Life can get crazy for managers, owners and operators who spend their days running around, trying to keep their facilities operating smoothly while serving their customers in the best way possible. Most people in these roles are forced to wear multiple hats and must be experts in several areas to keep their ships sailing true.
For all of you, here are three simple steps to keep your sights on the horizon:
1. Practice the discipline of saying “NO.”
Too many people allow themselves to be pushed around by the little, mundane tasks that pop up hour by hour. Know your role, know your goals, and have a quick “NO” based on where a given request falls within those parameters.
2. Do the things that require attention immediately.
If something is a “YES,” and will take less than 5 to 10 minutes to complete, just get it done. This helps keep your mind from building anxiety about the tasks on your growing to-do list.
3. Delegate.
This is the hardest — and most important — step. Know what you are best at. Know the strengths of your team. Understand the roles of all the supporting cast members, and delegate based on the situation. And, don’t forget to look at the marketplace and find ways to delegate things to your vendors, as well. Your vendors probably can do the job better in many circumstances because they deal with lots of clubs and have such a broad base of customers to draw knowledge from in the industry. Use that!
If you are running around with your hair on fire, spend a couple of days to analyze where you spend most of your time and where you can find partners to help delegate responsibility to. Then, do it. Steal back some of your invaluable time and use it to enjoy your life or build your business.
Dave Kraai is the founder of Fitness On Request. He can be contacted at 612.520.7507 or by e-mail at dkraai@fitnessonrequest.com.
