In a challenging period like today’s the 2009 Excellence in Club Management Award could have special meaning, value and impact.
“Once you win the award, it’s with you for the rest of your life. I realize that and I’m proud of it. It changed my life. My name now is not only Archie Griffin, it’s two-time Heisman trophy winner Archie Griffin.”
This issue includes the final article on one of the winners of the 2008 Excellence in Club Management (ECM) awards that Club & Resort Business co-sponsors with the McMahon Group. (Articles on the other winners from last year appeared in our March and May 2009 issues.) At the same time, we are also announcing the opening of the nomination process for the 2009 awards, which honor private club managers for outstanding performance.
I don’t mean to suggest, through the quote from Archie Griffin above, that winning an ECM award is on par with winning a Heisman Trophy, or that it should be considered a life-changing event. But I have seen many previous winners of these awards accept them in front of their Boards, members and staff. In all cases, it’s been clear that they consider it to be very important recognition and a humbling and much-appreciated affirmation of their efforts and their careers.
Especially in a challenging period like today’s, when other types of rewards are much harder to come by and when in fact everyone’s performance is being scrutinized more closely than ever, the 2009 awards could have special meaning, value and impact for their recipients, and the clubs they are associated with.
So I’d encourage those of you who work in private clubs to take a moment to consider starting the process to submit a nomination for a 2009 ECM award on behalf of someone who’s made an extraordinary effort to help your club weather the current storm, or whom you consider to be an exemplary manager.
If you’re a General Manager, you can nominate someone from your staff for the “Rising Star” award. If you work for a GM whom you think merits consideration, talk to your club President to start things in motion to submit a nomination on his or her behalf.
By the way, Club & Resort Business and the McMahon Group have no involvement with the judging of the winners; the review of nominations, and selection of winners, is entirely peer-driven.
But if you or someone you know does win, I’m always available to help with the acceptance speech. To that end, here’s probably my favorite line ever when it comes to accepting awards:
“I don’t deserve this award. But then again, I have arthritis, and I don’t deserve that, either.”—Jack Benny.
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