Your Work Environment May Not be what you Think it is – Part 1

Whether or not a health club will survive in today’s market will depend on one factor, the person in charge. In order for someone to become a leader, it requires more than a title and the sensation of power. The person in charge must set the example each and every day, they must act the best, dress the best, and they must have the most positive attitude. Some may feel that this is a difficult task to accomplish on a daily basis. Some may feel that some days they feel better than others and therefore, some days the club’s revenue is better than others.

Some may say that they couldn’t be “on” all the time. I disagree. It may be difficult, it may take a lot of work and practice but not only should it occur, it must occur. Not being “on” is not an option. Now there are some days where one may be more motivated than others and if the manager has done his or her job, the staff will follow the same mantra. The staff then has the ability to jack each other up to perform. An effective manager strives and studies on a daily basis to be a more effective manager.

Every time I hear a club owner/manager tell me that business is slow, revenue is down, and/or their staff is not performing, the first question I have to ask is, “what did you study today, this week, and this month to create the skill sets necessary to improve the club’s performance.” It’s not that you’re in a bad market, it’s not that time of year where business is slow, and your members are not cheap – most often than not, it’s the environment.

Are you jacked up and do you set the example? Can you find revenue where it has never existed before? Ask yourself the following questions to analyze the environment that you create everyday. Very few people have the ability to dig down deep inside themselves and answer the following questions honestly.

• Am I the happiest person I know? Am I a role model and do the people around me look up to me and want to emulate me? Do I set the example for the staff?
• Do I expect more from myself than anyone else could ever imagine expecting of me?
• Do I create a positive environment within the business that others are attracted to and want to be a part of?
• Do I have the skill sets and business background to manage and operate a business effectively?
• Do I constantly stress increasing my skill sets and education by continuing to learn from any and every source available?
• Do I have the ability to create a systems-based structure that will enable me to work on the business rather than in the business?
• Can I create an effective staffing structure to find, develop, and motivate staff to bring out the best in people and elicit even greater results than I could do on my own?
• Do I have the ability to analyze myself unemotionally and without ego to determine if my actions and reactions are the reason for the club’s successes and failures?