Leadership is one of my favorite topics. I love to read about it, talk about it and see it in action. I also enjoy quotes of all kinds that relate to success and leadership and I try to incorporate them into my daily life. I felt compelled to post about one of the books I am reading that is filled with unique insights into leadership and action. It is a must read for those of you who dig leadership. Managing People is Like Herding Cats is quickly become one of my favorite books.
Essentially, the books is a quick look at today's society. It reiterates that our concern with the bottom line is our biggest hurdle in creating change and moving forward. One of my mentors and I talk frequently about this very topic and the extent of our conversations always came back to a simple concept: Offense versus Defense. Are we playing with house money or our own?
Instead of playing to win and taking chances on failure, people are constantly playing not to lose. We constantly try to manage the factors we can control rather than seek the unknown. This can be seen throughout our daily lives. How is it that we take this step into the unknown and challenge the status quo? The answer: Leadership. Today's leaders are much different than the leaders of years past. Take, for instance, Dr. Martin Luther King. How was one man able to influence and inspire thousands to join him in his quest for equality? Dr. King could paint a picture so eloquently that everyone he spoke to could see his vision come to life before their eyes. It was easy to hop on the bandwagon because his vision was so clear and his confidence in the vision was infectious.
All it takes is one person to envision the unknown as something different and then believe it wholeheartedly. That's what makes leaders different. They don't sit around and talk about change. They act on it and sell change to everyone around them. The most important aspect in all of this is that their vision is unwavering. The same answer, the same picture, every time.
Being a confident person and an optimist, there are few challenges in this world I am not
willing to take on. I love ideation and futuristic thinking. One of my new favorite quotes from this book comes from E.B. White who once said "I wake up every morning determined both to change the world and have one hell of a good time."
I wonder how much further we would all go in life with that kind of attitude? To me, thats pretty powerful and the kind of attitude I wish more people had. There is always room for improvement, and it is unfortunate that so many folks out there are scared of what they might find by trying something different.
What is encouraging to me as a young manager is that leaders of change are out there. Fortunately enough several of them reside within the Private Club industry. Leaders who bring out the best in others with everything that they do. I have had the great fortune of working with a few of these leaders and embarking on their journey through the future. Not five minutes into a conversation with them have I felt so energized and motivated to achieve greatness. Highly intelligent, witty, organized, creative and humble. These gentlemen know what they want. They can paint their picture so clearly, everything they do just makes sense. It's as if there is no questioning their success.
Though I am new to this whole leadership thing, I am beginning to see things from a new perspective as I continue to learn. While I want to be my own person, I know who I want to model myself after. Decisiveness and belief in ones vision will help me get there. I definitely recommend reading Managing People is Like Herding Cats. After reading it, I think i'm ready to start painting pictures.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Service to Leaders: How would it be if you had ten great minds to help...
Great Post by one of my mentors in the industry. Would love to start a P-10 group of my own sometime.
Service to Leaders: How would it be if you had ten great minds to help...: "Power-Thinking Times Ten: The Club Leadership Mastermind Group - How would it be if you had ten great minds working on the tough issues in y..."
Service to Leaders: How would it be if you had ten great minds to help...: "Power-Thinking Times Ten: The Club Leadership Mastermind Group - How would it be if you had ten great minds working on the tough issues in y..."
Monday, May 9, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Rome...It wasn't built in a day.
As summer draws near, I think it is a good time to let everyone in on a few of the things we have been working on in the F&B Department. If you haven't heard by now, the "admin fee" associated with a la carte dining will be dropped on May 1. Along with this change, several new programs will also be launched beginning in May.
Our staff will begin utilizing the latest in point of sale technology with a system known as IBS. This system replaces our old POS system, Jonas, of 11 years and will be a great tool not only for record keeping, but also server efficiency and accuracy in placing orders. From a user friendliness standpoint, it will also help the management team in updating information and utilizing various technologies available today. Many inconsistencies can be found throughout the old system and having this more up-to-date information will allow us to operate more effectively and efficiently.
The "New Menu" has been well accepted thus far from my estimation and we have been scrutinizing the items that are selling and those that aren't for the past month. At the same time, we are getting member feedback on items they would like to see changed or offered. A few revisions have since been made to the "New Menu" that will hopefully show our members that we are, indeed, listening to their needs and wants as well as taking the time to provide a quality product. Many of the complaints we were getting mere weeks ago concerning food quality have gone down and the consistency issues have also been addressed.
It is important to remember that we are in a unique position as a country club and have a wide variety of members and preferences to satisfy. With that comes a number of suggestions and/or complaints about what we are doing as a department. Unfortunately, we cannot be everything to everyone and we have to pick and choose which business opportunities we pursue very carefully to satisfy the greater whole. They have to be right decision for us as a club and service provider. With over 500 members, we cannot satisfy everyone as much as we might like to. There will always be several folks we cannot please. If we are unable to address or act on one of your requests, please know that we are listening rather than just turning a deaf ear to each suggestion.
Over the last several months, I have heard a lot of comparisons of Manhattan Country Club to other local restaurants and chains. Whether it be the type of food or service they provide, it always comes back to one of two things. Either we are not doing it exactly like the other guys or we need to get back to the way things "used" to be in the "good ole' days."
I certainly understand where everyone is coming from because I know our membership deserves the best and believe me when I say I too want and expect the same thing. Please know that we are addressing the various issues associated with running a successful business one day at a time. It will take a little patience from everyone as we transition into these new systems and procedures as a club. In the end, it will be a much improved product and I have no doubt in our ability to reach greater heights as we begin utilizing today's technologies.
If you know me at all, you know I am not fine with copying the "other guys" and what they are doing. I'm all about fundamentals. I want to make sure we are doing things the right way before we get too far ahead of ourselves. I know that Rome wasn't built in a day. We must first lay a solid foundation from which to build upon and then we can take the world by storm.
I'll end with one of my favorite quotes "Leaders don't accept the status quo, they challenge it."
Until next time.
Our staff will begin utilizing the latest in point of sale technology with a system known as IBS. This system replaces our old POS system, Jonas, of 11 years and will be a great tool not only for record keeping, but also server efficiency and accuracy in placing orders. From a user friendliness standpoint, it will also help the management team in updating information and utilizing various technologies available today. Many inconsistencies can be found throughout the old system and having this more up-to-date information will allow us to operate more effectively and efficiently.
The "New Menu" has been well accepted thus far from my estimation and we have been scrutinizing the items that are selling and those that aren't for the past month. At the same time, we are getting member feedback on items they would like to see changed or offered. A few revisions have since been made to the "New Menu" that will hopefully show our members that we are, indeed, listening to their needs and wants as well as taking the time to provide a quality product. Many of the complaints we were getting mere weeks ago concerning food quality have gone down and the consistency issues have also been addressed.
It is important to remember that we are in a unique position as a country club and have a wide variety of members and preferences to satisfy. With that comes a number of suggestions and/or complaints about what we are doing as a department. Unfortunately, we cannot be everything to everyone and we have to pick and choose which business opportunities we pursue very carefully to satisfy the greater whole. They have to be right decision for us as a club and service provider. With over 500 members, we cannot satisfy everyone as much as we might like to. There will always be several folks we cannot please. If we are unable to address or act on one of your requests, please know that we are listening rather than just turning a deaf ear to each suggestion.
Over the last several months, I have heard a lot of comparisons of Manhattan Country Club to other local restaurants and chains. Whether it be the type of food or service they provide, it always comes back to one of two things. Either we are not doing it exactly like the other guys or we need to get back to the way things "used" to be in the "good ole' days."
I certainly understand where everyone is coming from because I know our membership deserves the best and believe me when I say I too want and expect the same thing. Please know that we are addressing the various issues associated with running a successful business one day at a time. It will take a little patience from everyone as we transition into these new systems and procedures as a club. In the end, it will be a much improved product and I have no doubt in our ability to reach greater heights as we begin utilizing today's technologies.
If you know me at all, you know I am not fine with copying the "other guys" and what they are doing. I'm all about fundamentals. I want to make sure we are doing things the right way before we get too far ahead of ourselves. I know that Rome wasn't built in a day. We must first lay a solid foundation from which to build upon and then we can take the world by storm.
I'll end with one of my favorite quotes "Leaders don't accept the status quo, they challenge it."
Until next time.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Good News
I would like to welcome Mallory Mitchell to our management team as Membership Director. I have no doubt she will be a great asset to our membership and myself moving forward. She will assist me with various member events and activities throughout the year when she is not actively working on member retention and new member recruitment. We are in the process of working on a revised Member Event Calendar that has more activities for couples, families and friends. More to come on that later.
I have been actively hiring lifeguards and servers over the past few weeks and we have had some great luck. If you see a few new friendly faces in the crowd, please take the time to welcome them to our team. I encourage you to be patient with them as they learn the ropes of serving at MCC. So far, they have been a pleasure to work with and all have great personalities that compliment our current staff.
Also in the news. You know that pesky "admin fee" on your tickets in Club XIX you didn't want to pay for in the first place? That will soon go away pending approval from the board. It has been a point of contention since its inception, from my understanding, and can make dining with us appear less affordable.
We want Manhattan Country Club to be our members first choice in dining whether formal or casual. Part of the reason our members join is to alleviate the waiting lines found elsewhere. It is our hope that this change will positively influence the perceptions of our product and its value. Once this change takes effect, a formal letter will be sent out to members letting them know of the change and appropriate action going forward.
With the launch of our new website this April, communication will become more consistent, accurate and informative. With the current technology in place, we have not been able to enjoy a unified voice with happenings of the club. I am very anxious to get all of these changes off the ground and see the affect it has on our volume and membership. If you have any questions or comments about these updates, please let me know.
I have been actively hiring lifeguards and servers over the past few weeks and we have had some great luck. If you see a few new friendly faces in the crowd, please take the time to welcome them to our team. I encourage you to be patient with them as they learn the ropes of serving at MCC. So far, they have been a pleasure to work with and all have great personalities that compliment our current staff.
Also in the news. You know that pesky "admin fee" on your tickets in Club XIX you didn't want to pay for in the first place? That will soon go away pending approval from the board. It has been a point of contention since its inception, from my understanding, and can make dining with us appear less affordable.
We want Manhattan Country Club to be our members first choice in dining whether formal or casual. Part of the reason our members join is to alleviate the waiting lines found elsewhere. It is our hope that this change will positively influence the perceptions of our product and its value. Once this change takes effect, a formal letter will be sent out to members letting them know of the change and appropriate action going forward.
With the launch of our new website this April, communication will become more consistent, accurate and informative. With the current technology in place, we have not been able to enjoy a unified voice with happenings of the club. I am very anxious to get all of these changes off the ground and see the affect it has on our volume and membership. If you have any questions or comments about these updates, please let me know.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
New Club XIX Menu
As you may or may not have heard, Club XIX is getting a new menu in the coming days. I can imagine that this practice is getting a little old by now with several menu changes in the past year prior to the arrival of myself and Landscapes Golf Group.
Our members have voiced their feelings about the current offerings and it is apparent that a menu change is necessary. The current menu, while simple and easy to read, has no real visual appeal to set the tone for what's next. We all know how disappointing it was to be handed the current notebook of a menu only to open it and find a single page menu with options on the front and back. The immediate reaction is "that's it?" First impressions are everything.
Some of our members dissatisfaction with the menu, in my opinion, can be attributed to the menu itself more so than poor food experiences. The menu surprisingly has quite a few options in comparison to other menus around town. One of the standards across the industry is that a menu be comprised of between 30 and 40 items depending on kitchen size and capacities.
On that note, it's obvious that the kitchen has had their fair share of inconsistencies in the past year. One of the things we have been working on in the creation of the new menu is finding menu items that are both repeatable and consistently good tasting. If any of you have cooked, you know how difficult it can be to recreate certain items time after time. You also know that some recipes are home runs every time. We are swinging for those home runs. We want a product mix that can offer members a great deal of variety without having to bring in 100 different single use items that are only used in one dish.
Pricing is another point of contention and certainly one we are addressing with caution. While our current menu is adequately priced for what folks are getting, the "admin fee" and tax thrown on top of the base price makes a once reasonable menu item look like an expensive sandwich or salad. Do the same thing to a steak or main entrée and it looks even worse. While I am not sure at the moment if the "admin fee" will disappear entirely, our friends at Landscapes are evaluating the numbers with a fine toothed comb to come up with a solution for this problem.
I certainly hope there is some excitement building amongst our membership and Club XIX. I know our staff is chomping at the bit to begin circulating the new menus and getting feedback. Once we start the new menu, it is our hope that the membership will start spreading the word of our improvements. Word of mouth marketing is our greatest opportunity to build our business and without member support of the club, we do not exist.
I invite you to come up for a visit in the coming weeks. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the changes we are making. While nothing is perfect at the moment, know that it is getting better all the time and will be fun to watch. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. At the very least, I enjoy getting to know more and more members.
Our members have voiced their feelings about the current offerings and it is apparent that a menu change is necessary. The current menu, while simple and easy to read, has no real visual appeal to set the tone for what's next. We all know how disappointing it was to be handed the current notebook of a menu only to open it and find a single page menu with options on the front and back. The immediate reaction is "that's it?" First impressions are everything.
Some of our members dissatisfaction with the menu, in my opinion, can be attributed to the menu itself more so than poor food experiences. The menu surprisingly has quite a few options in comparison to other menus around town. One of the standards across the industry is that a menu be comprised of between 30 and 40 items depending on kitchen size and capacities.
On that note, it's obvious that the kitchen has had their fair share of inconsistencies in the past year. One of the things we have been working on in the creation of the new menu is finding menu items that are both repeatable and consistently good tasting. If any of you have cooked, you know how difficult it can be to recreate certain items time after time. You also know that some recipes are home runs every time. We are swinging for those home runs. We want a product mix that can offer members a great deal of variety without having to bring in 100 different single use items that are only used in one dish.
Pricing is another point of contention and certainly one we are addressing with caution. While our current menu is adequately priced for what folks are getting, the "admin fee" and tax thrown on top of the base price makes a once reasonable menu item look like an expensive sandwich or salad. Do the same thing to a steak or main entrée and it looks even worse. While I am not sure at the moment if the "admin fee" will disappear entirely, our friends at Landscapes are evaluating the numbers with a fine toothed comb to come up with a solution for this problem.
I certainly hope there is some excitement building amongst our membership and Club XIX. I know our staff is chomping at the bit to begin circulating the new menus and getting feedback. Once we start the new menu, it is our hope that the membership will start spreading the word of our improvements. Word of mouth marketing is our greatest opportunity to build our business and without member support of the club, we do not exist.
I invite you to come up for a visit in the coming weeks. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the changes we are making. While nothing is perfect at the moment, know that it is getting better all the time and will be fun to watch. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. At the very least, I enjoy getting to know more and more members.
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