The speaker roundtable was presented by the Club Managers Association of America in partnership with Club Benchmarking, and was held October 24 at the Minneapolis Club. Speakers included Pat Finlen, CGCS, General Manager, Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif.; Steven Freund, Executive Director, The Landings Club in Savannah, Ga.; Brendan Walsh, PGA, Director of Golf, The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.; Luke O’Boyle, CCM, CCE, General Manager/COO, Chevy Chase (Md.) Club; and Jeffrey McFadden, CCM, CCE, General Manager, The Union League of Philadelphia.
On October 24, the Upper Midwest Chapter (which includes the Twin Cities and surrounding area) of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) presented a day-long speaker series at the Minneapolis Club. Attendees heard five industry leaders share stories of their success, lessons learned, and best leadership practices.
Joel Livingood, chapter education chair, and General Manager of North Oaks (Minn.) Golf Club, organized the event with Eric Dietz, CCM, CCE, PGA General Manager/COO of Interlachen Country Club. Dietz organized a similar event while he was a member of the National Capital Chapter in Washington D.C., which is now in its sixth year. The event was moderated by Dick Kopplin of Kopplin, Kuebler, & Wallace and presented in partnership with Club Benchmarking. Plans are already underway for the second annual event in fall 2017.
Speakers included:
Pat Finlen, CGCS, General Manager of the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif., challenged those in attendance to ask, “Where are you going with your career?” Finlen presented examples from his own unique career path, previously serving as a golf course superintendent and director of golf, to demonstrate how setting big goals can lead to big outcomes. Finlen also discussed his philosophy of management versus leadership in setting expectations for staff members by providing boundaries for employees’ performance, yet allowing them the freedom to make decisions and take action on their own.
Steven Freund, Executive Director of The Landings Club in Savannah, Ga., described the process he went through to renew the club’s established brand. Drawing on his experience as an executive with Ritz Carlton for 20 years, Freund described a five-step process he employed in his quest to make The Landings Club “the most desirable residential Club in the Southeastern United States”: 1) define direction and culture; 2) engage the people; 3) establish goals and metrics; 4) define market position; 5) drive member engagement. Freund reminded participants that no matter the size of a club three principles still apply: 1) The organization will never be what the people are not; 2) The people will never be what the leader is not; 3) All improvement happens project by project and in no other way.
In addition to some helpful golf tips, Brendan Walsh, PGA, Director of Golf at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., shared the success of his golf professional development program. Sixteen of Walsh’s former assistant golf professionals now serve as head golf professionals or directors of golf at many of the country’s most prestigious private clubs, and he shared that his success is rooted in four areas: 1) hiring; 2) defining expectations; 3) daily leading; and 4) evaluation.
Luke O’Boyle, CCM, CCE, General Manager/COO of Chevy Chase (Md.) Club tackled the difficult subject of ethics in the private club industry. O’Boyle provided the 10 ethical standards for hospitality: 1) honesty; 2) integrity; 3) trustworthiness; 4) loyalty; 5) fairness; 6) concern and respect for others; 7) commitment to excellence; 8) leadership; 9) reputation and morale; and 10) accountability. O’Boyle encouraged attendees to ensure their clubs had whistle blower, conflict of interest, and travel policies, and to make ethics a part of the discussion among the club’s senior team.
Jeffrey McFadden, CCM, CCE, General Manager of The Union League of Philadelphia concluded the day with his energy and passion for creativity and innovation. “To get what we never had…We must do what we’ve never done,” McFadden said, noting that his team embraces the “212° Leadership Philosophy” to create “212° Member Experiences” approach, combined with the club’s strong governance model.
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