INSIGHTS FROM FINLAND
Top 10 ways to get fired as a Club Manager All clubs are different, and there are many ways to succeed – or not – as the manager of a club, reflects Staffan Tuomolin CCM from Finland’s Sarfvik Golf.
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hen I worked as a General Manager for the first time 20 years ago, the auditor of the club jokingly told me, “It is the purpose of the General Manager to make himself as useless as possible”. All joking aside, what he insinuated was that it is the job of the GM to take care of the processes in such a way that the club didn’t rely on the GM being present every hour of every day. Okay, so this might not be possible in every club environment, but but I did get the point. There are many pitfalls to success in this industry and Boards can be quick to replace the GM if things don’t go as planned. So here are my thoughts on 10 ways to get booted from your GM role early! 1. Don’t mind the NUMBERS Being a GM is a numbers game. Numbers don’t lie. You can manipulate reports by including or excluding numbers, but when you have the right numbers, they don’t. You HAVE to understand the numbers, the cash flow, the investments, the book keeping to such an extent that you, and the Board, can make the right decisions for the club. Otherwise, you will be out. 2. Don’t mind the BOARD/CLUB PRESIDENT You have to be on good terms with the Board of Directors and especially the Club President. It is also your job to make the Board and the President look good in the eyes of the members. Gain their trust or be replaced. 3. Don’t mind the MEMBERS In addition to the Board, you need to gain the trust of the members. Educate yourself, be informed about the industry you are working in. Make them proud of having you as their Manager. Communicate clearly and often. Be visible. Listen to the members. It’s your job. 4. Don’t mind the STRATEGY Never make decisions for the club that go against, or undermine, the club strategy. This will, with good reason, alert the older members and board and they will immediately start seeking for somebody else to do the job better. 5. Don’t mind the CULTURE In my club we have never had tee-time bookings. My members pay premium fees to make sure they can just show up and play golf whenever they want, with-
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You need to gain the trust of the members. Educate yourself, be informed about the industry you are working in. Make them proud of having you as their Manager. Communicate clearly and often. Be visible. Listen to the members. It’s your job.
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out having to wait. If I was so much as to HINT in the direction of trying out tee-time booking in any shape or form I would be mentally executed by the elder members of the club and surely fired within days! So please, be sure to understand the core values of the club culture that you are in and protect those values.
6. Don’t mind your IMAGE In today’s world everything is on social media. Be mindful about what you post publicly and don’t make a fool of yourself or the club. Try to stay out of politics or picking sides. Be diplomatic and don’t become a representative for a smaller group of members. You have to represent them all.
7. Don’t mind the TEAM You have to have the trust of the people that work for you. If the Board asks them questions directly, you have to know that they will have your back. This requires spending time with your team and getting to
Staffan Tuomolin CCM know them thoroughly. They will have to know that you will be there for them as well, when needed. Pay them well if you can, and educate them. Their wellbeing is your well-being; remember that. 8. Don’t mind about the CLUB In the nordic countries specifically, not all parts of the club operation is handled in-house. You might , for example, have outsourced the F&B to another party, have golf coaches and pro shop operations outsourced and so on. It is crucial, therefore, to be able to hire the best suitable partners for your club’s operation so that the operation as a whole is up to par (or preferably birdie!) or the members and Board will not-be-happy.