Gregg Patterson: Doing “The Umbrella”
You’re a WHAT???
Managers ask about titles—lots.
What title should I put on my business card that’ll let others know who I am and what I do? What title would provide a deeper understanding of the hats I wear—and stimulate a discussion to explain what I do? What badge could be worn, what title could be used that announces to the membership, the staff, the board and the world that this is my job, I wear lots of hats and my job is a BIGGIE?
What title should be used to educate the unknowing?
Club Manager?
General Manager?
General Manager / MBA?
General Manager / COO?
General Manager / COO / CEO?
CEO?
And what does the manager say when The Innocents ask them to explain the title they’ve chosen???
Club managers wear many hats, do many things and struggle to give themselves a title that “says it all” in a word or two. It’s tough to explain “who they are” and “what they do” in a way that the MBAs, Captains of Industry, Billionaires, Headhunters, the Board, Committees, Members and Staff can understand, appreciate and accept. The right title and the right explanation are critical in the board room, during committee meetings, hallway discussions, staff orientations and while negotiating “The Big Buck-Benefit Heavy” compensation package during review time.
A new title’s needed that captures what managers do, are responsible for, oversee and have mastered. A title that’ll stimulate questions and provide understanding.
Maybe a manager’s business card should simply say that they’re “The Club Umbrella”.
Huh???
Doing “The Umbrella”
Many jobs and lots of “must do’s” are gathered together beneath and protected by The Umbrella. Those who “do” Umbrella are responsible for doing many things with competence at different times, with different people, in different places and in different ways. They’re “deep generalists” who know a little about lots and “deep specialists” who know lots about a couple of things.
Consider these “I Do’s” beneath The Big Umbrella.
General Manager delivering the hospitality experience and The Warm Embrace to members and staff. They’re the head cheerleader generating Big Happy for the entire club community.
COO—the Chief Operating Officer. They handle the business side of the operation. Efficiency. Metrics. Numbers. Financials. Bank loans. Insurance policies. The logistics side of the club equation. They monitor the numbers and efficiently deliver The Club Experience with the least expenditure of time, money and resources.
CEO—the Chief Executive Officer. They think deeply about the future, identify strategies, smell out trends in the marketplace, research the needs, wants and expectations of the members and determine how to better align the club culture with what’s happening now and will be happening in the future.
Team Builder—the manager defines the team needed, finds and hires the right people, orients them to the club culture, establishes meaningful goals, provides tools and tactics, finds opportunities for staff-to-staff bonding, generates continuous improvements and stimulates “long time-big time” team loyalty.
Wave Rider—waves are the norms, paradigms, values, guiding principles and unique characteristics of a national culture at a given time and place. A Wave Rider is a “historian” who understands past waves and how they were ridden, a “manager” who appreciate the current wave and how it should be ridden and a “futurist” who’s trying to identify the wave that’ll be ridden in the future.
Flag Carrier—the symbol of the club, the example of the good, the highly visible someone who’s leading the charge, trumpeting the message and living the example.
Internal Consultant—who has a “Template of The Good” to use while auditing the club. An Internal Consultant has the eyes to see “what is” and “what isn’t” during the audit, can provide a checklist for getting from “here” to “there” and has the critical eye to see if what needs doing is being done in a timely fashion.
Professor—providing continuous education to the staff, the members, the committees and the board. They do the research, write the papers, give the lectures, inspire curiosity and energize the pursuit for “knowing more.”
Mender of Holes—identifying what’s missing, flawed or under-developed in staff, Boards and Committees and then, like a good repairman, will mentor and coach “Those-With-Holes” to fill the gaps and strengthen the fabric.
Trench Diggers—helping The Team do the stuff that needs doing when crunch time arrives. Park the cars. Seat members. Ride the mowers, file the papers, stock the shelves, pour the drinks and cook the eggs when there’s an unexpected event, COVID strikes, a hurricane arrives or a flood of business overwhelms the employee team.
Medicine Man—by identifying the holes in their own umbrella and by initiating improvements with the help of a professional paid coach, an unsentimental mentor or a Meyers-Briggs / Lumina Spark type test, the one-in-charge can see what needs doing, starts working on what’s wrong and begins the self-help healing journey.
Friendship Generator—Clubs, teams and communities are built on relationships, relationships are built on friendship and the club manager is the example of and the engine for friendship generation. The manager gives friendship, invites friendship and generates friendship by giving everyone within the club community—members, staff and guests—The Warm Embrace.
Club management is a BIG job with lots of “I Do’s” that need doing. The manager’s title should say it all.
The Umbrella.
Do Umbrella
Most managers are already doing The Umbrella. They short-change themselves when their business card says Club Manager—or GM–or GM / COO—or GM / COO / CEO—or simply CEO. They’re all of these things and the sum of it all is LOTS MORE than any one of these titles.
Club managers who do club management RIGHT do it all. They wear many hats. They’re a Jack of All Trades.
If you’re a club manager, you ARE The Umbrella. Shout it to the world. Be PROUD!
And enjoy the journey………………..
