All Change for a Successful 2010
“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things” Niccolo Machiavelli.
The inertia in most clubs; even “at risk” clubs usually has to be seen to be believed, but in my experience that’s usually due to one or all of 3 main factors and I have a formula I use for managing the process of change:
D (Dissatisfaction) X V (Vision) X P (Plan) = Change potential
In this respect Dissatisfaction is actually a positive force; i.e. the more dissatisfied the staff, management and members are with the current situation, the better- This is the ‘Why’ or the motivational factor in our formula. Few people like change, but we fear and dislike change that is imposed on us more than any other kind of change. In most cases the level of dissatisfaction needed to support significant change efforts must be quite high. Clubs do not take on change unless there is a very strong reason to do so. That reason may be competitors becoming threats to your business, sales levels dropping or any number of painful issues.
If the ‘Dissatisfaction’ in the formula is missing or insufficient it doesn’t matter how excellent the’Vision’ or ‘Plan’ is, it will fail.
Vision – The ‘Dissatisfaction’ above pushes the individuals to change but does not provide a direction. They know that they are not happy but don’t know how to make it better. The ‘Vision’ pulls the individuals towards change by providing a direction for change. The Vision is the ‘What’ factor of the formula. This vision is how you would like the club to be in the future. It should represent something that people really would like to be a part of and want to make it happen. The contrast between the way things are now and the way they could be after the change is in place can generate enthusiasm to replace the fear and dissatisfaction. Without this clear sense of direction and an attractive future to begin working towards, any change effort will be greatly hampered. People who do not know where they are going in their confusion will become another resistive force that must be dealt with.
Club alignment to a common purpose and vision is a very powerful force. Misalignment is a sure-fire way to fail. The investment of time and effort in developing a clear and comprehensive vision will certainly pay off. If the vision is not clear, situations will occur where people will have different understandings of the goals and aspirations that will clash or compete destructively, wasting precious resources, time and energy.
Plan – This is the ‘How’ factor of the formula. A high level project plan with the major activities, deliverables, and benefits can help increase the motivation to change. People often underestimate what it will take to bring the club from it’s current state to the desired future state. It is common to misjudge the amount of time, barriers, money, effort, training, communication and planning needed.
The three variables above must form a believable package that is supported by credible leadership. A vision and a plan without resources is just a fantasy. If the change formula stalls, the chances are one or more of the variables in this formula is the problem.
In Golf Business Turnaround, the 7 Essential Steps to Success, I take you through a very powerful step by step plan to turn your golf business around fast.
