The Board of Directors and the General Manager/Chief Operating ...

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58 Chapter 2Information Item. The accounting department has just completed a selfaudit.(See the attached report.)Delinquent Accounts. This month we have four delinquent accounts. (Seethe attached report.)Just putting down “Treasurer’s Report” is too vague. It doesn’t outline what theboard members are expected to concentrate on, which tempts some board membersto wander and unnecessarily prolong the meeting. If agendas indicate theexpected length of the meeting with a starting and an ending time, board memberswill have an idea of how much time they should devote to a given topic. Sometimesevery agenda item is given an estimated time, as with the example just given(“Treasurer’s Report—15 minutes”).Another tip from club general managers: only list committees on the agendathat actually have something to report. (The general manager can check with committeechairpersons before putting the agenda together.) Traditionally, the boardmeeting agendas at many clubs listed every club committee, month after month.With that format, all committee chairpersons felt they had to give some sort ofreport, even if they didn’t have anything to say, which put some of the chairpersonson the spot and slowed the meetings down.Determining in what order to place items can also present general managerswith a challenge. There are many ways to arrange an agenda. In the past, boardmeeting agendas typically started with the approval of minutes, then moved onto committee reports, old business, then new business. Some club general managershave suggested a new agenda model that facilitates the flow of discussionand schedules difficult items for when board members are freshest. This “action”agenda model is structured like this:• Announcements (15 minutes or less). These are quick items that require nodebate. Announcements could include everything on the consent agenda(an agenda listing everything that will be voted on without discussion). Byquickly dealing with these items, the board meeting’s facilitator (typically theboard president) helps board members start to focus their attention on boardmatters and away from their outside concerns.• Easily discussed items (15 minutes). These are black and white issues that canbe addressed quickly. Dealing with these items early in the meeting helps theboard feel that progress is being made and can establish a sense of momentumand teamwork.• Most difficult item (25 to 40 minutes). This is the hardest or most controversialitem on the agenda. It’s usually something that needs a lot of discussion orrelates to a long-term need of the club. The facilitator should first state whatis expected of the members—discussion only or a decision. Board membersshould then be given a chance to air their viewpoints.• Break (10 minutes). This is a chance for everyone to take a breather and think aboutthe current discussion. It also allows for some behind-the-scenes persuasion or
The Board of Directors and the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer 59politicking. Board members might also take this time to smooth over any controversiesraised during the debate.• Most difficult item, continued (20 minutes). After the break, the discussion of themost difficult item is continued. Important points can be repeated and writtendown. If the board’s goal is to make a decision, the facilitator can call for a voteafter this discussion period.• Discussion-only items (30 to 40 minutes). This is the time to introduce new topicsor present committee and other reports. Placing committee reports near theend of the meeting, when people are getting eager to wrap things up, can helpkeep the reports short.• Least difficult items (10 minutes). These items are ones that can be quickly votedon. Putting least difficult items at the end of the meeting can leave boardmembers with the feeling that they can decide things efficiently and quickly.It ends the board meeting on a high note.Many general managers feel strongly that a board meeting’s agenda shouldbe mailed out to board members before the meeting. This gives board members achance to review the agenda and do any research they feel is necessary. Mailingthe agenda out ahead of time can save a lot of meeting time when the board getstogether. Clubs that follow this practice have discovered that their boards act morequickly and table fewer issues because board members arrive informed and readyto tackle the challenges they face.The General ManagerA club’s board governs the club, establishing policy; the club’s general managermanages it.Historically, most major management functions of a club were handledby committees who hired secretaries, stewards, or caretakers. These positionsevolved into the first club manager positions. In most of these positions, the firstmanagers had responsibility for only the clubhouse and food and beverage operations.Often the golf professional and perhaps even the golf course superintendenthad as much or more administrative responsibility as the manager. All three ofthese positions (manager, golf professional, and golf course superintendent) eachreported to the board of directors of the club or perhaps to individual committees.No one position had responsibility for overseeing all management responsibilitiesof the club operation. Conflict often developed and no clear lines of authority andresponsibility existed.Then in 1927, the Club Managers Association of America was formed byclub personnel who wanted information, education, resources, and a professionalnetwork. At the time, training for the club manager was limited to a few hotel andfood and beverage programs. CMAA developed a professional development programto help managers become the leader of the entire club operation.In today’s club world, it usually takes formal education and some practicalexperience to attain even an entry-level management position. Today, one of the
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