CLUB #54 - WHERE ARE YOU?
Michael Crandal, CNG
AUTHOR: The ABC’s of Plutonium Private Club Leadership. FOUNDER: Christian Club Managers.
“Car 54, Where Are You?” was a TV comedy sitcom that ran on NBC from 1961 to 1963. It basically featured two fictional Mutt & Jeff type cops who just never seemed to be in the right place at the right time, or always in the wrong place at the wrong time. And, no matter how well-intended, all but comedic or unfruitful dramatic results were at the end of their ride.
(Hmmm — been there. Done that. How 'bout you?)
Thus — the dispatcher’s voice could be heard at the most inopportune times with the familiar phrase, “Car 54, where are you?” “Car 54, where are you?” “Car 54, where are you?”
In my visiting / working with many private clubs, in candid closed-door conversations with their “Dispatchers” (Leadership Team) — I’ve oftentimes clearly ascertained that many are all but paralyzed in a comedic parody (or tragedy) of where their club truly is and / or where they truly want to go.
All clubs need to ask ourselves, “Exactly where the heck are we?”
Simple question, huh? But, the leadership it takes to routinely examine what the answer may be to that question is easily pooh-poohed by clubs that have been deemed “successful” for a few decades. I mean – who really wants to voice in a meeting, “You know, we’ve been riding a wave of success for some time. So, we must be doing things right. At least we think so. BUT …
Is where WE think we are right now really relevant to a new generation of potential members and what THEY think about us right now?”
Club nowadays need to MAKE SURE that where they are right now is deemed truly relevant by a new generation of potential new members and their lifestyles. Without really addressing this, I liken trying to successfully navigate through the dramatically changing demographics and challenges faced by member-owned private clubs, to looking at those directional marquee signs that are in large indoor shopping malls.
- Lots of stores. (Clubs & options on where to invest any discretionary money and leisure time.)
- Lots of people. (Viable Potential Members)
- Lots of distractions. (OMG! Other priorities. Family. Career. Finances.)
But – when standing in that huge shopping mall with family in tow— all you want to know is where we are right now and how do we get to get where we want to go?
But, there is a problem.
Q: How can you know how to get to a desired destination if you don’t first know where you are?
A: This is really no problem in the shopping mall because big directional signs are clearly marked with north, south, east west borders and key "anchor" stores as points of reference. Then there is that great big red “DOT” that says, “You are Here.” Yes!
But, imagine if this sign had no borders, no points of reference, and just a blank white screen with nothing else on it but a great big red “X” that says, “You are here.” Huh?
And (think about it) it would matter not how big that red dot may be. Nor does it matter how small, new or old. Without reference points — it is both impossible to know where you are and how to get where you think you want to be.
Some clubs will answer that all they really want is for their “Red Dot” to get bigger! Hmmm — that thinking may sound good. But, it is unreasonable to think that simply by doing nothing different than in the past or by telling existing members to get busy and sponsor new members is going to get them where they want to go.
There is that common phrase of describing insanity as, “Doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result.”
Well — in facing the challenges of today’s private member-owned clubs this reasoning has made a dramatic turn. “Doing the same things again and again that used to get results — to a great extent, no longer will.”
Many club leaders have been riding a wave of believing that their tradition and culture of the past will simply, as if by sheer irresistible gravitational pull, compel a new generation of potential younger members out there is space to invest their discretionary money and leisure time to join them! Really?
Sooooooooo — if a great big number was hung above the front entry door of your club —— (Aw, for some inexplicable reason the number 54 just came to mind!) —— we just have to ask the question of ourselves:
“Club 54, where are you?” “Club 54, where are you?” “Club 54, where are you?”
Do you really know?
(And – please, don’t just point to that red dot on an otherwise blank canvas and say, “Here we are.”)
Remember what is out there:
- Lots of stores. (Clubs & options on where to invest any discretionary money and leisure time.)
- Lots of people. (Viable Potential Members)
- Lots of distractions. (OMG! Other priorities. Family. Career. Finances.)
BUT - also ... occasionally, meaningful ... not to be missed ...
- Off-ramps. (While never abandoning culture and traditions — side roads to remaining relevant to the lifestyles of a new generation of members.)
“Club 54, where are you?” “Club 54, where are you?” “Club 54, where are you?”
If you’ve been driving down the same road for quite some time on “automatic-pilot”, make sure you are mindful of off-ramps that say, “Relevant to the lifestyles of a new generation of potential members.”
(HEY! After picking up several great new younger members, with their happy family in tow, --- you can easily get back on the main highway of tradition and culture. Never forgetting that your newer members are now helping shape that tradition and culture. The road ahead never changes. Just be mindful of those off-ramps!)
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