“The best defense is a good offense” is an old adage you’ll frequently hear during Sunday afternoon football telecasts. The original source for the quote is unknown, but it is more often attributed to George Washington than Bill Belichick. Projecting an aura of strength was one of Washington’s key principles as his ragtag Continental Army faced long odds against the larger and better trained Redcoats. Belichick does this too; his defense rests while Tom Brady holds onto the ball for long periods of time before putting a few points on the board. No matter the source, the notion of going on the offense to push back against threats applies in either case; and has broad application to war, games, business, even life in general.
In a world of challenges, many clubs are choosing to go into a defensive shell instead of going on the offense. They do this when they cut services and initiation fees, or they fail to invest the capital necessary to maintain or enhance their facilities. They take the easy way out, as in selling memberships for half their true value rather than adding value or embracing commercial activities like non-member use and banquets to generate short-term cash flow rather than offering the experiences necessary to attract new dues payers. It is also one of the reasons they are turning to management companies, throwing up their hands on the hard work of good governance to embrace a generic operating model.
These defensive measures serve only to damage the club’s brand, drive away members who want something better or inhibit their ability to attract new members. Their defensive shell ultimately cracks and they achieve mediocrity or worse. A lack of offense is a sign that the board lacks clarity about the changes taking place in the external environment and how they are impacting demand and use, or even why their club exists. Most commonly they see their club as an activity rather than a community. They embrace “we’ve never done it that way” over “let’s try something new”.
Private clubs are complex social and operating entities. They require investment of time and resources on the part of leadership to identify why they exist and to generate the capital required to continually evolve the membership experience to suit shifting values. It is imperative that boards go on the offense by adopting a strategic governance model and empower professional management to operate the club to fulfill the vision they’ve identified. They must focus on strategic outcomes instead of any outcome. In short, they need a Strategic Plan.
Today’s club world is comprised of winners and losers. The winners clearly have the best offense.
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