A mission statement is a strategic management tool describing the business objectives of a club and a cultural contract between the club and its constituents. Publicly-held companies that won the Malcolm Balridge National Quality Award with mission statements in high compliance with Gast’s Laws, have outperformed the S&P 500 by a 3-1 margin since 1994.
To create a mission statement, your club needs a mission team made up of owners and managers. The team needs to understand Gast’s Laws, which include:
1. Produce a want-satisfying commodity or service, and continually improve its ability to meet needs. The club must define what it really does, and this is the hardest part of the process.
2. Increase the wealth or quality of life of society through the economic use of labor and capital. A club should improve its community and is obligated to provide quality services in a cost-effective way.
3. Provide opportunities for the productive employment of people.
4. Provide opportunities for the satisfaction of normal occupational desires. The club must determine how team members participate and share in the rewards of the club.
5. Provide just wages for labor.
6. Provide a just return on capital.
The team must determine how they will achieve each of these laws. This becomes the club’s mission statement, which is used to guide decisions.
Here is a great example of a club mission statement: Our mission is to help people lead healthier and more fulfilling lives, and we will:
Be one of the top U.S. health clubs and a model for the industry internationally.
Strive to help members achieve their goals.
Retain our members through our commitment to continuously improve.
Provide our members with an environment that is welcoming, friendly, comfortable, fun, attractive, clean and safe.
Use this as inspiration in creating your own mission statement that will guide you toward success.
Greg Maurer is the VP of fitness for WORKOUT ANYTIME. Email him at greg.maurer@workoutanytime.com.
