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

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60 Chapter 2Exhibit 9Getting Started at a ClubThe following list is certainly not exhaustive, but gives some examples of actionsa new general manager can take to get off to a good start at a club:• Get to know your staff members as quickly as possible. It might be a good ideato have a private “get acquainted” meeting with each staff member.• Be visible. Circulate through the club each day for at least an hour, chatting informallywith club members and staff members.• Hold well-organized weekly staff meetings.• Communicate with your board. A weekly written status report might be a good idea.• Inspect the club each day.• Familiarize yourself with upcoming club events.• Learn about the club’s traditions.• Don’t rush to implement change.Source: Adapted from “A Manager’s Staying Power,” Executive Career Services Kit: For Member Use inSelecting a Club (Alexandria, Virginia: Club Managers Association of America).first steps to becoming a club general manager is to get a degree at an accreditedschool with a hospitality curriculum; some colleges offer specialized training inclub management. Many club general managers began getting practical club experiencewhile still in college—often as dishwashers, cooks, or food servers. Fromthese line-level positions, club management students can be promoted into supervisorypositions, with promotions to assistant manager positions possible aftergraduation.Club management is a service profession. To excel, a club general managermust genuinely like people and enjoy serving others. Other characteristics of asuccessful general manager include integrity, creativity, and dedication. He or shemust possess social and leadership skills, be a good communicator and administrator,and be able to communicate a club’s vision.Starting a New JobThe first six months on the job are critical to a general manager’s success. Thisperiod is the general manager’s “honeymoon” with the club’s board, and is also thetime during which the general manager establishes relationships with the club’sdepartment managers, club professionals, and employees. Exhibit 9 is a checklistof things a club general manager can do to get off to a good start at a club.It’s important for a new general manager to establish his or her credibility assoon as possible. For the first three months, it may be a good idea for the generalmanager to be the first to arrive at the club and the last to leave. Successful generalmanagers say this is important because it shows the club’s staff members that youcare as much as they do.Unless they encounter a drastic situation, new general managers should notrush to make changes. New managers usually will quickly see things that they
The Board of Directors and the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer 61want to change, but it is wise to go slowly at first. Changes made too fast, or simplyfor the sake of change, can upset the routine and rhythm of a club.Some club general managers recommend that new general managers writeweekly status reports and fax them to their board members. They also suggest thatnew general managers visit with board members individually to get their input.Establishing good lines of communication with the board is a top priority and willhelp keep transition problems to a minimum. It is also important for new generalmanagers to find out if there are any groups of unhappy members at the club. Difficultsituations can often be defused if the general manager talks to members ofthese unhappy groups to uncover the source of their discontent.Club tradition is important to many club members, even though sometraditions may seem unimportant or even comical to outsiders. For example,one private club has a rule that states that the club will serve vegetable soupevery Wednesday and, according to the general manager, “there’s never been aWednesday in the past 120 years that the club has not served vegetable soup.”Members usually feel a sense of ownership in their club and the history and traditionsthat they have helped build and sustain. That’s why a new general managerwill not make friends (or keep a job long) if he or she comes in, denouncesthe club’s traditions as silly or impractical, and proceeds to “update” them oreliminate them entirely.Because traditions are rarely written down, it can be difficult for a generalmanager to know when he or she is treading on sacred ground. New general managersshould take the time to talk to staff members, board members, and others tofind out what the club’s traditions are. It’s also a good idea for new general managersto write the traditions down; this will give the managers something to refer tountil they’ve learned the traditions.If a club tradition has a negative effect on the club, the general manager mayeventually be able to propose starting a new tradition to replace it. This is often amore effective strategy than trying to simply eliminate the tradition.Chief Operating Officer ModelAs the manager made professional strides over the years, CMAA promoted theGM/COO concept. The general manager/chief operating officer is held accountablefor all areas of the club and ensures the synergism of all club activities. Thisperson becomes the board’s bridge to the staff and committees and enables a boardto avoid the intricacies and short-term focus that is the staff’s responsibility.Historically, managers needed to possess the characteristics of:• Honesty.• Integrity.• Accountability.• Leadership.• Dedication.
Page 15 and 16: Exhibit 8The Board of Directors and
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Page 26 and 27: 68 Chapter 2loyalty diminish if the
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Page 30 and 31: 72 Chapter 2meeting agenda—A tool
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Page 36: 78 Chapter 2Kuebler, CCM, Vice Pres

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