How to be a Strong Manager

"I'm Ivan Madar. I'm here on behalf of Expert Village. I like to point out what I feel is an attribute, another attribute, of a strong manager. A strong manager has to be flexible in dealing, especially in the weather of a private club. A strong manager is not the one who only interprets or enforces the rules and the policies. But a strong manager's the one who knows how to interpret the policy and apply them in appropriately. There is a saying that a long time ago that I heard "What are the principles of life? You should learn the rules so you know how to break them appropriately." Well this applies to tremendously to being flexible and running a membership and especially demanding membership in a private club. You may apply two different standards to two different people, but as a strong manager you should be able to justify it in such a way that it doesn't set a precedence for some sort of flood gate, breaking the policy. Because policies, they're there for a reason. But if there's a reason to deviate from the policy to make sure that the goal of something is accomplished, you have to do it and you have to be able to stand behind it. And if somebody else comes back to you later and says "You did it for this person, why don't you do it for me?" you'll be able to very strongly state: "The reason I did it there is because of these circumstances." So it will be clear to the other person, they are not being discriminated against. They are not being looked down upon. They are not being treated differently than the others. There is a reason and they know if they have a reason to come to you with a request, you will fulfill it. And that establishes a trust between the members and the manager. From trust comes, again, a good feeling. When people have problems they are willing to openly come to you rather than talk behind your back. And those are the things that create a healthy, but a very successful health club environment. So, your credibility as a manager, and your credibility with your staff, and with your members rests with every decision you make. So, you have to make sure that you decisions are fair, as I mentioned before, and they are properly allocated within the policies and procedures. And you firmly believe when you make a decision that it was a decision that was fair and will benefit everyone involved."