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EarthWorks Podcast – 100th Segment Featuring Armen Suny

The 100th version of the EW Podcast features two of their most popular guests over the past two years, Armen Suny and Dave Wilber. In this segment they talk about about the state of the industry, and as always, end up with some very funny stories and a great conversation. Thank you to all who have joined as guests and to all who have listened, making the EarthWorks Podcast one of the most successful in the turf industry.

About the Armen Suny…

Armen Suny is a search executive with Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace. He was the superintendent at Cherry Hills Country Club for the “1985 PGA Championship” and went on to host six PGA Tour events at Castle Pines. He was the general manager at Shadow Creek for Steve Wynn. Suny was the assistant Superintendent at Merion Golf Club for the 1981 US Open and an intern at Aronimink Golf Club for the 1977 US Amateur. Armen can be reached at (303) 570-2741 or via email at armen@kkandw.com.

Suny’s education is in turfgrass management from Penn State. His experiences include: Golf course design (Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club, No. 1 new golf course in Canada, 2009 with Rod Whitman and Richard Zokol,) PGA Tour tournament director, and golf course residential project workouts.

EARTHWORKS PODCAST

EarthWorks Podcast – 100th Segment Featuring Armen Suny2022-04-25T14:33:47+00:00

Be One Percent Better, In 100 Different Ways

Staff_Attraction_Retention

As recruiters and consultants for the private club industry, we travel to clubs all over the country and hear the reoccurring theme about the difficulty of attracting and retaining employees.

Even as clubs continue to re-open post pandemic, attracting top talent is still the goal and to do so requires a paradigm shift away from traditional hiring methods.

Believe it or not, it’s a still a competitive labor market out there even with national unemployment numbers at all-time highs. There is no magic pill to solve the competitive market but there are ways to increase your success in attracting and retaining talent.

Many of the easier ways are as simple as making sure your club has a well-articulated value proposition for prospective employees and a robust benefits package but there is another approach that has caught our attention.

While at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant Innovation Summit in Cleveland recently, I ran into a local restauranteur who owns 13 fast casual pizza restaurants in northeast Ohio. I asked how his business was doing and he talked about the tight labor market and how 18 months ago his company did a paradigm shift on how the company views and is marketed. They took their cue from the pizza giant Dominos, he told me.

Several years ago, when Domino’s came back on the scene in a big way, the company branded itself as a tech company (still does) that happens to sell pizzas. Domino’s boasted of over a dozen different ways that you can order a pizza with technology either on your phone, computer or through voice recognition software.

Wow, a pizza company that says they’re not a pizza company?! Interesting.

Well, my friend modified this approach and said that he decided they were no longer in the pizza business but were now in the leadership business and happened to sell pizzas. He and his team developed a professional growth certification program for all positions in the restaurant from prep all the way up to regional manager.

The company created a professional growth path for its employees, and it has allowed them to attract and retain more of their employees. In the last 18 months there’s been a 15 percent reduction in employee turnover and are now committed to teaching each and everyone of their associates the business behind the business.

Clubs can certainly apply this same kind of approach and make it a strong recruitment calling card. The best clubs are continually adapting to the changing landscape of their members’ wants and needs, whether it’s building a modern fitness center with a quick serve restaurant offering healthy meals, coffee drinks and smoothies or offering prepared family meals to be picked up or delivered to members’ homes.

This same out-of-the-box approach to member retention must be applied to the employee value proposition if you want to stay competitive in the current labor market.

My high school senior daughter was so excited when she got a job at Starbucks. A friend of hers that worked there talked endlessly about how much fun it was and how cool it was that with a starting wage of $10/hour, and benefits, included a free drink each shift, one food item every time you worked, tips, a free pound of coffee every week, free Spotify, a 30 percent discount anytime and a subscription to an app called Headspace Plus that would normally cost $70/year.

My point here is that Starbucks’ robust benefits of employment package made it a “must have” to my daughter and her friends.

Whether it is by establishing an HR Committee laser focused on employee attraction and retention programming or maintaining a long list of benefits of employment, the best clubs in the country are looking for ways to be one percent better in 100 different ways in order to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

About the Authors…

Sam Lindsley is a search and consulting executive for Kopplin, Kuebler and Wallace. Sam can be reached via email: sam@kkandw.com.

Michelle Riklan, ACRW, CPRW, CEIC, CJSS is a career strategist, consulting and search executive with Kopplin, Kuebler and Wallace. She can be reached via email: michelle@kkandw.com.

THE BOARDROOM MAGAZINE July/August 2020

Be One Percent Better, In 100 Different Ways2021-06-25T16:27:31+00:00

Search Committee and Executive Recruitment 101

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Interestingly, the simplest of things can sometimes have a derailing effect on candidates, both from our point of view and, more importantly, from a Search Committee perspective. While one might think it obvious and even sophomoric to have to point such things out, the sad reality is that there are many self-inflicted negative impressions that are made by not taking care of “101” issues, including actual disqualifying issues.

So, a few things to absolutely remember if interested in pursuing a position, regardless of whether KK&W is involved, it’s with another firm, or a club is conducting a search on their own. Consider:

  • Assume that just about every Search Committee has an English major on it! Whether it’s simple spelling and grammar checks (beyond Word spell check!), formatting inconsistencies, or major gaffes where something just doesn’t make sense, great candidates can find themselves on the outside looking in if they haven’t done a good job of having multiple reviews of their presented documents to eliminate mistakes.
  • In the eyes of our firm or a Search Committee, the assumption is made that THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION YOU HAVE APPLIED TO UP TO THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER! If that is true (and why wouldn’t it be?), that means necessary time and care in presenting yourself — in submitted materials, preparation for an interview, understanding your strengths and motivations, etc., should occur. Too often, we or the Search Committee don’t get that impression.
  • There is a reason a search profile typically asks that you save documents in a CLEARLY defined and noted manner. Not being able, or more often, simply disregarding the most basic of instructions in this regard sends a message to us and to a Search Committee.
  • In our firm’s case, we ask you to complete an insightful questionnaire that provides much more information than a cover letter and resume. Search Committees appreciate the discernments they obtain from these questionnaires, leading them (and us) to better understand your leadership style, your approach to certain issues, and more.
  • Having subjective, non-quantified information listed as achievements are pretty worthless. For example, it’s great to suggest that “Member satisfaction improved greatly during my tenure,” but without validation, it doesn’t mean much to us and a Search Committee. Additionally, suggesting things like, “Food sales revenue increased 50% during my tenure” for example, doesn’t mean much if there isn’t a dollar qualifier as well — that could mean it went from $100,000 to $150,000, which isn’t nearly as interesting or significant as going from $2.0M to $3.0M, but without quantification, it doesn’t tell the story it likely intended. If you can’t measure it and convey the actual measure, you likely don’t want to list it.
  • Mostly for golf professionals, while very well intended to have members write letters on one’s behalf, the best references are done by making direct contact with references. In some cases, either our firm or the actual club one is looking to join is deluged with well-intended letter writing campaigns that usually only serve to ‘turn off’ the recipients who are inundated, sometimes without even knowing the candidates who are being represented. Again, following simple instructions, which are usually specific in what is necessary and required/desired from candidates should be what is done.
  • Thinking in advance about the “why I’m interested and how I actually ‘fit’ the desired qualifications” saves time and better presents one for a role. Applying for most every position we present simply doesn’t make sense; no one is a good fit for every role! And, while someone often says, “I can live anywhere,” being happy personally with where you are being is just as important as having professional competency alignment.

These are pretty simple and obvious reminders, but hugely important ones to best manage your career and ability to stand out from the crowd.

Kurt D. Kuebler, CCM, CMAA Fellow, is a partner with KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE, a consulting firm providing executive search, strategic planning and data analysis services to the private club and hospitality industries. Kurt can be contacted at kurt@kkandw.com.

Search Committee and Executive Recruitment 1012024-04-11T20:39:36+00:00

Job Search 101: The Resume

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At KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE we see thousands of resumes every year. We see some that have us shaking our heads at how well they are done and some that just miss the mark. We’ve seen extremely qualified candidates with resumes that are not nearly as professional as we would expect them to be that do not adequately draw a picture of the candidate’s integrity, experience and skills. It may be that for some people, it’s uncomfortable to write about themselves, and it may feel to them like self-promotion. Discussing and writing about yourself accurately to help a club determine if you will be a good fit for them is what you owe yourself and the club.

Look in the Mirror

Some questions to ask yourself:

  • How much time did you spend crafting your resume?
  • Did you have assistance?
  • Did you have it critiqued?
  • Have you revised it materially in the last year?
  • Do you think that your resume is excellent?

The purpose of these questions is self-explanatory, and they are presented to make you think hard about how much time you spend on this aspect of your career. If they made you a little uncomfortable then you’ve got some work to do. Sometimes, we all need to just stop and focus on the things that are important…and this is one of those things. If you haven’t put in the time and effort to maximize the potential of your career development and that next step, that dream position, then maybe you should sit down and evaluate your career goals and strategy. At our client clubs, we help create mission statements, vision, and strategic plans and processes to take clubs to that next level, but we rarely see candidates use the same tools to set their careers on track. Invest time in your career!

What are Clubs Looking For?

Clubs are looking for leaders! It really is that simple. Clubs are looking for leaders with honesty and integrity first and then they’ll look at the great experiences and skills as necessary complements to that leadership. They are looking for someone that they believe can lead the club and the management team, and can provide them with that superb membership experience.

Does your resume tell the club the kind of person you are, the kind of leader you are? If your resume is noticeably silent to your leadership and character, then you’ve done yourself and a prospective new club/employer a huge injustice. You haven’t given the club the material they need to decide that they want to talk to you.

Expressing your Character and Leadership

If we are to believe what we hear and read every day, our attention spans are shorter than ever before. If that’s true, then to make an impression with your resume, you need to get the reader’s attention immediately. One of the things that gets my attention and heightened focus is when a resume starts out with some sort of personal statement. That statement can be your Core Values, a Personal Statement, or something of that ilk. What better way to let a prospective employer know who you are than to simply spell it out? Put it in writing. Clubs hire people that they can believe in, so give them a reason to believe you and be interested in you.

Remember your Audience

The biggest mistake that I see with resumes is that candidates forget to focus on what is most important to members, the club and the board. Many resumes focus on all sorts of things that your peers would find interesting. But think about this: what does a club member or a board member care about at the club? Finances, visibility, leadership, whatever you think those important factors are, that is what you should be focusing on, not what you and your peers find interesting. A little bit of homework can help you learn about and target those specific issues and relate your experiences in dealing with similar issues.

Your Employment History

List your present and prior clubs’ city and state and add a link to their websites. Not everyone will agree with me, but early work history matters. If you started out washing dishes or in the bag room, or bussing tables, or raking bunkers, or in housekeeping, it matters. It tells us that you’ve been in the industry from the bottom up. It tells us that you’ve done these jobs and understand them and can relate to your team members more directly. You don’t need to go into detail about your early experiences, but do mention them.

When describing your present club, state key performance metrics that you’ve improved. Membership satisfaction survey improvements with F&B and other amenities are significant and tell a story that go beyond just numbers. When discussing financial improvements, utilize dollars not percentages in describing gains in revenues or loss reductions. Include staff retention and training, all those things that you’ve done to help improve the club and member experience.

If you’ve been through renovations/improvements, discuss the planning, presentations and successes that you’ve had coming in on budget, on time, and the impact on membership and revenues that the project had. You can even discuss the challenges and how you’ve dealt with them.

Portfolios

We are seeing more portfolios these days, and one of the things that we’re beginning to see being done successfully is to have a password protected online portfolio that is shown as a link in your resume. This allows you to demonstrate significantly more of your work product and skills without cluttering up your resume or overwhelming a committee.

Education

Save your education and certifications for the last item on your resume. Again, remember your target audience and that many of the committee members won’t know what these various acronyms and designations mean, so explain them.

Resume Accuracy

Always represent every aspect of your resume honestly. Misrepresenting employment gaps, education, and other experiences is inexcusable and will absolutely disqualify you from consideration.

Armen Suny is a Search & Consulting Executive with KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE. He can be reached via email: armen@kkandw.com.

Job Search 101: The Resume2024-04-11T20:09:57+00:00

Job Search 101, Basic Communication

My Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace colleagues and I are often surprised that so many qualified candidates that we meet, screen, and interview, seem somewhat oblivious to some key strategies that will help insure that they’ll get a better than fair chance to be considered for that next great opportunity.

Most of the time, when it comes to looking for a new opportunity people will focus solely on the subject matter of their resume and cover letter. In this installment of Job Search 101 we’re not going to be focusing on subject matter but on all of the little things that will make sure that your subject matter and you get a chance to be reviewed.

File Names
You’ve emailed in your resume and cover letter to a club, this may be your dream job, and you’ve named your file “Resume.pdf” or “______Country Club Resume.doc.” Are you getting the idea? Clubs and executive search firms may receive well over a hundred applications for a good job. Isn’t your resume more likely to be looked at, or even not lost, if it is named: “Smith, John Resume.pdf”?

Resume Contact Information
Now you’ve named your resume properly and you’ve gotten someone’s interest and they want to talk to you but you haven’t included your cell phone number on your resume or cover letter. They might set your resume aside and go on to another one; they may even forget to come back to it. Include your cell number and name on the footer of every page of your resume and cover letter. Make it easy for someone to reach out to you!

They’re calling you and you either don’t recognize the number or you’re at work so the call goes to voicemail. That’s where the problem often begins.

The Critical Call
The most common offenses:
Having the generic message, “We’re sorry, the person at (five five five) five five five – five five five five is not available, please leave a message.” Well, that’s certainly inspiring and makes a great first impression. Personalize your message!

Another and potentially worse offense is the “message box is full” alert, this signifies that you are poor at time management.

Another offender is the message that sounds like you were in a wind tunnel or with strange background noises. Review your message before leaving it as your public phone face.

Mr. or Ms. Monotone. Smile and dial! Let potential employers know you have a pulse. If your outgoing message makes it seem as if you have no energy, need a coffee, and are at the DMV you are not going to make a positive impression.

You’ve missed the call and go to return it.

Everyone is mobile today, so call back on your cell phone so that they can simply hit redial.

If you have to call from a landline and you leave your cell number in the message, you’ve made it less likely for a quick return call.

When you leave your cell number in a voice message, try this, “Let me leave you my cell number,” and then give your cell number and then repeat it, speaking slowly. This gives people a chance to get a pen and write it down. And then let them know that you’ll be texting the number to them.

Text Concerns
Candidates often send texts and the recipient, whether it’s a club official or a search executive, has no idea who it is from and has to ask who it is. Think about that before you send a text to someone.

The person that you are texting may not have you in their contacts. The first time you text them put your name on the text message and include your Ecard.

Follow up your first cell or other call with a text including your Ecard.

Next Installment
These simple common sense strategies on communication will give you and your information a better chance of getting noticed. The next installment of Job Search 101 will focus on the subject matter of your resume, cover letter, and more of what we’ve seen successful candidates do…stay tuned!

minihead-8Armen Suny
Armen provides searches for General Managers, Golf Course Superintendents, and Golf Professionals. He is available to consult on agronomics and golf course master plans. Most of his 35 years in the industry has been spent at Top 100 facilities. He has been a General Manager, Golf Course Superintendent, Golf Course Designer, and Tournament Director. He’s overseen Major Championships, PGA Tour events and golf community workouts.

Job Search 101, Basic Communication2019-09-04T20:00:30+00:00

LinkedIn 101: How to Build Professional and Effective Profiles

Would you find it useful to exchange knowledge and ideas with your colleagues without sending separate email messages? How about the opportunity to connect with a broader network of managers? Would you take advantage of a free online tool that provides you with a professional presence on the Internet showcasing your experience, skills and capabilities? Would you like to know when managers change clubs and update their career status? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this may be the time to join LinkedIn – the world’s largest professional network (currently over 120 million members and growing) or update your current LinkedIn Profile page (By the way, according to a recent survey, 86% of recruiters use LinkedIn to research candidates). This article provides some basic information to create and modify your LinkedIn profile as well as helpful hints to get the most out of your online LinkedIn online presence.

Get Started

If you are ready to take the first step – completing the online profile and making it public – click here to join LinkedIn. The link also allows you to connect your Facebook account to LinkedIn although I recommend keeping them separate. My Facebook account is private and personal and my LinkedIn account is my professional presence. If you are using Facebook as a professional online presence, you can join the two accounts. Please remember – LinkedIn is for professional, not personal, use. Don’t forget that this is an online presence that potential employers will review so keep it all about business and professionalism.

For details on creating a LinkedIn Profile visit the LinkedIn Learning Center. I highly recommend importing your current resume to assist in filling in your Profile fields. Here are instructions to import your resume.

Create an Effective Profile To aid in completing or modifying your profile, I have listed the following tips.

  • Write an Effective Summary. Think of it as your 30-second elevator pitch. List your accomplishments, achievements, and approaches. “This is what I can do for you.” Write in the first person, use key words that will help in the search process, and keep it brief – two to three paragraphs at the most. There is a Specialties section of the Summary that allows you to add key words and phrases that are searchable.
  • Include a Profile Photo. Although I don’t recommend adding a photograph on a resume, I highly recommend adding a profile picture in LinkedIn. A LinkedIn profile without a picture may be viewed as suspicious. A headshot of you helps to verify that you are real person. If you are trying to make new connections, they may not recognize your name but they will probably recognize your face. It really is a part of your personal brand. Upload a headshot that is in JPG, PNG or GIF format. The file can be no larger than 4 Mb in size and the dimensions should be 80 x 80 pixels.
  • Write an Informative Headline. In 120 characters or less you can add your brand or goal in your LinkedIn headline. This is the first thing everyone sees and it is searchable text (think Google search). Google “LinkedIn Headline” to get all kinds of tips on writing an informative headline.
  • List Your Current and Past Employment and Education. Add your current and past employment history and be sure to include months/years, just as you would on your resume. Also add your education in the education section of the Profile. As mentioned earlier, you can speed up this process by importing your current resume into your profile. If you are successful in importing your resume, most of this information will be entered for you. Just review and edit the information as necessary. If you are currently unemployed, list your current position as “Open to opportunities.”
  • Add Key Words and Phrases in the Skills Section. Fill your specialties section with key words and phrases that describe your career experience and work philosophy. Check the Profile pages of colleagues to get ideas.
  • Request Recommendations. Recommendations are references. They are highly valued and sought after by LinkedIn members and very relevant and useful for recruiters. Since LinkedIn recommendations are so important, I have dedicated an entire section to them below.
  • Make Your Profile “Public” and Customize the URL. Don’t forget to make your LinkedIn profile “public” so that it will be displayed as a result in a Google search and is available for review by those outside of LinkedIn. I also recommend customizing your public LinkedIn URL (for example: www.linkedin.com/in/yourname). This provides a more user-friendly reference to your LinkedIn Profile that can be added to your resume and email signature. Click here for instructions. Click here to view my public LinkedIn Profile.
  • Add Contact Settings. The Contact section is provides information to anyone who views your profile about what types of things you would like to be contacted for via LinkedIn. These may include Career Opportunities, Expertise Requests, Reference Requests, Consulting Offers, Job Inquiries, etc. You can also write a statement to your would-be contacts here.
  • Add Sections to Your Profile. Add the Organizations and Certifications sections to your Profile and then list all of the organizations that you are associated with and certifications that you have earned. There are other sections that you might also find useful. To add additional sections, go to Profile, Edit Profile in LinkedIn and then click the Add sections button displayed directly above the Summary section.
  • Add Websites. You can add up to three websites in the Additional Information section. When adding websites (which you can do by selecting Edit Profile) don’t use the default Company Website heading, instead change it to Other and then type the name of your club in the second box and then the URL in the last box. This way you’ll see the name of the link in the list which is more descriptive then just “Company Website.” You may want to use the other two website listings to display previous clubs’ websites.
  • Share Your Interests. In the Additional Information section of the Profile list your professional and personal interests. I like to add personal interests because it helps you connect with contacts who may not know you have something else in common.
  • Groups and Associations. Join useful LinkedIn groups such as CMAA and your local CMAA Chapter. Search for LinkedIn groups to join (click the Groups drop down box in the Search box located in upper right corner on the LinkedIn window) or look at groups that your colleagues have joined since the groups are listed in your colleagues’ profiles. Some groups are public and you can join them instantly. Other groups are public but the member must be approved by the group manager. There are private groups that you will only be able to see if you are invited to join. Show your interest in your industry by joining hospitality industry-specific groups which will be displayed in your Profile. Listen to what the groups are “discussing” and contribute to those discussions to build your online presence and establish yourself as an expert in the industry.
  • Add Applications. If you have extra time on your hands and want to add additional information to your profile, you can experiment with additional applications such as SlideShare Presentations or Google Presentations to upload presentations about your club or professional skills and experience; Reading List by Amazon to share your favorite business and leadership reads, or Box.net Files to upload and share your resume on your LinkedIn Profile page. These applications display at the end of your Profile. You access them by selecting Add an application at the end of your Profile (you have to be in Edit Profile mode). Add additional applications by clicking More on the LinkedIn menu and then selecting Get More Applications.

Find Connections

The main reasons to use LinkedIn are to connect and communicate with colleagues and share your work experiences online. Please find trusted colleagues to connect to – don’t connect to everyone and anyone. And, don’t just connect to someone because they invited you. View their Profile to determine if the connection is mutually beneficial. The quality of your LinkedIn account is based on the quality of your connections; in other words, it is about the quality, not the quantity of your connections.

To find people to connect to, click in the People Search box ( upper right corner of the LinkedIn window) and enter colleague names. You can then invite them to connect via LinkedIn. You can accept the default text in the connection message “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn,” but I prefer a more personalized message such as “Carl, I hope all is well at Happy Trails Country Club. I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”

Use the Advanced search feature to narrow your people searches based on a wide range of filters (such as Industry, Groups, Relationships, and Company). Click Advanced next to the Search box in the upper right corner of the LinkedIn window to view available filters.

You can also find connections by clicking on Add Connections under Contacts on the LinkedIn menu. This allows you to find connections (see the four different tabs) via your email contacts, your colleagues (others that work for your current and previous employers, alumni, and people you may know (suggestions based on your profile and existing network connections).

I mentioned it earlier but it bears repeating: Only connect to people you know/trust – it isn’t about the sheer number of connections, it is about the quality of those connections – remember, you are judged by the “company you keep.”

Continue to build your connections every time you access LinkedIn and update your profile. Don’t stop networking just because you’ve found a new position. Make updating your profile, and searching and communicating with your connections, an ongoing habit.

Acquire Recommendations – The Holy Grail of LinkedIn

The best part of LinkedIn for job seekers and recruiters alike, are recommendations.  These are valuable references for potential employers and business associates. Target close, valued colleagues who you have actually worked with to request a recommendation. LinkedIn Recommendations carry a lot of weight. They can be posted from board members, board presidents, committee members, employees, and other colleagues with whom you have worked directly.

LinkedIn will not show your Profile is 100% complete until you have at least 3 recommendations listed in your Profile.

There are several ways to request a recommendation. One way is to go to Profile, Recommendations, and click Request Recommendations. You can request any of your first level connections to make a recommendation. Follow steps 1, 2, and 3 and then click the Send button.

I recommend making the message more personal than the default which is “I’m sending this to ask you for a brief recommendation of my work that I can include in my LinkedIn profile. If you have any questions, let me know. Thanks in advance for helping me out.” How boring and impersonal! You should put some effort into this request since the recipient will need to put forth some effort to write it. When requesting a recommendation it is helpful to include suggestions such as a certain project that you worked on together or specific skills you want to showcase.

When a connection posts a recommendation, you will be notified by email. You will want to accept the recommendation to make it part of your profile. LinkedIn will ask if you want to reciprocate so be sure that you ask for recommendations from people you wouldn’t mind writing recommendations for!

A Few More Helpful Tips

Be sure to update your LinkedIn profile regularly. This action sends a status update to your LinkedIn network. At the very least, update the profile every three months.

You can use your LinkedIn Profile as a resource for your next job search. One GM, who developed a very comprehensive LinkedIn Profile including multiple recommendations, printed his Profile and shared it with the Search Committee of a club that he was interviewing with. The Search Committee was blown away by the depth and amount of detail and said no other candidate provided that level of information and depth of references.

To print your Profile, view it (Select Profile, View Profile) and then click the Share, PDF or Print button displayed directly above the Summary section. The “Share” option will send the profile to a connection via LinkedIn, the “PDF” option will allow you to save the Profile as a PDF file and the “Print” option will send the Profile to your printer. I recommend using the PDF option so you can save a version and send it as an attachment via email or print it from the PDF format.

You end up with a PDF document that is a nicely formatted, comprehensive listing of your online Profile page. The PDF file includes your Headline, Summary and Specialties, Experience, Certifications and Organizations (if you added these sections), Skills, Education, Interest, and Recommendations.

With their permission, I’ve included a few links to four GMs who have comprehensive and effective LinkedIn Profiles.

Chris Boettcher’s LinkedIn Profile
David Cecil’s LinkedIn Profile
Ian Fetigan’s LinkedIn Profile
Walther Vliegen’s LinkedIn Profile

Take the time to visit their Profile pages and then use the tips above to create or modify your own LinkedIn Profile. Don’t wait until you are looking for a new position to do it. Set aside time now to create and modify your Profile into an effective business communication tool. Use LinkedIn to build your brand – YOU – and connect with your growing professional network of colleagues.

IMPORTANT – Before You Update Your Profile, Do This

If you already have a profile and are planning to update it, I recommend turning off your activity broadcasts and changing who can see your activity feed. Otherwise everyone you are connected to will be notified that you are making significant changes to your profile. It might be misconstrued that you are currently looking for a new position. There are search software services out there that notify their clients when one of the client’s LinkedIn connections makes changes to his/her profile. For example, one GM made several changes to his profile and a member, who is in the executive search business, was automatically notified by a company called “Bullhorn Reach” that “Based on their activity, the following people may be considering a career move.” The GM was in the list of those “considering a career move.” Fortunately he wasn’t considering a career move and explained to the member that he was updating his profile based on this article.

To turn off activity broadcasts and select who can see your activity feed, hover your mouse over your name in the upper right corner and then select Settings. Under the Privacy Controls section, midway down the page, click Turn on/off your activity broadcasts, and then uncheck the box and clickSave changes. Next, click Select who can see your activity feed, and then click the drop down arrow and select Only you, and then Save changes.

Reviewing this article may have raised additional questions about using LinkedIn. Unfortunately I simply didn’t have room to discuss all of the details of this powerful online network, nor do I know everything there is to know about the service (LinkedIn changes daily!). If you have questions, feel free to email me. I will probably run a future article with more LinkedIn tips.

Also, if you have handy LinkedIn tips you would like to share, contact me so that I can share them in a future article. I can be reached via email or via LinkedIn. – LC

Other Helpful Links

LinkedIn’s Starter Guide
Great article on What Recruiters Look for in a LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn Learning Center

Lisa Carroll Lisa Carroll is a Search Executive and Relationship Manager at Kopplin & Kuebler, LLC, The Most Trusted Names in Private Club Executive Placement (www.kkandw.com) performing Assistant General Manager and Executive Chef searches. Through Carroll Quality Alliance, LLC, she Promoties Quality of Business and Quality of Life through technology and communications training (www.carrollquality.com). She facilitates CMI workshops at CMAA World Conferences and Chapters meetings and provides training and consulting services for Club staff.

Additional Source: Karin Durkee Karin Durkee, Military to Civilian Employment Services with Corporate Gray, manages social media programs to assist military-experienced job seekers in their career transitions and helps connect them to “military friendly” employers. Corporate Gray connects employers with transitioning and former military personnel. Karin is a social media guru, a fellow ukulele player, and my dearest (and only) sister.

LinkedIn 101: How to Build Professional and Effective Profiles2019-09-04T20:00:36+00:00

Social Media 101

I’m often asked by colleagues in the club business: “Should we consider integrating social media into our communication plan?” My answer depends on a number of factors. What is the average age of your club members? What percentage of your members actively use online social media now? What media do they use? Before you start using any online services you should know the answers to these questions. I have listed the most common questions about social media and answers below.

What is it? Social media are online communication tools used for electronic social interaction. They include a wide selection of services ranging from communication services such as blogging, microblogging, social networking, and events; collaboration services such as wikis, social bookmarking and social news. Multimedia services include video and digital image sharing and entertainment such as gaming and virtual worlds.

What are the benefits to the club? Social media provides a way of enhancing club communications by using another mode of connecting to your members (besides newsletters, the club Web site and e-mail messaging) where members may already have a presence. The benefits to the club include generating more interest and fostering communications while the member is off-site. This exposure helps to keep the club in the forefront of the members’ minds and informs them of upcoming events and happenings at the club. This, in turn, may generate more use of club facilities and corresponding increases in revenue.  You may also be able to enhance communications with your internal staff through the use of social media.

What are the benefits for the member? Members stay connected to the club and other members using the service even when they are not physically at the club. Member value can be enhanced by providing useful information such as changes in playing conditions on the course, golf tips to improve their game and upcoming events that may be of interest to them.

Are club members using it? I highly recommend surveying your members to find out if they are using any social media and, if so, find out what media services they are using. You do not want to implement a social media program if a low percentage of your members are not using it regularly.

Why should the club consider it? If a high percentage of your members are not presently using social media, there really is little reason to consider it. However, keep in mind that nearly three-quarters of all new members joining clubs are under the age of 56, according to Bill McMahon of theMcMahon Group. Therefore, it may behoove you to focus on your youngest members who are likely using social media as part of their online daily diet. In addition, social networking currently accounts for 11 percent of all time spent online in the US, and women over 55 years old are the fastest growing segment of Facebook users.

What are the pitfalls? As a private club there are several possible pitfalls to embracing social media. First, you have to have a staff member who is technology-savvy and understands membership marketing and events. This person also must be able to communicate well with members and staff. The social media person needs to publish club event information as well as provide useful links. The posted information must not only be relevant but valuable to your members if you want them to continue to monitor and visit the service. If you do not have this in place, your social media project may be doomed.

Also, if you use a public social media service you may be inadvertently raising privacy issues and other legal questions. For instance, your status as a private club may be challenged in litigation when you are using public social media services. To reduce the likelihood of such an occurrence, you may want to start out with a private account or use an online service through your current club Web site provider or a third party vendor such as Clubster.com. I recommend consulting the club’s attorney on this topic.

Read on to the next page…

Social Media 1012019-09-04T20:00:37+00:00

KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE Renews Executive Partnership with National Club Association

National Club Association Renewal

KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE renewed its Executive Partner status with the National Club Association for the seventh consecutive year.  The company also renewed its sponsorship of the Excellence in Club Management® Awards Gala for the third year.  KK&W is a leader in private club executive search, governance, education, training, consulting, and planning.

“NCA is delighted to have industry leader KK&W as an executive partner,” said NCA President & CEO, Joe Trauger. “Their partnership and sponsorship of the ECM Gala are fitting demonstrations of their commitment to excellence in the private club community. We’re looking forward to another fantastic year as partners.”

KK&W Partner Tom Wallace shares, “Dick Kopplin, Kurt Kuebler and I look forward to our ongoing commitment to NCA and supporting the association’s initiatives centered around advocacy, insight, and governance best practices for private clubs. Together, we can pave pathways for sustaining and shaping a thriving industry landscape.”

KOPPLIN KUEBER & WALLACE’s Executive Partnership benefits NCA members through education initiatives and investments across NCA’s platforms and services. Firm executives are regular contributors to Club Director and Club Trends magazines in addition to NCA’s annual webcast series and multiple committees. Recent contributions include:

In 2022, KK&W was the inaugural sponsor of the Excellence in Club Management® Awards Gala, recognizing the extraordinary industry contributions of private club general managers, managers, and chief operating officers who have exhibited outstanding skills in managing their clubs.

“We are proud to continue our sponsorship of the Excellence in Club Management® (ECM) Awards Dinner in 2024,” agree the KK&W partners. “As advocates for growth and leadership, we recognize the transformative power this recognition can have on elevating standards and fostering a culture of excellence within private clubs.”

Past ECM winners within the KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE team include:

  • The Mead Grady Award – Michael G. Smith, CCM, CCE, ECM
  • The Lifetime Achievement Award – J.G. Ted Gillary, CCM, CCE, ECM, CMAA Fellow
  • Country/Golf Club with Under 600 Full-Privilege Members – Thomas B. Wallace, CCM, CCE, ECM
  • Specialty Club – John“Jack” Sullivan, Jr., CCM, ECM
  • City/Athletic Club or City/Dining Club – J.G. Ted Gillary, CCM, CCE, ECM, CMAA Fellow

About NCA

The National Club Association (NCA) has been the advocate for the private club industry in Washington, D.C., for more than 60 years. As the voice of private clubs on Capitol Hill, the NCA ensures that club concerns are forefront when legislative and regulatory issues affecting the industry are being decided. In addition, NCA provides club leaders with an outstanding array of resources on club industry trends, governance best practices, legal and operational matters, and ways to strengthen club leadership. nationalclub.org.

KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE Renews Executive Partnership with National Club Association2024-03-27T15:36:31+00:00

It Was a Rocky Start But It Ended Well

Country-Club-It-Was-A-Rocky-Start-But-It-Ended-Well

Legend has it that trouble often comes when you least expect it. And that’s what happened at our annual meeting, where the new slate of board members was elected.

Our board members were selected the old-fashioned way: They ran for their positions against two or often three other candidates for each open seat on the board. Thankfully those days are past, and the majority of clubs now select their leaders through a nominated slate of qualified club members.

Earl, known in the club as a “problematic” member, was surprisingly elected the new club treasurer even though most current board members favored the other candidate. I was also disappointed since I thought the other candidate would have been much easier to work with.

My concerns became a reality when the day after the annual meeting election, Earl walked into my office at 8 a.m. Upon closing the door, he said that since he was the new club treasurer, there would be some immediate changes in our operations.

He told me that he wanted all bank statements mailed directly to his office and not to the club. He also said he was directing me to freeze employee increases or promotions. And he also wanted to see the past annual written reviews I had given all of our department managers. Somewhat in a state of shock, I asked Earl to sit down and immediately called our club president, who happened to live a few blocks from the club. Since he was still at home, I asked him to come to the club to address a rather urgent situation that had developed with Earl and me. He said he was on the way.

Ray, our club president, arrived within 10 minutes, and I briefed him on Earl’s directives to me as Earl listened. Ray then turned to him and said, “Earl, none of that is going to happen. You need to understand that you are a part-time volunteer and Dick is our full-time general manager who directs all day-to-day operations. As treasurer, you are certainly welcome to make recommendations to the board, but you will not involve yourself in operational issues. Understood?”

I could tell that Earl was a little miffed as he left my office, and Ray then gave me some good advice. He said that Earl would be the club treasurer for the next two years. Following that, he would serve as vice president for two years before assuming the role of president for two years. Ray counseled me to educate Earl on how his role as treasurer could benefit the club by tapping into his vast business expertise. “Dick, if you get to know what makes him tick, I know you can turn him into a supporter of yours rather than a detractor.”

I took Ray’s advice to heart and started the following week by calling Earl and asking to meet him at his office. He said he would be happy to meet. He was going to be at the club later in the day, and we could meet after he played golf. I told him it was important for me to meet him at his office and not at the club.

As I sat down in his office, I asked him what I call the “can opener question.” I said, “Earl now that you are the new club treasurer, I was wondering how I might improve my communications with you?”

He sat back, paused for a moment and then began to tell me a few of the issues that had been bothering him at the club. That was exactly what I needed to know. All relatively minor yet important to him and his wife, and easy to resolve.

I then noticed his Notre Dame diploma hanging on his office wall. My brother-in-law graduated from Notre Dame so we immediately started talking about their storied football program.

Earl then said, “Let me show you around our little company.” As we walked the floor through his rather impressive printing and graphics business, he introduced me to every employee along the way. It was obvious they respected and genuinely enjoyed working with him. That was the “soft side” to Earl I had never seen.

Our relationship improved dramatically after that meeting. I assisted Earl in his role as treasurer, and he relished the spotlight as we had a couple of very good years financially during his tenure. He was a great vice president and became one of the best presidents I ever worked with. After I left the club, he continued to reach out to me every so often to see how I was doing.

What I learned from my experience with Earl is that if you take a proactive role in finding out what makes your critics “tick,” as Ray suggested, you can often turn a rocky start into a positive, productive relationship. This much I know for sure.

THE BOARDROOM MAGAZINE – January/February 2024

“This Much I Know for Sure” is a regular feature in BoardRoom magazine beginning Fall 2022. Dick will share some of his reflections based on his 50-plus years of working in the private club business.

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It Was a Rocky Start But It Ended Well2024-04-09T21:12:16+00:00

It’s YOUR Club … But It’s MY Life!

It’s YOUR Club... But It’s MY Life!

An eager and extremely qualified GM begins a new job with a great club. The club president and board give the new GM goals and set initiatives.

Everyone is excited about the new working relationship. Within a year or two, the GM completes the initiatives set forth … yet confusion and frustration begin to arise in factions of the membership. Then those feelings begin to spread to more members. Soon the staff also begins to raise concerns that are then fueled by members’ frustrations … all because members and employees don’t know or understand the board’s directions to the GM. The problems snowball and suddenly the GM is let go … even though the GM did exactly what the board asked the GM to do.

This story may seem far-fetched, but this kind of situation happens over and over again in the club industry. All too often decisions are made to eliminate a GM based on emotional factors caused by gaps in communication and misalignment. When it comes to significantly impacting a person’s life, career and family, terminating a GM should not be quick or reactive.

Members and employees must be included in the initiatives the board and GM have agreed upon, or they will be left to make their own conclusions and assumptions. When objectives are not shared or not clearly articulated, it leads to a lot of behind-the-scenes conversations which lead to misinformation. When misinformation is fueled by emotion, things get out of hand and escalate quickly.

So, when bringing in a new GM, the board must share with the membership and staff the direction/goals that the board has given to the new GM. Transparency is essential so the path ahead is clear, there is a level of understanding and no surprises. During a transition and the onboarding of a new GM, widespread understanding is essential.

Alignment and accountability of the club’s constituencies (board, committees, members at large, employees, etc.) are crucial for a successful transition. Constituency groups may get overlooked or are unaware when boards only communicate directions, master goals and initiatives among themselves and the GM. Consequently, there must be effective communication, which is never easy, along with clear expectations and alignment between constituency’ goals, and accountability at every level.

To ensure alignment and accountability:

1. Schedule a board orientation that includes the new GM within the first 30 days of the new GM’s start. We have found this to be one of the most effective ways to ensure alignment.

2. Clearly define roles and responsibilities and tie them to the master goals, which the board sets with the GM.

3. Have a plan, data and information for true accountability. This document clearly spells out the objectives, tactics, accountabilities, time frames and costs, and it should be updated for each board meeting to ensure continued focus of this critical success factor. Essentially, use a performance management system to document the GM’s accountability and the accountability of anyone else in the organization who is responsible for certain aspects of the plan.

4. Communicate the role members and employees play in helping the GM achieve goals.

The GM must be aware of the performance management criteria. Scheduled performance reviews should occur regularly (annually at minimum, quarterly at most) to ensure alignment of priorities and that goals are being met. Master goals for the GM should inspire the performance management criteria.

Use an evaluation matrix to give the board a clear snapshot of the GM’s performance and provide a basis for decisions that may need to be made in the future. If predetermined performance goals aren’t met, the performance evaluation matrix should detail a specific timeline to offer the GM the opportunity and time for improvement.

When it comes to GM accountability, there should be a standard operating procedure for raising an issue about the club/operations/GM. The process should be respected and the results clearly communicated. The board must also be brave, prompt and communicate effectively the actions being taken. This is much more successful than the board defending itself or the GM after “shots have been fired.” Establishing
trust right out of the gate with members and employees is crucial. Ensure a transparent, data-driven process and follow up and follow through, recognizing that communication takes many forms for constituencies to fully understand expectations, priorities and overall allocations of money, time and focus.

Boards must be vigilant on the front end to create success on the back end.

For example: If pace of play is an issue at the club and the pro is out on the golf course actively moderating pace of play, then there shouldn’t be much shock that the pro is hurrying people along. And the pro most certainly shouldn’t be reprimanded for doing so. If the golf committee’s goal is to speed up the pace of play, then the members can’t be allowed to criticize the pro for working to speed up play. This initiative needs to be communicated effectively in advance so no member should be surprised.

Being good communicators and “playing offense” is much more effective than keeping directives closely held by a small group of members and the GM, and later being on the defense when people claim to be unaware of what is happening and why. People rarely win when they only play defense.

Clubs must make every effort to openly share expectations, provide data-driven feedback and identify areas of improvement with reasonable timelines to ensure managers are well aware of how their performance aligns with club expectations.

Club presidents and boards must consider the ramifications of just “switching out a manager” or making quick decisions without thinking about the lasting effect a termination has on the person, their career, their family … and on the club.

As a follow-up to this article, we will offer best practices for setting goals and creating a performance management system in the next issue of this publication.

BoardRoom – January/February 2024

It’s YOUR Club … But It’s MY Life!2024-03-19T20:08:37+00:00
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