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sage everywhere. It should be evident in your mar-


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Would Your Club’s Corporate Culture Have Helped You Survive the Fort McMurray Fires?


Fort McMurray and the surrounding area. As the fires crept closer to the city, 80,000 peo- ple were evacuated, followed by the loss of homes, businesses and infrastructure. It is during crisis that our cultures are test-


C


ed to the max. Corporate cultures, commu- nity cultures and government cultures are all exposed. For Fort McMurray, while the personal loss


will be huge there will also be an enormous impact to businesses. Many businesses have burned to the ground, employees have been displaced and customers are gone. It will take months if not years to replace


the homes, businesses and damaged infra- structure. Leaders of local businesses will be challenged to find the route forward. That route includes consideration for their employees and customers. The test will be tough. However, the culture of support, teamwork and resilience that appears to ex- ist in the citizens of Fort McMurray will serve them well. When you reflect on the culture of your


company, is it ready for crisis? How might your culture be improved to


successfully face crisis? What part of your organization needs the


most focus today to prepare for tomorrow’s crisis?


Carol Ring -author of Ignite Your Culture; 6 Steps to Fuel Your People, Profits and Potential


anadians, and indeed people from all over the world, watched the devas- tating fires impacting the residents of


a company’s culture, but just as in the fitness business this approach is rarely successful. Instead of the quick-fix, spend time


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gathering information about your workplace from focus groups, surveys and team meetings. Or ask a trusted third party to call and survey 20 cus- tomers for their opinions about your club. Once you’ve gathered informa-


tion, don’t let your findings just sit in a binder since “it’s the follow-up strate- gies that energize them and lift them off the paper,” says Ring. “Leverage, celebrate and preserve


the positive findings,” says Wilson, “and work to turn around the nega- tive ones.”


keting, advertising, selling practices, interior design, the way your man- ager, front desk people, group exer- cise instructors and personal train- ers interact with each other and your members, and even in your voicemail messages. Don’t consider culture a program


with a beginning and end. It should be a part of everything that employees say and do on a constant basis.


Forget quick-fixes There are always quick-fixes when it comes to strengthening


Think like a Kardashian Once your values and culture are defined, spread your mes-


Read “Still Standing!” on page 26 to learn how Fort McMurray’s oranj fitness studio’s strong cor- porate culture, based on caring and teamwork, is helping it to re-establish itself after its city’s devastating fires this past May.


between management and employees. Wilson suggests that company lead-


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ers skip the weather niceties and get a handle on reality by asking employ- ees helpful and meaningful questions about what matters to them most, whether it be a new system, program, procedure or piece of equipment. Ask “How is the new commission system working for you?” or “What do you think of the new vacation policy?” And leaders shouldn’t be afraid


to get more personal with questions about how they can help employees feel more energized on the job. “When employees feel a connection


with their bosses, colleagues and cli- ents, they’re energized and engaged,” says Wilson. “And people with ener- gized brains can spot places where their workplaces can up their game by doing the three things that matter most: creating a better employee expe- rience, creating a better client experi- ence and improving sales,” says Wilson. FBC


Is your company’s culture awesome or awful?


Questions for employees, managers and owners


1. Do you look forward to going to work each day? 2. Are you, your work and your opinions valued at your organization? 3. Are you appropriately compensated? 4. Do managers and employees connect regularly via informal talks and for- mal annual performance reviews? 5. Does your company offer perks and benefits that are valued and appreciated? 6. Are there opportunities for professional development and job advancement? 7. Does your company ask for and listen to employees’ opinions and value em- ployee input?


Barb Gormley is the senior editor of Fitness Business Canada, a freelance writer and editor, and a certified personal trainer. Contact her at www.barbgormley.com.


24 Fitness Business Canada July/August 2016


Keep talking Maintaining a strong culture re- quires a continuous conversation


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