I’m a believer, and practitioner of the 1/3 – 2/3 rule.
The rule states that 1/3 of your time should be spent planning, and 2/3 of your time is spent executing. Many reduce that third to a paltry tenth, or maybe even avoid it altogether. And with 2020 planning soon upon us, we’re scrambling to close out a strong 2019 while at the same time looking forward.
What I find is the intent to plan exists, but the tools and process to develop and document a plan are often lacking. And planning will vary depending on the maturity of a club. This is why I rely on maturity models.
Maturity models represent how organizational capabilities evolve in a stage-by-stage manner along an anticipated, desired, or “logical” maturation path. Well-known early examples models include Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs and Kuznets’ economic growth model.
After conducting extensive research in the private club space, as well as other industries, including hospitality, we’ve developed a series of documents and workbooks for club industry professionals, creating the Private Club Industry’s First Maturity Model. The goal is to help club professionals better understand their maturity relative to the industry and evolve their way of delivering exceptional member experiences.
In the course of our research, we’ve identified four distinct stages in private club maturity. The four stages are: Developing, Emerging, Strategic, and Leading.
Stage 1: Developing – Awakening Vision
Clubs at the developing level are introducing new digital programs and building the basics.
The use of “space” has always been the cornerstone and a major reason that clubs exist. Developing clubs are catching up to current digital online and physical offline spaces and discovering how to use both concurrently.
Stage 2: Emerging – Gearing Up for Change
Clubs at the Emerging level have established the fundamentals that define the Developing stage. These clubs are expanding beyond tactical initiatives and are starting to build more strategic plans. They are bringing the member into focus and building strong relationships through automatic trigger-based dialogue. Relevant conversations happen in the member’s preferred channel.
Stage 3: Strategic – Tackling the Change
Clubs at the Strategic level have mature digital business capabilities which are an essential part of a club’s toolkit and program. They have established the data infrastructure, connecting online and offline member information in a central data hub where member profile data can be assessed and used in real time for 1:1 dialogue across channels. They have balanced the personalized club experience with autonomy and action.
Stage 4: Leading – Surging Ahead
Leading Clubs have deployed an innovative program across the organization that is creating members and associates #4life. They use data intelligence and predictions to optimize cross-channel member experience by anticipating the needs of the customer and timely initiate relevant 1:1 dialogue. Leaders are linking predictive analytics with geolocation data to deliver effective recommendation on-property and in real time through mobile apps. They are continuously looking for unique and innovative ways to leverage their associates and technology to create the ultimate experience for members and associates.
Get Started
You can now download these guides along with a workbook to begin defining, documenting, and executing on your 2020 plan.