Get Powered On In 2019

Lucky for you… you are not going insane! (Check out my last blog here!)
Lucky for you it’s still April and not June!
Lucky for you that you are committed to being an industry rock star and so you read helpful blogs like this one ☺

And lucky for you that this week’s blog will help you make 2019 your best year ever!

This is the year we ask ourselves;

• How can I lead my business to the greatest financial success it has ever seen?
• How can I become a better leader who inspires my managers to be exceptional?
• How can I implement ideas and processes that improve the guest experience to create raving fans?
• How can I get greater satisfaction out of my job, balance my life, be a better partner or parent, and simply, become more POWERED ON?

Well guess what? You can!

You can save yourself from insanity by implementing just a few strategies that could make 2019 your best year ever!

The Power of On

Step 1:  Take a look at your plan!

Do you have a clear vision for what success looks like? Too many golf clubs haven’t taken a good hard look at their vision for success. Sure thirty years ago it was all about cigars and late night poker, but a club today needs to ensure that they are crystal clear on who they are and what they offer and mostly, who is their ideal customer? If your ad campaign says families are welcome, it might be time to revisit your policy that says kids aren’t allowed in the clubhouse after 5pm.

Here are the 10 most important elements that need to be included in your 2019 Powered On Plan;

1. Mission – Who you are
2. Vision – Who you want to be
3. Values – What you believe in
4. Operations Plan – How you will deliver your mission
5. People Plan – Who does what and how will they do it
6. Marketing Plan – How you will promote and sell your vision (aka make money!)
7. Capital Plan – What tools do you need
8. Manager Plan – How the management team will be kept accountable
9. Measurement Plan – How you measure success? What are your KPI’s?
10. Reward and Recognition Plan – How you will celebrate success for achieving all of the above so that the whole cycle repeats!!

Step 2: Take a look at your people!

During the interview process the manager says.. ”Why do you want to work here?”

Candidate answers… “Because I live close!”

YOU’RE HIRED!!

If this has EVER happened at your club, it’s time to find someone else to do the hiring.

The golf business is not about grass, (no matter what the new cannabis laws say), it’s about people!

The better your people are, the better the experience of your guests, the better your business will perform. It’s simple. Too often we are afraid to fire employees who do not deliver a performance that is acceptable. We keep them because it’s easier. Or because we don’t like conflict. Or because we haven’t documented their mistakes over the past decade and they will sue us for wrongful termination.

We must get into the habit of re-hiring everyone each year!

We do this with an evaluation process for each person that will determine if they will meet your new expectations.  And remember what the wise man said “Hire slow, fire fast”!

In his excellent book, First Break All the Rules, Marcus Buckingham talks about the ways to attract and keep great employees!

These 10 are the most relevant of his questions that you want your staff to say YES to!  Do I know what is expected of me at work? YES

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work? YES
2. Do I have the equipment and materials I need to do my job? YES
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday? YES
4. In the last seven days, have I received praise for doing good work? YES
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, care about me as a person? YES
6. Is there someone at work who cares about my development? YES
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count? YES
8. Does the mission of my company make me feel that my job is important? YES
9. In the last six months, has someone talked to me about my progress? YES
10. This past year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow? YES

Step 3: Take a look at your process!

Sometimes a great plan and great people can luck into some success, but to achieve greatness, day in and day out over the long term, you need systems and processes in place.

The world’s best hospitality companies have one thing in common; they have a process and a procedure for each and every detail. The housekeeper doesn’t choose the part of the bed on which to place the chocolate, and the cook doesn’t add another pickle because he loves pickles. EVERYTHING is part of a process or procedure (These are what I call Power Tools!).

Listed below are the 10 best Power Tools that will help you achieve success;

1. People & Service Audit
2. Goals & Objectives Chart for Managers
3. Team Member Handbook
4. Employee Orientation Sessions
5. Job Descriptions
6. Performance Review Document
7. Defined Guest Experiences
8. Training Manual
9. Communication Process
10. Employee Recognition Plan

Step 4: Are you POWERED ON?

When is the last time you looked in the ‘career mirror’? Or self-assessed your own performance? Do you spring out of bed excited about another day, or do you peek out the window hoping a meteor has blocked the driveway? Are you inspiring, or tiring, everyone around you? In short, are you powered on?

Unless you are a bear, winter is not the time for hibernating. Now is the time when we must wake up and face the harsh realities facing our industry. To shake off the weight of 2018 and to get ourselves ready and willing to tackle a new year.

My advice to you is to not be afraid to challenge the status quo. Decide that you will commit to looking at your plan, your people and your processes with a critical eye. Not in an effort to be negative, but to identify each and every part of the business that could be slightly better. By setting your sights on greatness, and by sharing that vision and plan with your team, you will inspire those around you to be better.

That is powered on leadership!

And finally, don’t be a “man” about it, be willing to ask for help!

Nobody is good at everything, that’s what consultants are for.  The Cronk Group team can help you with your people, your plan, your processes and your performance. We offer everything from one hour online coaching to full-service management services and everything in between! So contact us and let the Cronk Group ensure your 2019 is a Powered On success!