| IHRSA Report | First Set ®
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association is a not-for-profit trade association open to investor-owned and member-owned fitness, racquet, and athletic facilities. Associate memberships are available to manufacturers or suppliers of products and services of use to IHRSA members.
800-228-4772 USA & Canada 617-951-0055 International 617-951-0056 FAX
ihrsa.org
healthclubs.com E-mail:
info@ihrsa.org
IHRSA Board of Directors
Art Curtis: Chairperson Millennium Partners Sports Club Management, LLC 617-476-8910
David Hardy: Franvest Capital Partners 780-953-4273
Kilian Fisher: IHRSA Europe Council +353-89-4322125
Chuck Runyon: Anytime Fitness 651-438-5000
Kay Yuspeh: Elite Sports Clubs 262-786-0880
Bill McBride: Club One 415-477-3000
Richard Bilton: Companhia Athletica +55 11-5188-2000
Carol Nalevanko: DMB Sports Clubs 480-609-6979
Brent Darden: TELOS Fitness Center 972-458-2582
Scott Gillespie: Saco Sport & Fitness 207-284-5953
Christian Pierar: De Fitness Organisatie +32 9-232-5036
Jasmin Kirstein: My Sportlady Fitness +49 89-201-4248
Robert Brewster: The Alaska Clubs 907-337-9550
David Patchell-Evans: Ex-officio GoodLife Fitness Clubs 519-661-0190 ext. 238
Competing to Win
The question is quite simple: Which is more important to an organization’s success— acquiring great individuals, possibly at the expense of having a cohesive team; or developing a great team, but, possibly, a team consisting of less talented people?
I was reminded of the issue—and the value of sports in exploring it—when, recently, I read a blog entry by Bill Taylor, an author, cofounder of Fast Company magazine, and a featured speaker at IHRSA’s 2012 International Convention and Trade Show in Los Angeles.
Art Curtis IHRSA Chairperson
I’ve always felt that the world of sports was a great laboratory in which to test management principles—the results are observable, measurable, and instructive at the end of each game, each season. Taylor’s blog, “Great People are Overrated,” rife with sports anecdotes, reminded me of some lessons I’d learned years ago as a player and coach. Interestingly, a study of outstanding Wall Street analysts conducted by Harvard Business School found that, when they left their team to join another firm, they weren’t as successful. The implication: the structural support the team had provided had facilitated their impressive performance.
The world of sports is full of similar examples of teamwork trumping individual talent:
• I once had the good fortune to work with the legendary football coach, George Allen, who was known, among other things, for his amazing ability to resurrect players’ careers. His teams, affectionately known as the “over-the-hill gang,” were always at the top of the NFL standings.
• In a recent essay on the management secrets of GC Barcelona, one of the most consistently successful soccer organizations in the world, The Economist magazine pointed out that the team has mastered the critical balance that needs to be achieved between talent and teamwork … And other sports examples abound.
I’m certainly not suggesting that talent isn’t important—it is. It’s extremely important! But talent, without teamwork, won’t prevail in the long run, and, during difficult times, won’t even carry the day. What I am suggesting is that you should invest as much time and effort and as many resources into developing your team as you do searching for that stand-out virtuoso. The best clubs I know are the ones with consistently strong teams—not ones with a few superstars.
Those are the clubs that become, and remain, champions! —| – Art Curtis,
acurtis@mp-sportsclub.com
ihrsa.org | NOVEMBER 2011 | Club Business Internat ional 91
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