In response to an increased national focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), a growing number of club industry organizations are taking steps to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment at their workplaces and throughout the industry.
Club Director interviewed ClubCorp CEO David Pillsbury, Troon Global Development Officer Scott Van Van Newkirk and Clubessential President Lynn Mangan to learn more about their new initiatives, how they are approaching the issue, what they are trying to accomplish and how other industry organizations can approach their own DEI initiatives.
The events of last summer stemming from the death of George Floyd were critical for developing a DEI plan for all three of the companies interviewed. As with many Americans and organizations nationwide, the events spurred discussion, introspection and education on the topic of race in the U.S. The fallout served as a tipping point for the respondents and their teams.
What is the goal of your DEI initiative?
Clubessential’s DEI mission understands that as an employee, to be engaged, you must be valued and accepted. Mangan points out that the firm wants all its employees to know they are free to be who they are. “We demonstrate not with words, but by our actions in building diversity, equality and acceptance into our teams, developing leaders with compassion, and growing a company that is a suitable fit for every person within it,” she adds.
Critical to the mission of DEI, Van Newkirk and Troon embrace a similar ethos in that the team should feel comfortable bringing their entire self to work. The firm is actively building, fostering and maintaining a DEI culture that embraces uniqueness across all races, genders, ages, religions and identities.
ClubCorp’s Pillsbury reflects a similar sentiment that there must be an unequivocal trust in the organization to share oneself and their story. “We want to be known as a safe haven for members and employees,” he adds.
How did you get your DEI initiative off the ground?
At the onset of last summer’s protests, many organizations were compelled to speak up. However, despite the urge to address the issue, the respondents noted the need to be educated on the issue. Pillsbury sent a video response to ClubCorp teammates in the aftermath of Floyd’s death to articulate ClubCorp’s position on the issue of racism. The feedback was perspective changing, says Pillsbury. He had follow-up discussions with minority teammates and discovered the gap between the experiences he has enjoyed versus what his colleagues have gone through. “I thought I was wide awake. I was sound asleep,” he comments.
These conversations spurred the formation of a Listening Council whose purpose is to educate ClubCorp leaders by giving minority teammates the opportunity to share their experiences one-on-one with executives. They sent an internal survey to ask minority employees if they were comfortable talking to leadership about their experiences. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the initiative created new understanding among ClubCorp’s leaders. “We all don’t get it through the eyes of people actually impacted. We needed to expose ourselves to the realities of being a minority in America,” says Pillsbury.
Van Newkirk points out that Troon’s program is still in its infancy and has received support and advice from other companies inside the private equity investment firm Leonard Green & Partners’ (LGP) portfolio (Lifetime Fitness, Joann and Aspen Dental, among others) In late 2020, Troon began developing a council made up of Troon associates from all the various corporate offices as well as the field and then communicated the vision to the entire company. The initiative was met with an overwhelming response. Troon began an interview process and selected the council members earlier this year, which includes 17 people and Executive Chairman and Former CEO Dana Garmany serving in an ex-officio role and providing guidance and counsel to the group.
Similarly, Mangan and Clubessential formed an internal group dedicated to DEI. Their first step was establishing a DEI team via an open invite to all employees. The committee then established their mission and surveyed their team to better understand their demographics. Clubessential then sponsored monthly educational DEI topics through their messaging system. The topics have focused on cultural, religious and secular holidays to increase awareness and understanding (e.g., Black History Month, International Transgender Day, Autism Awareness, Holi, Passover and Palm Sunday).
How does your DEI initiative connect to the culture at your company?
Mangan and Clubessential consider diversity through ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation. Their team puts together educational events to help the entire workforce understand the differences that exist with a goal to create a culture of understanding and acceptance. “Acceptance may not always mean agreement,” notes Mangan, “however, understanding and acceptance allows everyone to create conversation to appreciate and recognize each person’s unique perspective and talents.”
According to Van Newkirk, Troon’s culture dovetails with former CEO Garmany’s vision and what current CEO Tim Schantz has continued, “Which is a culture of kindness with the golden rule concept of treating others as you want to be treated, be it fellow associates or trusted partners—all with spirit of kindness and service.”
Pillsbury comments that DEI makes ClubCorp immensely stronger. But he notes ClubCorp’s philosophy about its clubs stemming from its founding in 1957: “Our membership is open to those who have the means to join regardless of their background or race. Our roots are born in an open environment. Our clubs are a place of comfort and safety and a place where you can build meaningful relationships. This is a natural outgrowth of who we are.”
What are the initiatives your organization is taking to improve DEI?
During the last few months, Troon has developed a draft mission statement, four key pillars for their work and nearly 15 different key initiatives that the council will ultimately select a handful to act upon. Several of the initiatives that stand out are scholarship and intern opportunities to help those underserved explore higher education and what a career with Troon might look like through internship programs.
This spring, Clubessential will conduct the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®). IDI is a premier cross-cultural assessment of intercultural competence that is used by thousands of individuals and organizations to build intercultural competence to achieve international and domestic diversity and inclusion goals and outcomes. After the IDI is completed, Clubessential’s leadership team will receive their individual results and complete a team training on unconscious biases and opportunities that exist to continue to enhance our DEI efforts.
ClubCorp is instituting its DEI plan through 4 key planks.
1. Growing awareness. The company is developing and deploying tools like live training and mandatory online diversity training session, at least once or twice a year into perpetuity. “We need to remind ourselves of the reality people face,” says Pillsbury.
2. Expanding recruitment. ClubCorp will expand its recruitment efforts beyond traditional talent pools and into hospitality schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Reflecting on the move, Pillsbury notes, “We go to same ponds to fish in to find people. We have to change our ponds.”
3. Provide opportunities for advancement for exemplary club staff to reach higher roles. Pillsbury notes the issue that many talented club staff struggle to be promoted to higher levels at the club because they don’t have the skills required to fulfill the job’s responsibilities. ClubCorp is developing a pilot program called RISE, in partnership with the University of Las Vegas, to develop a customized professional development program for our team.
4. ClubLife Gateway Program. This program finds talented and diverse youth in the FirstTee program, who may not otherwise have access to private facilities, and each participating club annually gives two boys and two girls free memberships through college. The children are mentored by a member who must go through appropriate training and screening. Thus far 11 clubs are participating in the program and the mentorship program has a waitlist. The program gives young participants a better opportunity to hone and grow their game, hopefully making the overall sport more diverse, while also bringing in new backgrounds and more diversity to clubs.
What has been the impact of your DEI initiative? How do you measure the program’s success?
“It is creating conversation, awareness and connections across our employees,” says Mangan. “Team members that may not work together on a day-to-day basis are connecting and learning more about one another. We are also creating better managers that can serve our clubs and employees by understanding the perspectives based on our own individual experiences.”
The results of the Listening Council have been profound, says Pillsbury. Through the conversations, leadership is educated on the real experiences of their colleagues and, in turn, staff feels greater trust and connection with leadership and the organization. Pillsbury reflects on one particular story coming from the dialogue in which an employee asked if “too much” had been shared. Pillsbury responded that the employee had not said too much and thanked them for sharing. He adds, “trust in the organization is going up, but it doesn’t change the pain. The pain hasn’t stopped. Our teams are still dealing with it.”
While DEI initiatives can produce qualitative and anecdotal results, the respondents also note the need for deliberate and measurable initiatives. In particular, Van Newkirk and Pillsbury focused on the utmost need for measurables in determining the effectiveness of DEI plans. As Van Newkirk points out, “this is not about publicity.” Much of Troon’s philosophy in its approach is to ensure that its strategies will have measurable results, which means carefully selecting initiatives that can be proven to work. This sentiment is shared by Pillsbury and ClubCorp and both companies stress that by taking a measurable approach that falls within the scope of their missions, initiatives are more focused, achievable and most importantly, making a difference. They understand the initiatives alone won’t end inequality everywhere but are part of the larger effort of creating a more equitable society.
Is there something you’ve learned from instituting a DEI policy that you would like to share?
Pillsbury notes the learning curve of being truly educated on DEI and admits, “I was not proactively educating myself.” Reflecting on the stories and understanding that emerged from the Listening Council activities, Pillsbury adds, “Minority executives were telling me stories in tears. All of this happens under the veneer of daily interaction. You have to dig. If you are asleep, you have to dig.”
“Our people are our No. 1 resource. Any organization can have an incredible idea. The organizations that have great ideas and tap into the talents of their people will shine ahead of their competitors. DEI is an amazing opportunity to create conversations around the unique talents of each person and future person on your team,” says Mangan.
“One thing that struck me as we were learning from our sister companies about the importance of developing a DEI program was the notion of creating an environment where all associates at Troon, be it in the corporate offices or in the field, felt comfortable ‘bringing their whole selves’ to work. It was a key phrase that resonates with me and something to keep in the front of our minds as our industry moves forward on the associate and member/guest side. My sense is we have room for improvement in this area on both the associate and customer side,” says Van Newkirk.
What advice would you give others in the industry about starting and carrying out an effective DEI policy?
“Educate yourselves on what is out there as it relates to DEI initiative,” Van Newkirk comments. “There are so many talented people who are passionate, educated and a real resource to help drive positive change in DEI. Reach out to learn more about how they can help. Also lean into what is happening inside the industry with organizations such as the PGA of America and We Are Golf. The other is don’t be overwhelmed and realize starting small makes sense. Our thought is if we try to do too much in the beginning, we might not get off of the starting line. The most important thing to do is start. The analogy I think about it is an individual who wants to run a marathon but feels overwhelmed at the thought of running 26 miles, when in reality, it is quite possible if they start by running 1 mile.”
In addition to educating leaders on critical issues, Pillsbury addresses the challenge of creating sustained change for the club industry. “There is no quick fix to DEI and perception—the problem is endemic. You have to take incremental, authentic steps. While no one may notice your first five steps, which may take years, five years from now when you’ve taken more steps, it’ll be noticed.”
Leadership must also be the driving force to sustain change and make it permanent. “There has to be a galvanized commitment among the entire leadership team. Right now, this issue has the nation’s attention,” says Pillsbury. “How are people going to feel a year from now? Take a long view. Be measurable. Sustain awareness. Otherwise, it will fade.”
“Don’t be afraid to start the conversation,” says Mangan. “There are likely champions within your organization who are interested in leading the initiative but may not know where to start. Leaders who are willing to create the opportunity will likely have the effort pay major dividends for their organization.”
What is the future of DEI in clubs?
All three leaders believe authentic change in DEI within the industry will be beneficial and that their relationship with clubs will cultivate a positive member and employee experience throughout the community.
“Our hope is our program will provide support and ideas for those clubs inside the portfolio today and those who will join the managed portfolio down the road,” says Van Newkirk. “There is no doubt a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce and customer base drives huge progress that benefits our industry.”
“As a partner to clubs, we view DEI has an important initiative for all organizations,” adds Mangan. “Learning from the diverse perspectives of all individuals will help all of us provide member and employee experiences that are the best possible.”
“Ultimately the movement sends a message to the club community, ‘If you are a minority, you should join here. It is a safe and welcoming place to enjoy being a club member,’” says Pillsbury. “That’s what will happen if we change our composition, attitude and thinking of our teams that deliver the experience day in and day out. That’s how you change the way private clubs are viewed over the long-term.”
DEI and the Club Industry
Clubs are founded on the basis on freedom of association, giving the club industry a unique opportunity to address the issue of DEI. While some clubs and industry organizations may decide not to implement their own DEI initiatives, it is critical to revaluate your stance on the issue and understand how your mission overlaps with DEI.
As we have seen, DEI plans can be very different. The three leaders and their organizations have selected varied paths to their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; however, they share the same advice: Listen to others and educate yourself; create an environment of trust and openness; set authentic, incremental and measurable goals; and start now.
Phillip G. Mike is NCA’s senior manager of communications and managing editor of Club Director. He authored “The Business Case for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” in the winter 2021 Club Director. He can be reached at [email protected].