecutivesearch.com or 518-852-0986. For more information, visit www.gsiexecutivesearch.com.