The time you spend with your employees is the number-one factor that can determine success or failure for any employee — from personal trainers and group fitness instructors, to sales reps and front desk staff. Time spent with an employee to train them, set expectations, clarify job duties or just reviewing their performance, goes a long way towards an employee being a top employee, or someone you wish you never hired.
Everyone needs guidance and leadership in almost any position in an organization. The larger the operation, the more they need to know how to find their place, and that what they do will make a difference. Employee job satisfaction is not always measured in the amount of money they make, but also in the pride and sense of accomplishment they feel towards their job and their job duties. It is the manager’s responsibility to remind them of why they are there, and that they make a difference in people’s lives.
This is essential in any job, but never greater than in the role of a personal trainer. Personal trainers make a direct impact on the lives of their clients. Knowing this, and being reminded of how crucial they are is necessary. Personal training managers regularly review sales goals, client programs, and even results markers with trainers. But when was the last time you sat with your trainer and asked them if they had a high satisfaction with their position? Asking this question can tell you a lot about their motivation to be in this field, and why they are achieving, or not achieving goals.
Investing in employees is not just about training and education — it is also about discovering what makes a person tick. Get to know your trainers’ families and background. Learn about their hobbies and interests. This is another good indicator as to what motivates them as a person and a trainer. Discovering personal facts about a trainer can help you guide them professionally.
Lastly, everyone wants to be heard and acknowledged. Some of the best interactions I have had with my staff have come from small acknowledgments of great performances by a trainer. For example, I was speaking with one of my trainers that had commented that he was not one of my more educated trainers on staff. I replied, that even though he did not have the same educational level as some of my other trainers, it was not the level of education that made a great trainer, but what they did with that knowledge and how they applied that knowledge. This trainer is one of my most motivated and inspirational leaders in our organization, and the fact that I acknowledged that, he truly appreciated. Sometimes, it is not the big awards or bonuses, but the small pats on the back that keep your people motivated and happy.
Vic Spatola is the Director of Personal Training for Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club in Greenwood Village, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. Contact him at vics@greenwoodatc.com.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
