Documenting and Communicating Goals
Tapping into the club’s vision, targeting key objectives and being S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Framed) are the basic elements for determining and setting the goals for your club. However, in many organisations, this is where the exercise ends. And whilst this may assist with general or sub-conscious awareness, it doesn’t promote the importance of the goals and engender the passion, urgency and accountability to achieve them.
The first step in establishing accountability for established goals and promoting action to complete them is for managers and team members to document them. It has been estimated that a goal that is put in writing is 40% more likely to be achieved.
Documented goals also provide the basis for you as a club manager to review the
progress of the goals with your team. Recording progress towards a goal, on a regular basis, will keep it front of mind and also increase the likelihood of it being achieved.
Importantly, documentation is the source of communication. Documented goals can be readily shared with your team and others in the club, including executives and strategic stakeholders. Communicating goals ensures everyone is on the same page and efforts can be aligned.
The 3 P’s of Documenting Goals
When documenting goals, it is helpful to make sure they are:-
Personal
Positive
Put in Writing
Making goals personal helps with ‘buy-in’. The use of - our, your, you, we, us etc. takes the goal from the something the club wants towards something the team member or team group can relate to and set out to achieve.
We can create negative energy by saying what we are not going to do, but the effect is more sustainable when we are positive and say what we will do.
As mentioned, you and your team members will be more committed to the achievement of the goals if they are put in writing.
Defining Goals
Goals can be defined and phrased in different ways, and knowing the best terminology to use for a given goal can be helpful when documenting and communicating them. In thinking about what you specifically want to achieve when setting your goals, you may frame them in the following terms.
Absolute Obligations - for example - “All kitchen staff to wear hairnets and aprons at all times” or “No smoking on club premises at any time”
Averages – for example - “New Member applications to average ten (10) per week.”
Frequency of Occurrence – for example – “Coffee stocks to be checked every week” or “Member survey to be sent annually.”
Percentages – for example – “Waiting time for table seating is less than five (5) minutes ninety-five percent of the time” or “Team meeting attendance rate to improve by 5% to 95% by the end of the year.”
Time Limits – for example – “Member formal suggestions to be responded to within three (3) working days” or “All WHS accidents investigated within 48 hours.”
Feedback and Follow-up
Communicating goals is not a one-off, initial exercise. Monitoring progress and providing frequent and timely feedback is essential and reviewing goals once a year is almost pointless. By that time, the goal will be a distant memory, and there is a strong probability that the constant and rapid pace of change will have affected the operating landscape of your club. Your goals may need to be revised!
Reward and recognition are important parts of the process. When individuals and teams achieve a goal, it reinforces what is important to the club and highlighting and celebrating each success point along the way boosts morale and enhances job satisfaction. There are multiple ways to recognise achievements and reward them. It may be as simple as a pat on the back or a verbal thank you. Or it may be more formal, such as a club-wide announcement or presentation. Reward and recognition methods should align with the individuals’ preference and the culture of the club.
Feedback and follow-up are not just about monitoring progress, checking in and recognising achievements. It is also a key element to performance reviews and individual team member improvements. Historically, these areas have been left for the dreaded end of year review. However, performance improvements are much better handled and are more impactful when discussed in reference to documented and communicated goals. More frequent feedback about progress, achievements and development areas leads to increased team member commitment, accountability, and results.
Documenting and communicating goals helps team members and managers feel connected to their club and the club’s vision. And monitoring, feedback and follow-up are needed at every level because they highlight the accomplishments of the club. It is surprising what can be achieved when a goal is written down, communicated, and the process for achieving goals is executed well.
The Club Managers Association of Australia (CMAA) has been supporting and developing club managers to achieve high levels of leadership and management ability for many years. The training and development of knowledgeable and motivated leaders that are capable of achieving greatness on behalf of their clubs is a passion of the CMAA. To this end, they offer the professional certification - the Active Certified Club Managers Award (ACCM).
Individuals who hold the ACCM, have demonstrated that they possess the skills, have the range of knowledge and can model behaviours that drive premium results for their club.
The foundation stone of the ACCM is the Club Managers Leadership and
Management program, an online, training course, delivered by elevateB (a specialist training company) and independently endorsed by Australis College (a Registered Training Organisation)
The Club Managers Leadership and Management program has been modelled on the Diploma of Leadership and Management, ensuring it covers a full gambit of management and leadership topics. Importantly, it has been tailored and contextualised for club environments and day to day club management situations. To successfully complete the program, participants are required to demonstrate required knowledge, skills and abilities through application and activity submissions.
For more information on the Club Managers Leadership and Management program, click here.