It’s February 2, 1985.  A fresh faced 28 year old from Melbourne has just arrived in Adelaide, South Australia. He is about to embark on a career that in 30 years will take him around Australia and eventually the other side of the world to Washington DC.

 A career path that even now has some of his old Aussie neighborhood mates shaking their collective boof heads in disbelief.  But that’s another story for another time! 

 So here is what I have gleaned over my 30 year career in Management as a now slightly (ahem) less than fresh faced 58 year old!!

   Thirty years ago in February 1985 the new GJ Coles Adelaide Office, incorporating a"state of the art" fitness center, was built in an industrial suburb called Gepps Cross. Just across the road from an abattoir… lovely!!

    On a hot blustery Adelaide day, when the southerly wind blew, your nostrils would fill with the pungent odor of bull dust and the various other excretory by-products associated with dead bovine creatures.  Come to think of it, fast forward to today in 2015 with the World Bank Fitness Center only 3-4 blocks away from the White House, maybe things haven’t changed that much at all! 

     A faint whiff of bull dust has been ever present since I came here almost 22 years ago. Yes folks, be it Democrat or Republican bull excretion appear to be a non-partisan odor!

     I jest of course. From a 1600 sq. ft. facility with a weight training and Aerobics room  catering to about 110 members in suburban Adelaide  to 3 separate facilities of over 35,000 sq. feet with 5 group exercise rooms and over 3000 members in cosmopolitan Washington DC, the past 30 years has been some journey.

         During this time I have been involved in 8 major construction projects, advised many Corporations, and gained experience as a speaker and writer for international publication,s all while managing the day to day operations of some very busy fitness centers

        On a personal level, I have been fortunate enough to meet some great colleagues and members. Heck I even married one of them!

        On a professional level, managing people from the dinky di Aussies to an International Institution with over 140 different nationalities many of whom have never been to a Fitness Center before, has been a never ending learning process.

       Yes there have been some challenges, like the recent World Bank decision to explore the possibility of outsourcing, but as I tell my mates, I’ve enjoyed every day. In my mind I haven’t worked a day on my life over the past 30 years!

        You can’t ask much more than that! 

       So what have I learned that has helped me survive 30 years, in the every changing, and at times volatile, emotional business of Managing Fitness centers?

         Well I’m glad you asked!!

          Here are the 4 most important factors I believe are the keys to Management longevity.

         Success?  Well that’s for others to judge!! All I know is that I have survived 30 years with no major complaints about my behavior other than an atrocious sense of humor!

1.    Build Great Relationships!!

 The most important thing, I have learned it that it is all about relationship building. Whether it is with your work colleagues, members, volunteers, equipment suppliers, maintenance crew, or irate bill collectors. If you build relationship based on mutual respect and understanding you rarely go wrong.  As Steven Covey in 7 Habits says strive for "win/win solutions" and "seek first to understand then be understood".

  In terms of Managing staff, collaboration is the key and recognizing that not everybody is the same in terms of skills or motivation. Developing a set of Service Goals and Standards that are clear concise and agreed upon by all staff is a key to creating a great team.

  This is not an easy process but extremely worthwhile in the long run.

 The actual process is worthy of another blog in itself… stay tuned.

 2.  Build a GREAT product

 You can have all the great relationship in the world but it won’t mean a thing if you produce a lousy product.

   Notice I said Great not just good.  As Collins says in his best-selling book ‘Good to Great”, "good is the enemy of great”. You need to continually strive to be the best you can be and never rest on your laurels.  Adopting a philosophy of lifelong learning be it formal via education, certifications in the field or personal development via reading and seeking educational experience outside your expertise, helps one achieve this.

      This also means developing a thick skin and welcoming feedback about your product and yourself!!,   Feedback that sometimes is not easy to take. Again this comes back to relationship building. If you have built open, honest relationship based on mutual trust and understanding this feedback only help not hinder your own personal development and your product.

     Here is where goal setting, big hairy audacious ones and the use of Visualization come into play ,which again is worthy of another Blog in itself.

3. Have a sense of humor

      This doesn’t mean you have to be the local Jerry Seinfeld wisecracking on stage.

      My sense of humor is something I have had to modify during my time at the World Bank. I came to understand pretty quickly that the same ribald, gallows humor found in an Aussie Fitness Center is to use prevailing Management jargon not a “best fit” for an International Organization like the World Bank

         As a general rule I have found that if the humor is situational, never personal and with a tendency towards the self-deprecatory it is generally ok. You won’t always get a laugh but it definitely lightens the mood and makes for a more open congenial atmosphere.

     If people don’t laugh at my jokes I always blame my Aussie accent.

      My 2 older brothers tell me the reason people don’t laugh is because I’m not funny!!

      Hmmph, They have no respect those 2 .. never have !

 4. Always Drink Upstream from the herd     

   Will Rogers an American humorist and social commentator penned this quote back in the 1920’s. It applies the old farmer’s wisdom of smart animals and leaders stay apart from the crowd and don’t give in easily to Group Think.

   Drinking upstream where the water is clear and clean is much better than downstream where it may be polluted.

   The fitness industry is rife with misinformation and new trends and fads that are passed off as irrefutable fact.  Likewise in Management there are those all too willing to pass of their views as being the only correct solutions.

  This doesn't mean you should discount other people’s views, On the contrary if you have taken time to build relationships you will have many people willing to offer heart felt advice and you should cherish this as a sign of them looking out for you.

 However taking the time so sit back,think and make your own decisions and not succumb to group think is critical for a long career in Management

5. Experience life so that you manage with your heart!

 The Fitness industry like any field can be very narrow world, filled with its own esoteric jargon, social mores and modes of behavior. Remember with only about 20 % of the population exercising on a regular basis, we are outnumbered!!

 Taking the time to experience life through travel and mixing with people of different backgrounds and lifestyles helps us gain empathy and the ability to see the world from a different perspective.

  If the actions and decisions you make are from the heart, rather than “I am right mentality”, they may not always be popular but they will be respected.

Finally after 30 years folks, I couldn’t sum it up better than from the words of “Desiderata”the 1927 poem written by Max Ehrmann.

 “Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble: it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.”

 Here’s to the next 30 years. Wherever the journey takes me from here I don’t know but I guarantee it’s going to be even better.

 Thanks for being part of it !!

 Now it’s my birthday so where’s my beer!!