Club owners often note that staff are their most valuable asset, and, recently, given
C
the recession, many have observed that employees are also their most productive
investment.
But those are more than casual, well-intentioned pleasantries. Those, in reality,
are facts.
At any point in time, pleasant, professional, well-informed, and helpful personnel
have a greater impact on a club’s smooth operation, and contribute more to a member’s
club experience, than any other factor. And, in challenging times, they may well
represent the make-or-break difference.
That’s why staff educational opportunities—both internal, to keep a club’s culture
and values top-of-mind; and external, to promote the highest professional standards—
are critical. And that’s why many club companies, such as the Cooper Fitness Center,
in Dallas, consider education the force that drives their mission.
“Our goal is simple—to enhance our value by providing a better product/service to
our consumer base,” explains Brad Wilkins, the director of fitness management and
development for the Center. “It’s our responsibility, as a company, to be proactive in
the development of our people to enhance our brand and overall value.”
That, it became apparent, is very much the same philosophy that inspires and
guides many of the other leading club companies that CBI spoke to while researching
this piece. All concurred that their educational initiatives—their own in-house, as well
as professional continuing-education, programs—are crucial to keeping their employees
loyal, and to keeping their members coming back.
The Atlantic Club
sponsor four annual management pre-
Manasquan and Red Bank, New Jersey
sentations featuring prominent industry
Facilities: 2 clubs
leaders, such as Rick Caro, Ron Buckley,
Number of employees: 735
Robert Devine, John McCarthy, Casey
Members: approximately 10,000
Conrad, Klaus Hilgers, and Bill Parisi.
Annual training expenditure:
External continuing professional devel-
$125,000 to $325,000 annually
opment: “Each year, we send our employ-
ees to numerous industry events, including
“Our trainings have two primary objectives,” explains
ones presented by IHRSA, IDEA, Club
Patricia Laus, the founder, owner, and CEO of The Atlan-
Industry, and ECA World Fitness, as well
tic Club. “They’re provided to assist a manager with both
as local seminars for our key managers,”
their professional growth and their personal development.
says Laus. “We have a presence at these
For our company, education is a strategic priority, one
Patricia laus
events and assign key objectives to each
that the entire executive team and all of our managers
staffer who attends them.”
understand and support. Simply put, The Atlantic Club is
Laus’ clubs also tap educational resources outside of the
a learning organization.”
industry. For example, when she discovered that her team
Internal training: The Atlantic Club offers a wide variety of didn’t understand Twitter, she sent the senior-management
long-term trainings and workshops, including ones titled group and entire marketing team to an eight-hour Twitter
Strategic Management Training; Basic Management Skills; workshop. “Yes, it cost $350 per person, but the expense
Business Writing Skills; Peer Today, Boss Tomorrow; Time will be more than offset by our use of Facebook and Twitter
Management; and Team Building. In addition, the clubs in our future social-marketing efforts.” >
www.ihrsa.org | SePTeMBer 2009 | Club Business International
47
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