Club Management - January/February 2008 - (Page 23) all businesses, and I see new, young managers setting these priorities and board members understanding that focus. CM: You have a busy schedule, and you’re married to a busy club manager (George Carroll, CCM). Talk a little about work/ life balance. LC: Both George and I are workaholics. We always have been. With both of us in the business, it has worked out well. We are very good at organizing ‘dates.’ I will call him if I have a free night and he will check his schedule, and he does the same with me. If both schedules work, we make a date – usually for dinner or a cocktail where we can talk about our day and different issues that came up. George is my mentor, and is always a huge help when I have an issue at the club or a decision that I have to make. I would not be where I am today without his guidance or insight. He was the one who convinced me to interview for my first club position. All in all, it works well. We probably bring too much business home with us, but the club business is a huge part of our lives, and we are both passionate about it, so it works. Most of our friends are in the club or hospitality business. The friends who have weekends off don’t call us much anymore. It is much easier for us to have a late dinner date in the middle of the week or a spur-of-the-moment get-together than trying to organize a Saturday night dinner or a weekend at the lake. CM: What advice to you have for a new club manager? LC: For those coming into the business in the future, I would say combine a business degree with a financial degree and do an internship in all aspects of the club business, not just food and beverage. Spend some time working on a golf course, in a pro shop, a spa or a fitness area. For the new manager coming into the club, take some time and learn the club’s culture and get to know the staff on hand. Don’t try to change things overnight. Be VISIBLE! This doesn’t mean you have to be there all the time, but know where you need to be seen and when. Walk the club every day, and include all the facilities. My husband is always saying, “Watch the little things!” The little things that are wrong are the things that will hurt you. The big problems are easily seen and addressed. And, most important, hire the best people to do the job and then stay out of their way. I look at my job not as micromanaging my department heads, but running interference at the board and committee level, so they have the tools and funds to do what they do best. CM: What advice do you have for incoming president Peter Homberg, CCM? LC: When I was elected to this position, I promised myself that I would try to hold the qualities that I respected in my best club president. One of those qualities was not to micromanage or come into the position with an agenda. We have the best staff in the world at CMAA, along with the best CEO in Jim Singerling. I have tried to be there when the staff or organization needed me, but otherwise, I have stayed out of their way and let them do what they do best. And they do it beautifully. On a lighter note, I have already told Peter to start lining up pictures! I was not ready for the number of pictures that I have been asked to forward to a variety of magazines and events. ❚❘ R EDKEN FOR MEN HAIR CARE STYLING PRODUCTS Younger Members want it Older Members will love it! Golf Industry Show in Orlando to learn more about REDKEN FOR MEN and Tri C Club Supply Locker Room & Shoe Shine Products G E T I N S P I R E D . S E E Y O U R S T Y L I S T. REDKENFORMEN.COM FORMEN www DuffysTriC com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • PM 12/5/07 7:30:57 23 355507_Tri-CClub.indd 1 http://www.DuffysTriC.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.