Change is constant in the private club industry. It impacts members, managers and staff. Change is also advantageous. As Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
Managers and employees who are optimistic about new ways of doing things are sure to benefit from the opportunities change offers. You’ll be able to identify coming changes if you take a creative approach by initiating innovative ideas.
Here are some tips to help you take advantage of the opportunities available from embracing change:
- Appreciate failure and risk-taking—they are essential to learning and success.
- Foster a collaborative environment—co-workers inspire each other, plus it raises the team’s group IQ.
- Promote positive thinking—it boosts creativity and success.
- Encourage humor and fun—it’s conducive to unique ideas and lessens stress.
- Brainstorm often—to generate numerous ideas, motivate the team and encourage a productive, nonjudgmental environment.
Typically, those who accept change and are enthused by it are successful in business. For example, I remember how the private club industry resisted wearing denim in the dining rooms. Members used to say that is was not clubby enough, it was too casual. However, as soon as one of the clubs I was with adopted the change, dining reservations went through the roof and overall, member satisfaction rose to an all-time high.
Embracing innovation, rather than resisting it, impels your club’s growth. For instance, in addition to accepting denim in the dining room, many private clubs have relaxed other aspects of their dress codes because millennials find them too restrictive. Another significant change is that many clubs are no longer relying on golf as the chief draw for members—they’re adding other amenities like fitness centers, yoga classes, biking and marathon groups, teen game rooms, climbing walls, and so on. Also, numerous private clubs have waived other rules younger members find too restraining, such as texting on the golf course and using electronic devices in the dining rooms.
Changes such as relaxing the dress code (so members don’t have to tuck their shirts in), playing music in golf carts, allowing cell phones on the fairways and expanding and diversifying programs have encouraged millennials and young families to join and allow older members to abide by traditions that are personal choices rather than rules.
It’s essential that management resolves to lead the change. Employees are a private club’s most valuable resource. Club leaders need to consider them and involve them in the process. Employees who are flexible and can easily adapt, and managers who are skilled in leadership, will pave the way to new innovations in the club industry.
One of my favorite examples of club innovation was the introduction of electronic on-the-spot mini surveys in dining venues. As you are most likely aware, in the private club industry, everyone is an expert on food and every member wishes to design the menu the way they’d like it. It was powerful for me to have live data where I could have a conversation with a member the next day who would say, “I hated my steak and I can bet you that everyone felt the same.” I had the data to know that it was not the steak because 98.6 percent of the members and guests who had the same item the night before clicked that they were very satisfied with it. As we are trained to make the member happy, I would always find a clever way of doing so without blaming the steak.
Continuous change in the private club industry is necessary for survival. Clubs that stay stagnant and don’t improve will have a hard time keeping up with competitors. By embracing change, clubs have new chances to profit from shifting demographics, innovative technology or the latest markets.
H. Benzakour, CCM, CCE, is the author of 12 Golden Keys to Hospitality Excellence (available on Amazon) from which this article is excerpted. He is a Cornell MBA graduate with 25 years of hospitality experience serving as chief operating officer of several private country clubs in the metropolitan New York region. He can be reached at [email protected] or 917-749-1968.