The "We" Stuff

Fort Myers, FL: One Friday night here at Lexington, I was asked the question during dinner service by a member, “Who runs this place? Us or the staff?”

?It was in response to a rule I was enforcing at the Club. I remember going home that evening and thinking about the question I was asked a few hours earlier. My response to this member’s question reflected that this general rule provided a better experience for most of the membership for an upcoming event vs an individual, isolated request.?

?You never get a chance to go back in time to say what you should have said after having time to think about it. The reason I want to focus so much on this point is because I feel there is room for improvement and social commitment in this community. On one hand, collectively, you all are so warm, friendly, and curious about your community. When I try to grasp the pulse of this Club, this is your number one trait. This Club is at a crossroad. One option is to trust each other as neighbors and stand united and take pride in your community. The other option is to be defined by silos and divided groups.?

?The Island Club members and the Clubhouse members. It’s all I heard about when I first arrived at Lexington. I have served at multiple Clubs before here in Director roles and I can tell you what a broken culture looks like versus what a community driven, family-centric, positive community looks like. I can also tell you that I have been a part of teams that have bridged the two together multiple times over the years.?

?We need to bridge the gap and stand united as a community. There has never been a better time to do so than now. If we buy into that, we will accomplish great things and move in an entirely new direction for the better. People on the outside of these gates will say, “Wow, that is a great community. I want to live there.” Other people on the outside of these gates will say, “Wow, that is a great community. I want to work there.” The member who asked me the initial question at the top, “Who runs this place? Us or the Staff?” He’s reading this now and saying to himself, “what’s with this WE stuff?”?

?The “We” Stuff

?At that table on Friday night, I had an opportunity to explain how I felt about that question as someone who has worked for members that I have treated like extended family for over twenty years. People I stay in touch with to this day. I put myself and our team in the “We” category because when I signed my commitment to work in this community that is something I took very seriously. I already had a really good job. My commitment to Joe, my commitment to a new team to hopefully make them better, and my commitment to take care of all of you is what I signed up for. The Mission Statement is another significant factor to why I was attracted to this community. It is our job to build a staff and make decisions that delivers and abides by our Mission Statement. ?

?Mission Statement

Lexington is the premier bundled community in Southwest Florida. We are passionate about providing the best living and exceptional experiences for our members. Our team aspires to offer innovative activities and events along with unsurpassed dining options. We are committed to providing our members a safe, welcoming and fulfilling lifestyle while maintaining a sense of community and environmental stewardship.

??This Mission Statement was not written by Joe, or me, or the Chef, or Danny, or Pete or Jenn or Scott, just to name a few. That message is passed down and serves as a reference point to what characterizes our job descriptions day in and day out.

?“Lexington is the premier bundled community in Southwest Florida. We are passionate about providing the best living and exceptional experiences for our members.”

?To be the best we must manage expectations, we must set rules that tailor to the entire membership, and we must enforce them. Build consistency. That is what we have been hired to do as a team. In return, the membership at some point must buy in and support that leadership structure. If not, we will not only be a mediocre community, but we will also be a community that is not sought out the way I know all of you want it to be.

?Here's a fact. You all own a part of this special piece of land here at Lexington. You own one part of it. You and 3000+ members and 300+ staff members collectively occupy this space day in and day out. That’s what I should have answered on Friday night. We the staff with Joe at the helm are here to manage this space, advise on all aspects of Club Management decisions, and ultimately abide by the Mission Statement. It is our job to give all of you the best quality of life we can possibly do with the resources that we have to work with.?

?I don’t dislike this member for challenging me. Quite the opposite. I respect this member for having an opinion and having the know how to challenge something he doesn’t agree with or understand.

?I would like to finish with the fact that this team is here for you, and we will see this entire process through and then continue. This team will accomplish to the capacities of what it can accomplish and will do it a lot faster with all of your support.

?A big thank you to all of you who continue to support our staff. The best thing you can do with that is by showing up on property and just letting them know they are appreciated. There are a lot of financial concerns that come with these disasters but with less traffic at the Club the staff does feel the effects of this. For them to stay the course and know that better days are ahead also, that is a huge testament to their commitment to each other and all of you.

?This message today was about unity. As we approach the holiday season, we need to focus on togetherness, the power of positivity, and strength in numbers. The “We” Stuff. I look forward to seeing all of you around the community.?

?Happy Holidays from our Family to Yours!