Tag: Manager

The Indistractable Manager

Date:

Phone calls, emails, knocks on the door… all contribute to those days when you feel busy, but achieve nothing. GGA’s Patrick DeLozier outlines some tactics aimed at eliminating those fruitlessly busy days from your calendar.

There’s nothing more frustrating than a hollow sense of fulfillment at the end of a tiring day. Fulfilling in that you’ve been busy and active, hollow in that you’re no nearer to completing any of the tasks you set out to.

The first thing to make clear is, it’s a common problem. It affects us all. And while some of these days are inevitable, throughout my 18 years in the private club industry I made a conscious effort to develop methods of mitigating their impact and focusing on productive outputs.

Winning the day

It all starts before you even set foot in the workplace.

Develop a routine that gets your mind organized and focused from the get-go. For me, it was a morning swim, followed by reading several newspapers and social media news briefs that helped put me in an optimal productive state. So whether it’s a workout, meditation, yoga, or simply a coffee, find what works for you and stick to it.

When it comes to the working day itself, I found it particularly helpful to break this into three stages:

  • Up-brief – a first-thing review, to focus and plan of your tasks for the day
  • Midday check-in – an opportunity to measure task completion, to assess or reassess priorities
  • Debrief – end of day review, to look at what has been accomplished and what needs to be addressed the following day

For the up-brief, tasks should be specific, achievable, and aligned towards set objectives, prioritizing what you need to achieve and by when. Try to avoid tasks which veer away from your objectives or can be easily completed by another member of your team. Delegating tasks can often test your sense of trust and judgement in other team members, but is critical when it comes to staying focused on what’s important (and befitting of the Club Manager role).

During the day, make time to measure where things stand. If a task due for completion is in doubt, can you call in additional resource? If team members have become distracted by inane endeavors, is there time to pull them back and refocus their attention where it should be?

Finally, don’t allow the day to go by without assessing what has been accomplished during a debrief session. This is your opportunity to not only review your own achievements, but reward team members for a job well done and completed on time. They should also understand how this has helped (or is helping) towards the overarching objectives of the Club, as this will encourage their buy-in to the bigger picture.

Conversely, you will also need to confront incomplete tasks or missed deadlines. This is where balance and accountability come in, as you need to address these without demotivating your team.

Though some may find these stages overbearing, consistent monitoring and clear communication will allow team members to stay on task and focused for success. Ultimately, accountability will combat procrastination and instill a goal-oriented culture at your club.

Working smart 

Aside from external distractions, what can you do as a manager to work smarter? Here’s what I learned from nearly two decades at the sharp end of club management:

  • Do not try to take on everything on your own. Trust your team to assist you in your success.
  • Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. And then provide them with feedback, support, and recognition for a job well done.
  • Block off time in your calendar where you will not be interrupted. Sometimes an hour per week off-site (such as a coffee shop) will allow you to complete a certain task or get some much-needed headspace.
  • Temper your access to your cell phone or tablet. This will help you to avoid unnecessary calls, texts, and social media, allowing you to make headway with tasks requiring the utmost focus.
  • Be disciplined. Don’t put off tasks just because they are more challenging to you. They will fester, induce stress, and only become harder to overcome in the long run.

There are so many simple ideas out there that can help you overcome distractions, and they can be very effective. But if you can isolate a structure which is focused, holds everyone to account, and is married to your club mission, you can unlock something greater: a productive culture. A culture driven by goals, achievement and success. And that is something that no one wants to get in the way of.

Murray Blair, Club and Branding Executive, Joins Global Golf Advisors as Director

Date:

Blair to expand the firm’s club and resort strategy, operations, transformation, and monitoring services

TORONTO, Ontario – Global Golf Advisors (GGA) – the leading authority on successful ownership and management practices for golf, private club, resort, and residential real estate businesses – has announced that respected club, resort, and branding executive, Murray Blair, has joined the firm’s Canadian office as a Director.

As a Director with GGA, Murray specializes in club and resort strategy, operations, brand building, transformation and performance monitoring. “The reimagination of club and resort businesses is in full swing with strategically crafted and nurtured brands driving value creation for savvy owners and operators,” explained Blair. “We at GGA are proud to support superior clubs and resorts around the world in developing and implementing the very best strategy and brand position in order to maximize club investment and lifestyle objectives.”

Murray will continue building upon GGA’s market-leading strategy and operations consulting services and leverage the firm’s robust research and analytics offerings to help clients transform their businesses and implement a game plan for long-term success and sustainability.

Derek Johnston, a partner in GGA’s Toronto office, provided insight into how the firm’s expanding team enhances its commitment to client success, “GGA’s mission is to help our clients solve their toughest problems. We are increasingly asked to remain involved in our club client’s projects on an ongoing basis; to monitor progress and, when needed, effectively evolve strategy to truly maximize performance over the long-term. Murray’s club leadership experience, history of managing premium brands, and dynamic charisma are perfectly aligned to deliver on these services. He is an incredible addition to our team and an invaluable resource for clients.”

Murray rejoins GGA after a successful eight-year stint leading transformations for a large retail brand and one of the top private clubs in the Greater Toronto Area.

“I am eager to rejoin the GGA family,” said Murray Blair, “I have remained in close contact with the GGA team during my time in club management and operations, and have enjoyed watching the firm grow and prosper. I have particularly enjoyed seeing GGA’s younger team members grow into industry leaders. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside such a dedicated and capable group again and contribute to the firm’s continued growth.”

Murray joins GGA to expand on what has already been a multifaceted career in the club and resort industries. Most recently, Murray was the General Manager at Granite Golf Club, one of Canada’s most innovative private family golf clubs, successfully rejuvenating the club’s brand and membership.

Prior to joining Granite Golf Club, Murray spent three years as Vice President at Joe Boxer, modernizing the garment brand for the Caulfield Apparel Group and leading Joe Boxer through an award-winning rebranding process that revitalized the brand, ultimately earning a 2014 Cassies Bronze medal.

Over the course of his career, Murray has also worked for the TPC organization as part of the opening team at TPC Scottsdale; spent four years with Marriott hotels in Arizona and Napa, California; ten years running the golf division for Fairmont Hotels, during which time he was ranked as one of the top 25 most influential people in Canadian Golf; and three years as a Vice President with ClubLink before his initial four years of consulting with Global Golf Advisors.

Through these experiences, Murray has been involved in the development and restoration of a number of great golf courses in North America including Banff Springs, Jasper Park Lodge, The Algonquin Resort, and Mayakoba in Mexico. Murray is active across the club industry serving on a number of advisory boards, including the Golf Ontario board, and delivers education sessions at various industry conferences.

About GGA

Global Golf Advisors (GGA) has provided industry-leading advisory services to more than 3,000 clients worldwide including private clubs, hotels, resorts, residential golf communities, developers, homebuilders, government agencies and municipalities, financial institutions, investors and lenders. Operating out of three global offices in Toronto, Phoenix, and Dublin, GGA is a highly specialized consulting firm focused on club and leisure related assets with a professional services heritage as the KPMG Golf Industry Practice. The firm’s expertise lies in its ability to effectively meld club management and operational expertise with highly capable professional strategists and experienced business analysts. GGA personnel include former club managers with experience leading exceptional clubs, along with alumni of Deloitte, Fairmont, KPMG, Marriott, Pulte Homes, PwC, and Scotia Capital. For more information, please visit www.globalgolfadvisors.com.

Media Contact

Derek Johnston, Partner at Global Golf Advisors
djohnston@globalgolfadvisors.com
905-726-0701

Murray Blair, Director at Global Golf Advisors
mblair@globalgolfadvisors.com
416-728-4186

GGA Careers: Associate

Date:

Associate

Global Golf Advisors (“GGA”) is expanding and we are looking for a highly motivated associate to join our firm and grow with our team.

Responsibilities:

Working alongside fellow Associates, and reporting to GGA’s Managers and Senior Leadership team, you will perform specialized research and advisory tasks as described below:

  • Collecting and analyzing financial and operational data from a variety of sources for specific client engagements;
  • Conducting in-depth market research for leisure related businesses around the world;
  • Assistance with report and presentation preparation while working with other team members;
  • Input and tabulation of data, monitoring industry statistics and following trends in the industry;
  • Calculation and analysis of financial information and operational metrics;
  • Managing multiple client deliverable deadlines.

The successful candidate will be hard-working with a high attention to detail and a passion for research and analytics.

Requirements:

  • Professional services experience with a major accounting or consulting firm;
  • Experience with golf, private club, residential real estate or resort businesses;
  • Minimum education is a Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Related;
  • Strong communication skills (i.e., interpersonal skills, telephone etiquette, etc.);
  • Strong analytical skills;
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office applications, including but not limited to Excel, Word, and PowerPoint;
  • Understanding of financial statements;
  • Must possess fluency in the English language;
  • Detail oriented; and,
  • Strong market research skills.

Start Date: As soon as possible.
Salary: Commensurate with experience.
Location: Toronto, Canada

All qualified applicants should apply to info@globalgolfadvisors.com with relevant applicant materials.

3 Attributes of an Outstanding Club Manager

Date:

What does it take to be an outstanding club manager? And for clubs seeking to fill this role, what attributes should they be looking for?

GGA’s new Executive Search Director, Patrick DeLozier, explains what it takes to be among the best private club managers.

It takes a particular type of individual to be a club manager.

Seldom is it a job with set hours and set responsibilities; it is more often a vocation which requires an unprecedented level of commitment and drive.

Rewarding? Yes. Challenging? Most certainly.

Throughout my time both at the sharp end of club management, as well as participating in national associations and state boards, one thing was abundantly clear – the role of the club manager is inextricably linked with the success or failure of a club.

It is, therefore, an appointment clubs cannot afford to get wrong.

But what makes an outstanding club manager?

1) Strong work ethic

High performing club managers are leaders with a relentlessly strong work ethic.

They are dedicated, committed and visible to the whole club – including both their membership and their team.

Beyond the general day-to-day requirements, the best club managers have a sense of when and where to be at all times. Not simply to be seen, but to demonstrate leadership and accessibility, consciously engaging with everyone they encounter in a meaningful and constructive way.

For team members this means being willing to mentor, offer guidance and invest time in their well-being and progression, whatever the role. For members, it is going the extra mile, ensuring exceptional service levels and a commitment to continuous high levels of satisfaction.

The club manager should be the face and voice of the club, not tucked away in a back office.

2) Forward-thinking

Effective managers do not stand still. They are always growing, always looking forward.

For them, success is just fuel to improve, and failure is an opportunity to learn and avoid repeat mistakes.

They are relentless when it comes to innovation: they recognize trends, the importance of future generations, and consider how to best position their club to take the opportunity they present.

As golf and particularly private clubs move ever more towards service and experience, the most forward-thinking club managers are tuned into three important things:

  • Continuous investment in the property (and the areas in which to invest)
  • Attracting, training and motivating the right people for their team
  • Perfecting operational execution to create the ultimate experience for members and guests

3) Welcomes accountability

A high performing club manager never waivers when it comes to being accountable and holding oneself to exceptional standards of integrity and honesty.

While moral and ethical accountability is of paramount importance, so too is business accountability.

Successful managers engage in business intelligence and the ability to root decisions in evidence and fact. They embrace performance targets, and motivate their team to meet them.

More broadly, outstanding club managers welcome the existence of a strategic plan to determine the direction of travel, underpin all that they do, and provide a vision for the future they can unite the entire club behind.

To perform such a complex and varied role, a club manager will need an armory of attributes – not just three. But these traits should serve as a good foundation for what it takes to be an outstanding private club manager and help to safeguard your club from choosing the wrong candidate.

Recovering from the missteps of inadequate leadership can be an enormous burden, so if your club needs guidance in the recruitment of a new club manager or leader, please connect with me for an informal discussion.

Connect with Patrick DeLozier

Strategic Intelligence at Work

Date:

Guest author – Lonnie Lister, General Manager, Portland Golf Club

Lonnie Lister attended the University of Arizona for a degree in music education.  He worked on the wait staff at private clubs during his college summers and found that he was drawn more to club management than to a music career. Prior to joining PGC as its GM in January 2017, Lonnie was the GM at Skyline Country Club in Tucson, AZ where he spent 23 years working in various areas of the Club. Lonnie is active in CMAA and has served on the board of the Greater Southwest Chapter.

Portland Golf Club has a rich history, but like other private clubs it faces ongoing challenges.

The city of Portland has grown tremendously over the last decade, leading to dramatic shifts in both the market and demographics.

While this growth brings opportunity, it also brings about change.  For us that change impacts a number of areas – specifically around membership recruitment and retention; staff hiring and retention, and being able to control operating costs without compromising the service we provide to members.

With this in mind, the board of Portland Golf Club voted last year to adopt GGA’s Strategic Intelligence (“SI”) platform, which features several components: a Market Scan, a Member Survey, and an assessment of the Club’s “Operational Vital Signs” which compares our performance to clubs of similar stature both within our market and in other markets.

Selective targeting

The initial Market Scan, which revealed potential member households within a two to five-mile radius of the Club, was fascinating.  We learned that within a five-mile radius of Portland Golf Club there are more than double the number of golfing households than is typical for private clubs nationally.  That was a welcome surprise.

Though our Club is still very selective, the Market Scan revealed that there was much more potential for outreach than we’d been aware of before.

As membership recruitment and retention was our number one issue, what we learned inspired us to send a “welcome letter” from the Club to home buyers in our prime market neighborhoods.  This was not a recruitment package, but rather a gently informational welcome note – letting people who might be new to Portland know that this wonderful club exists nearby.

Taking the time to listen

As a club manager, one can often find themselves guilty of favoring (or at least focusing on) one ‘R’ over the other – namely, recruitment over retention.

But retention can fuel recruitment.

A Member Survey can inform what changes are necessary based on the actual needs that current members identify, which is vastly more effective.  And the satisfaction and sense of positivity this can create reverberates beyond the four walls of the clubhouse.

What was critical for us was surveying our membership in a way that was specific to the Club, not just a broad-brush approach.  This meant we could directly address concerns of our membership and maximize the effectiveness and insights of the survey.  Already this has delivered responses that are candid and honest, and provided a robust foundation to inform strategic decisions.

Reassuring the Board

The SI platform has also been incredibly helpful in reassuring the Board that the Club is operating efficiently.

We can see in the Operational Vital Signs report that in almost every measure Portland Golf Club is performing well.  Where we find anomalies, we can take a closer look to understand what these are, and we can then decide if they are something we need to act upon or factor into our strategic decisions.

One such anomaly we found at Portland Golf Club was that most golfers prefer to walk, explaining why our cart revenue is below national benchmarks.  This is not a trend we see changing, so rather than acquire more carts or attempt to upsell them at every opportunity, we decided to focus our efforts in other, more fertile areas for business development.

Going deeper

There’s no doubt Portland Golf Club has embarked on a journey which places strategic intelligence at the forefront of the decisions we make.

Now we are in the second year of our SI subscription and have engaged in a Market Analysis to take a deeper look into what we learned from the original Market Scan.

As analysis looks at trends, rather than simply a snapshot of the market, this will allow us to plan better in what is clearly a fast-changing region.

Portland’s metro region now numbers more than 2.4 million people.  Almost 50% of the adult population has a college degree, and in Portland Golf Club’s primary market areas that percentage is even higher.

Armed with this knowledge, we can embark on our membership recruitment and retention activity with a clear sense of who our prospective customers are and where they are situated in relation to the Club.

Empowering the manager

Given my history working in a number of different roles in the club environment, I have always felt very comfortable on the operational side of the business.  However, the three most important issues we face at Portland Golf Club are all byproducts of local market growth outside of our Club’s operations.

Strategic research is providing us with data and insights we need to address each of these issues and is helping the Club in both the short and long-term.

This journey is changing the way I think and the way our team strategizes.  It provides me with more data than I have ever had available to me at other clubs and is full of relevant information that we depend on daily.  Our management team and committees routinely refer to the intelligence reports, our budgeting process benefits from the availability of current data to support assumptions, and our Board meetings are more productive and efficient.

I now feel that there is a greater connection between the service we deliver on the ground to the level and breadth of service prospective members are looking for – because we are armed with the data and knowledge to have confidence to be more aware of market needs.

Moving forward

So, where do we go from here?  Whereas before we were a Club reacting to changes and adjusting plans for the following year, now we are a club looking 2, 3, 4, even 10 years into the future.

For a time, it felt as though the city of Portland’s growth was getting away from us.  Now, we are ready for how it will develop and who will move here, giving us the ability to refine the value proposition that this Club offers them both now and well into the future.

Learn more about Strategic Intelligence here. 

Menu