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

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74 Chapter 2his worst suspicions were confirmed. Some of the board members are retired,Linda said, and have a lot of time on their hands, so they want to micro- manageeverything. On the other hand, many of the board members are very busyexecutives and they present an opposite problem: they are so pressed for time theyhardly give the matters that come before the board any attention. Julia, the club’sonly female board member, had promised her friends that if she was elected to theboard she would do something about the men-only Saturday-morning tee times.Her proposal to open the Saturday-morning tee times to women was defeatedearly in her term and she’d had a poor attitude ever since; she took scant interestin other club business and appeared to be just going through the motions until herterm ended. Other board members, too, tended to focus on their pet projects to theexclusion of everything else.Chris also learned that board members had a history of abusing their power inmatters both large and small—not because they were deliberately trying to disruptthe club, but because they didn’t know any better. Many board members habituallygave direct orders to club employees, for example. This bad habit had gottenstarted after the first general manager left the club and the club struggled withoutone for six months. Apparently the members didn’t realize the havoc they causedwhen they contradicted a club manager’s directives, or asked valets on duty totake them to the airport, or told a banquet server to drop what he was doing anddrive by their house to pick up the wedding gift they forgot.Some board members asked to be seated in the main dining room duringbusy periods without making reservations. Last year the club’s dining room managerquit because she received a tongue-lashing and then a very harsh letter ofreprimand from a board member. Her crime? She had refused to seat his partybecause some of his guests were wearing blue jeans and the club has a firm policyagainst blue jeans in the main dining room.One of the board members tends to drink a little too much, Linda went on, andsometimes discusses with club bartenders things like the previous general manager’sbonus plan and why the club fired its last golf pro. Around Christmas time anoutbreak of food poisoning had occurred at the club, and a board member thoughtit would be helpful if he went to the media and explained the situation. Without theboard’s or anyone else’s knowledge, he went to the local newspaper and told sucha confused and contradictory tale that the newspaper launched a full-blown investigationand turned an unfortunate but minor incident into a front-page story. Andlast but not least, the board’s vice president had almost gotten the club involved ina lawsuit because he repeatedly made inappropriate advances toward one of theclub’s female servers. Because this was another period when the club was betweengeneral managers, the server went directly to the board with her complaints, butthe board ignored the problem. Soon afterwards the server graduated from collegeand landed another job, and it looked like she would not be pressing charges, butone never knew if the problem would reoccur more seriously.All in all, it was a picture of an undisciplined board that was doing more harmthan good to the club. Chris knew that if he was going to make positive changesat the club, he would have to start with the board, and he had his work cut out for
The Board of Directors and the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer 75him. Chris also knew from working at other clubs that timing was a critical factor.Since he had just been hired, he had the board’s attention and a brief window ofopportunity in which to address the issues that needed immediate action.Discussion Questions1. What challenges does Chris face with the club’s board?2. Which of these challenges should Chris address immediately (Priority A challenges),and which are not so critical and can be addressed over time (PriorityB challenges)?3. How should Chris address the immediate, Priority A challenges?4. What can Chris do immediately to encourage the board president to run moreeffective meetings?5. How can Chris help the board president see the need for an orientation programfor new board members?6. What elements should a new-board-member orientation program contain?The following industry experts helped generate and develop this case: Cathy Gustafson,CCM, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina; Kurt D.Kuebler, CCM, Vice President, General Manager, The Desert Highlands Association;Scottdale, Arizona; and William A. Schulz, MCM, General Manager, HoustonCountry Club, Houston, Texas.Case Study 2Tom Frost has recently become the general manager of the Leisure Resort Club, aprivate, residential, golf course community at which the average age of membersis 65. Most of its members are retirees. Many members used to be CEOs or in theupper management of large corporations. They previously led very hectic lifestylesand are now learning to unwind.Tom used to be the general manager of the Vertigo Club, a large downtownclub. The average age of members there was 45—many members were hardworkingprofessionals. Board meetings for the club were typically held for no morethan an hour over breakfast one day a month. The president of the Vertigo Clubwas known for his efficient meeting-time management with the board; he wouldmail out agendas in advance that included timeframes for each item, and he knewhow to diplomatically keep discussions on schedule.In the course of his orientation, Tom learned from the Leisure Resort Clubpresident that monthly board meetings typically start at 3:00 P.M. and vary inlength. Sometimes they finish by the dinner hour, sometimes they do not. Tom hasmet with each of the board members and he has been impressed with the warmthand cooperative attitudes they exhibit. His understanding from the president is
Page 15 and 16: Exhibit 8The Board of Directors and
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Page 26 and 27: 68 Chapter 2loyalty diminish if the
Page 28 and 29: 70 Chapter 2Leadership/Legislative
Page 30 and 31: 72 Chapter 2meeting agenda—A tool
Page 34 and 35: 76 Chapter 2that he is to conduct a
Page 36: 78 Chapter 2Kuebler, CCM, Vice Pres

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