WITH LABOR DAY BEHIND us and football season underway, I find myself reflecting on my third summer at Interlachen Country Club. The club recently completed a more than $10.5 million renovation of our facilities and our membership reached a waitlist that is now approaching three years—for the first time since 2007. I am a naturally restless and future-focused person. That may be the millennial in me, but I have learned that taking time to reflect on your past experiences is an essential part of reaching your potential as a leader and organization.
Colleagues have asked me about Interlachen’s transformation and how we did it. There is no question the physical improvements to our facilities and addition of new amenities contributed to our success. However, as I reflect on how we got to where we are today, four principles that our board, committees and team embraced stand out as the keys to achieving our goals.
Clear Mission
The most successful organizations have a clearly defined purpose. Interlachen’s mission is clear, “To continuously enhance our tradition as one of the finest country clubs in the nation, providing members with outstanding championship golf and family experiences.” Four key words and phrases drive all of our decisions: tradition, country club, outstanding championship golf and outstanding family experiences.
When an organization knows itself and knows what it stands for, it is much easier to make decisions, prioritize resources and inspire people. It takes a committed effort and when the rubber meets the road—and it will—you must stand behind your mission as the foundation for decisions.
Financial Discipline
For an idea to be sustainable it must be supported by the economic realities of the organization. We established three financial principles to ensure any plans and decisions would fit within the business model’s framework:
- Breakeven operating results including depreciation and amortization
- Eliminate deferred capital
- Invest in future priorities
These principles guided our recent facilities improvement decisions, but they also influence our operating budget, membership dues and fees and future capital investments. Additionally, they provide guidelines for our board, committees and staff when making decisions to ensure we stay the course.
Transparency
Transparency is the key to building trust and relationships. People do their best when they know the truth, and I work constantly to model an open, clear and transparent style of leadership—and our board shares this view, too. Our membership was highly engaged in the facilities improvement planning process. We utilized surveys, town hall meetings, focus groups and multiple small group and one-on-one meetings to distribute information and gather feedback. The president and I changed our individual monthly newsletters about the weather and future events to a co-authored update with meaningful information about the club’s goals and objectives. We share financial and membership information openly and preview tough issues the board is addressing. This type of transparent communication extends to our team members and is a staple of our governance model.
Stewardship
At the most basic level, stewardship is acting upon the understanding that leadership is a temporary role that is outlasted by the organization’s lifespan. Interlachen will celebrate its 110-year anniversary this year—a remarkable accomplishment considering the average lifespan of a company listed on the S&P 500 has fallen from almost 60 years old in the 1950s to less than than 20 years today. Our board, committees and management team view themselves, not just as leaders, but stewards of Interlachen. It is not about them, it is about the future health and prosperity of our club. This is particularly important given the high turnover associated with club boards. Good stewardship allows any organization to continually develop and adjust to our ever-changing world.
No serious reflection yields only positive conclusions. We faced many challenges along the way and candidly we are faced with new challenges every day; however, these principles have helped us tackle those challenges and emerge as a stronger community.
Joel Livingood, CCM, is general manager/COO of Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn. He is an NCA director and serves on the Strategic Planning and Membership Committees. He can be reached at 952-924-7401 or [email protected].
