By James Cronk
Important questions to ask yourself as you consider the future of your business:
How can I lead my business to the greatest financial success it has ever seen?
How can I become a better leader who inspires my managers to be exceptional?

How can I implement ideas and processes that improve the guest experience to create raving fans?
How can I get greater satisfaction out of my job, balance my life, be a better partner or parent, and simply, become more “Powered On?”
Well guess what? You can by implementing just a few strategies that could make the future a bright one.
The Power of On
Step 1: Take a look at your plan.
Do you have a clear vision of success? Too many golf clubs haven’t taken a good hard look at their vision for success.
Sure, 30 years ago it was all about cigars and late night poker, but a club today needs to ensure that they are crystal clear on who they are and what they offer and mostly, who is their ideal customer? If your ad campaign says families are welcome, it might be time to revisit your policy that says kids aren’t allowed in the clubhouse after 5 p.m.
Here are the 10 most important elements that need to be included in your 2019 Powered On Plan:
Mission: Who you are.
Vision: Who you want to be.
Values: What you believe in.
Operations Plan: How you will deliver your mission.
People Plan: Who does what and how will they do it?
Marketing Plan: How you will promote and sell your vision (a.k.a. making money)?
Capital Plan: What tools do you need?
Manager Plan: How the management team will be kept accountable.
Measurement Plan: How you measure success? What are your KPIs?
Reward and Recognition Plan: How you will celebrate success for achieving all of the above so that the whole cycle repeats.
Step 2: Take a look at your people.
During the interview process, the manager says,”Why do you want to work here?”
The candidate answers, “Because I live close.”
“You’re hired.”
If this has ever happened at your club, it’s time to find someone else to do the hiring.
The golf business is about people.
The better your people are, the better the experience of your guests, the better your business will perform. It’s simple.
Too often, we are afraid to fire employees who do not deliver a performance that is acceptable. We keep them because it’s easier, or because we don’t like conflict, or because we haven’t documented their mistakes over the past decade and they will sue us for wrongful termination.
We must get into the habit of re-hiring everyone each year.
We do this with an evaluation process for each person that will determine if they will meet your new expectations and remember a wise man once said, “Hire slow, fire fast.”
In his excellent book, First Break All the Rules, Marcus Buckingham talks about the ways to attract and keep great employees.
These 10 are the most relevant of his questions that you want your staff to reply “Yes.”
Do I know what is expected of me at work? Yes.
Do I have the equipment and materials I need to do my job? Yes.
At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday? Yes.
In the last seven days, have I received praise for doing good work? Yes.
Does my supervisor, or someone at work, care about me as a person? Yes.
Is there someone at work who cares about my development? Yes.
At work, do my opinions seem to count? Yes.
Does the mission of my company make me feel that my job is important? Yes.
In the last six months, has someone talked to me about my progress? Yes.
This past year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow? Yes.
Step 3: Take a look at your process.
Sometimes, a great plan and great people can luck into some success, but to achieve greatness day in and day out over the long term, you need systems and processes in place.
The world’s best hospitality companies have one thing in common. They have a process and a procedure for each and every detail.
The housekeeper doesn’t choose the part of the bed on which to place the chocolate and the cook doesn’t add another pickle because he loves pickles. Everything is part of a process or procedure (these are what I call Power Tools).
Listed below are the 10 best Power Tools that will help you achieve success:
People and Service Audit.
Goals and Objectives Chart for Managers.
Team Member Handbook.
Employee Orientation Sessions.
Job Descriptions.
Performance Review Document.
Defined Guest Experiences.
Training Manual.
Communication Process.
Employee Recognition Plan.
Step 4: Are you Powered On?
When is the last time you looked in the ‘career mirror’? Or self-assessed your own performance? Do you spring out of bed excited about another day, or do you peek out the window hoping a meteor has blocked the driveway? Are you inspiring, or tiring, everyone around you? In short, are you powered on?
Unless you are a bear, hibernating doesn’t work. We must wake up and face the harsh realities facing our industry, to shake off the weight of the past and get ourselves ready and willing to tackle the future.
My advice to you is to not be afraid to challenge the status quo. Decide that you will commit to looking at your plan, your people and your processes with a critical eye, not in an effort to be negative, but to identify each and every part of the business that could be slightly better. By setting your sights on greatness and by sharing that vision and plan with your team, you will inspire those around you to be better.
That is powered-on leadership.
James Cronk helps golf club owners, general managers and golf professionals by providing coaching, consulting and training services to meet the needs and budgets of any client. A speaker, coach and consultant, James delivers his Powered On message around the globe and his Get Powered On Blog is now being published on four continents. He can be reached at james@cronkgroup.com.