The Culture Wars- Mind Maps and Sydney Swans to the Rescue !!

It’s 8 a.m. at the World Bank Fitness Center in Washington DC, 3 blocks away from the White House and 3 Presidents ago in February 2007.

The morning “pre -work workout crowd “are finishing up their exercise routines while I continue my regular “Management by Walking Around “(MBWA) to connect and say hello to our members. I am standing  in the leg training area offering tips and advice  to 4 regulars using the Hip adduction/Adduction, leg extension and leg press equipment.

‘           “Slow down the movement, don’t hold your breath, feel the muscle working” I exhort with a smile in my voice.  I have known these members for over 10 years but they still appreciate the encouragement.

Suddenly Fiona a member for over 20 years says “Mike can I ask you a question?”  “Sure Fiona, what can I help you with” I reply, expecting a question regarding exercise technique.

However Fiona’s question wasn’t about sets and reps.

“Mike why is it always YOU that comes out and says hello and offers us advice? We never see any of the Fitness Staff come out and help us. They just sit in the back office on the phone and Internet.  What are they here for?”

With over 20 years Management experience I was rarely caught off-guard, reticent or lost for words.  I smiled and struggled for a reply.  In those 3-4 seconds, that felt like 10 minutes, something else caught my notice.  While the other 3 members might have been slightly uncomfortable with Fiona’s direct approach, their nervous smiles and nods certainly implied agreement rather than dissent.

“Well I’m always happy to help you Fiona, and rest assured I will encourage my guys to be more proactive. Thanks for letting me know.”  I replied awkwardly.

I then looked over at the back offices. Sure enough Fiona’s commentary, disguised as a question, was totally correct.  One of my guys was sitting staring intently into the computer while the other was on the phone laughing and “yucking it up big time.”  Both seemed totally oblivious to members during one of our busy times.

Fiona’s question could easily be brushed aside as one of those innocuous “typical member complaints.”  I didn’t see it that way.  And while Fiona’s initial comments may have offered some faint praise for my efforts I didn’t take any solace in them.

 I always believed what my old High School English teacher’s favorite sayings .With commentary or criticism “the sting is in the scorpion’s tale” 

In other words, the real message is in the final 1 or 2 sentences.  In this case with “We never see any of the Fitness Staff come out and help us. They just sit in the back office on the phone and Internet” the sting was very, very sharp!

Indeed I had to ask myself a tough question.

With over 20 years of Management experience and considerable training at respected companies and Institutions like Disney Corporation, The Ritz Carlton, George Washington University and the IHRSA Club Industry Management Institute ,how effective have was I  in solving the perennial issue at most Fitness Centers?  Namely getting Fitness Staff out of the back office, off their cell phones and Internet and engaged meaningfully with members.

This type of feedback was not new. I heard these types of comments from members when I started my career in Melbourne Australia way back in 1978.   The millennials so often the scapegoat for society’s ills can’t be blamed for this one.

I had tried nearly every type of approach to solve this problem.  From encouragement to admonishment, to almost draconian micromanagement by locking office doors and not allowing computer access during peak times.  Each worked for a short time until old habits resurfaced.

Another tough question emerged. Was the problem me?  No I don’t think so. I know I’m not perfect, but my experience as both a paying customer at 2 outside commercial clubs and visits too many others throughout North America indicated that if it was me, I had plenty of company.

There was another very important consideration. My staff then and now are all good people. I wasn’t in the habit of employing lazy individuals but the message just didn’t seem to get through. Old habits die hard and the lure of the cell phone and Internet is omnipresent.

            As the old saying goes “If you keep doing the same old thing you will get the same old results”.  To solve this I was going to have to look at a totally different approach.

Great, but what the bloody hell was it!!

Sydney Swans to the Rescue

One organization that had recently come to my attention was the Sydney Swans Football club in the Australian Football league (AFL).  The Sydney Swans, formerly based in Melbourne, had seen only sporadic and limited success since moving to Sydney in 1982. By the late 1990’s they were essentially bankrupt and in danger of losing their license with the AFL.

By the mid 2000’s The Sydney Swans had now gained considerable media attention by totally changing their operation to achieve success on and off the field. Much of this success was attributed to a much vaunted culture change.  The coaches had empowered the players to write their own code of conduct that resulted in what was termed the “Bloods Culture” a play on words of their previous club emblem in the rough and ready portside town of South Melbourne.

   So how did the Sydney Swans make such a drastic change from basket case to revered Sporting club?

The Process ( see the table  above for a step by step guide)

A key part of the process was a facilitated session where the players were asked 2 key Questions

1.     How are you perceived by your opposition and supporters?

2.     How would you like to be perceived by your opposition and supporters?

Using this framework and a Mind Map format I reworded these 2 questions and asked my staff the following 2 questions.

1. Given Fiona’s comments and looking that specific example what words do you think members would use to describe us?

This was a tough session where we had to be brutally honest. Using the mind map format of one word answers branching out form a central idea the following words came up… Lazy, uninterested, arrogant, selfish, and unprofessional and a final clip to jaw for yours truly, poorly managed.

2. The second part of the question then was how would you like to be perceived by our members?

Again using the mind map format words like professional, caring, knowledgeable, helpful, kind, proactive and approachable came up as desirable.

After this session we recognized that there was a big gap in how the members perceived us and how we would like to be perceived. The visual power of a Mind Map on a simple flip chart cannot be underestimated here.  A clear contrast could be seen between the powerful perceptions of how members see us and how we would like to be seen.

Using the Sydney Swans formula the next question to be asked was:

 “What concrete, specific behaviors are we going to adopt to bridge this gap in perception?

            The next part of the process was to have the staff to go away and meet as a group to come up with specific verifiable behaviors that would address this gap in perception.

I stressed at the outset that they weren’t to come back with the standard motivational platitudes you find on the bottom of desk calendars. We needed specific behaviors to follow that would serve as our future Culture.

I purposely wasn’t present at this meeting but from all reports it was another brutal session where some egos may have been damaged but at the same time allowed for honest self-reflection for all team members. The team then came back to me 2 or 3 times with behaviors which I duly sent back as being too general and lacking are specific details on the behaviors required.

Obviously this was no overnight process or quick fix. In the end we came up with 10 written and one unwritten law which would serve as the template for our Service Goals and Action p

Being out on the floor interacting is important for all service industries there are many factors that make for a successful fitness center.  Essentials like punctuality, presentation Team work and Communication were also addressed.

The specific wording addressing to address our issue wasBe on the floor during peak times 6:30- 9am, 11.30 am-2pm, and 5:30-7:30pm. Interact with members and let them know that you are there for them. Of peak hours walk the floor every 20min for at least 10min. See if anyone needs help, tidy the weights, stretching area, move around and say hello to each and every member. Try not to focus on your favorites or fellow instructors!!

Was it Successful?

Yes I’m biased but I would say it was a resounding success. We reflect on the 10 rules in our meetings and staff training sessions. This is not just a bunch of words left hanging on a wall. It is a template for how we operate and the behaviors we follow every day

No it’s not perfect. We are still human beings and we all lose our focus from time to time.  By having all staff sign off on these behaviors they take ownership and know exactly what is required.

 How do we measure its success?

It is difficult to measure the success of this approach in purely statistical terms that would pass the scrutiny of the soulless flinty eyed corporate analysts that dominate our Institutions and corporations these days. 

Sure you can always do a member surveys but I am NOT one of those Managers who worships at the altar of the revered Survey Monkey.  In my view a genuine open door Management policy and active MBWA B will elicit more honest feedback like Fiona’s than any survey. Besides, people are sick to death of surveys these days.

To me and my staff the biggest example of the success of this system occurred in 2014.  The World Bank was undergoing stringent budget cuts during this time and decided to review the possibility of Outsourcing the Management of the Fitness Center.  This would mean that me and my team, many of whom had been with the program for over 15 years would be replaced by an outside consultancy.

Suffice to say the extreme backlash from our members with over 400 written complaints and even a video production singing our praises resulted in the NO OUTSOURCING. When people are willing to go to bat for you not by an anonymous survey but via their personal attributable comments you must be doing something right. 

Was our adoption of the Service Standards and Action Plan the reason for no outsourcing?  Hard to prove definitely but it certainly helped.  Highly unscientific but we certainly think that the behaviors this whole process identified and our striving to follow these results in great service and a very loyal membership

This was a lengthy process that took at least 8-10 weeks. It is no gimmick if you do it seriously but I believe the results speak for themselves. Moreover it proves that if you engage in genuine relationships with members the good bad and indifferent will get back to you. It is up to you to recognize that the Fiona’s of this world are out to help you not harm you.

Don’t shoot the messenger.  Get the message you are sending out to members correct first by adopting a set of behaviors and standards that will enhance and grow your team, your product and you as a Manager!