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Watch Your Language: You’re The Only One

How everyone, no one, always, and never quietly do a leader’s damage, and forecast a future that does not have to come true

A capable manager sits down for what she thinks is a routine check-in. She has had what she perceives as a good few months. Then her director leans back and says, “I will be honest with you. Everyone has concerns about you, and you are the only one on this team I cannot count on.” That is the whole of it. No name attached to “everyone.” No example behind “cannot count on.” She walks out of that office a different employee than the one who walked in, and not in a way that helps anyone.

This column is not about that one director. It is about five or six small words that often show up in offices, kitchens, and pro shops, doing more damage than their size would suggest. Everyone. No one. Nobody. Always. Never. The only one. They feel like emphasis. They are actually something else.

Start with the plain fact that they are rarely true. “Everyone has concerns” is usually one person, or two, or just the speaker borrowing a crowd for cover. “You always drop the ball” describes a couple of moments, not a lifetime. “Nobody is impressed” is a private feeling dressed up as a consensus. The instant a leader reaches for an absolute, the truth has already been stretched, and most people on the receiving end can feel the stretch even when they cannot name it.

Here is what the absolute does to the person hearing it. It takes away any way to respond. If a leader says, “The board report went out a day late this month,” the person can answer that, own it, or explain it. If the leader says, “You always drop the ball,” there is nothing to take hold of. You cannot defend yourself against “always”. You cannot cross-examine everyone. The absolute is not an opening for a conversation. It is a door swinging shut, and both people usually know it.

There is a quiet evasion tucked inside the borrowed crowd. “Everyone thinks you are difficult” is a way of not saying “I think you are difficult.” “No one believes that plan will work” spares the leader from saying “I do not believe it, and here is why.” Hiding a personal judgment behind an invented consensus feels safer, and it does two costly things at once. It denies the person any chance to answer the actual individual who holds the concern, and it signals to everyone in earshot that the leader will not stand behind their own opinions. A team learns quickly whether the person in charge speaks for themselves or imagines a crowd to speak for them.

Absolutes also perform a quiet trick with time. “You missed this month’s committee update” is about a single moment. “You never keep the committee informed” is about who you are. One is a correction. The other is a verdict. When a leader turns a single lapse into always and never, the person stops hearing feedback and starts hearing a character sentence, and a character sentence is the kind of thing people tend to either fight or shrink under. Neither reaction gets the update written.

The repair is not softer language. It is more specific language. Watch how much changes when you remove the absolute.

Instead of “You are the only one on my senior team I cannot rely on,” try “Two commitments slipped this quarter, and I want to understand what is getting in the way.” Instead of “Everyone on the board has lost confidence in you,” try, “Two board members raised a specific concern after the last meeting, and I want to walk through it with you.” Instead of “You never keep me informed,” try, “I learned about the membership dip from the financials rather than from you, and I need that to change.” Instead of “Nobody thinks the renovation is on track,” try, “The last two updates on the renovation raised more questions than they answered, so let us get into the specifics.”

Notice what the specific version does that the absolute cannot. It names the real thing rather than a vague cloud. It owns the concern as the leader’s own instead of hiding it inside a crowd. It points at a behavior the person can actually change, rather than a fixed flaw they cannot. The honesty stays fully intact. What disappears is the exaggeration, and with it the sense that the verdict was handed down before the person ever sat down.

Then there is the absolute that may do the most quiet harm of all, the one aimed at the future. “You will never be ready to run this on your own.” “No one is ever going to respect you if you keep this up.” “This team will always be behind.” These are spoken as descriptions. They land as forecasts, and people have a way of living down to the forecast a leader names for them. Tell a capable manager often enough that they will never be ready, and you are not predicting their ceiling. You are helping to build it. Said often enough, those words stop describing the future and start shaping it.

The same absolutes can run in the other direction, and that carries its own risk. Many clubs have a sacred cow or two, the long-tenured favorite whom the members adore, told again and again that everyone loves them and the place could not run without them. It feels generous in the moment. It also makes a quiet promise. What happens when that person is passed over for a promotion, when the position is eliminated in a restructuring, or when the skill set doesn’t match the picture the membership has painted? The higher the praise was piled, the harder the fall, and the more betrayed the employee feels by a story the club repeated for years. Praise, like criticism, lands best when it is specific and earned, not an absolute that quietly commits leadership to a future it may not be able to deliver.

The damage rarely stays with the person it was aimed at. Others watch how a colleague gets spoken to, and they draw their own conclusions about how judgments are handed down here. If “always” and “everyone” can be aimed at one good employee over a single stumble, they can be aimed at anyone. The result is that the team starts to protect itself. People stop volunteering for the hard assignment, stop raising the honest problem, and start managing the story that might be told about them. A leader who traffics in absolutes does not just bruise one person. They teach the whole staff to play it safe.

The story does not stop at the exit interview. The employee who was told that everyone had concerns eventually leaves, and carries that version of events into the industry, to the next club, to peers at a conference, to anyone who asks what it was like to work there. The private club world is small; word about how people are treated travels faster than any search, and what a leader said behind a closed door has a way of becoming what the industry hears about that leader long after the person is gone.

None of this is an argument for going soft or pretending a real problem isn’t real. A leader who sees a genuine pattern should name it. The point is that a real pattern deserves real specifics: the dates, the moments, the actual behavior, owned by the person raising them. Absolutes are the shortcut people reach for when they have a feeling but have not done the work to back it up. The shortcut feels forceful in the moment. It reads as laziness later, and it wears down the trust that makes the next hard conversation possible.

So here is a test worth applying before the big word leaves your mouth. Ask whether it is literally true. Is it truly everyone, or is it you? Is it really always, or was it Tuesday? Could you swap the absolute for the specific thing that is actually bothering you, and would you be willing to say that specific thing out loud and stand behind it? If the honest answer is that the absolute is easier because the specific turns out to be thinner than it felt, that is worth knowing before you hand it to someone who will carry it for a long time.

Watch your language. Everyone, no one, always, and never feel like the strong words, the ones that land. What they actually do is stretch the truth, corner the listener, and quietly forecast a future that did not have to happen. Your team is listening for which future you believe in. Give them the specific truth instead. It is harder to say, and it is the kind worth hearing.

BoardRoom Briefs – September 2026

Michelle A. Riklan, ACRW, CPRW, CEIC, CJSS is a Career Strategist, Search & Consulting Executive at KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE (KK&W). KK&W is the leading executive search and consulting firm in the private club industry. Michelle can be reached at 833-KKW-HIRE (559-4473) ext. 717 and at michelle@kkandw.com.

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Watch Your Language: You’re The Only OneHannah2026-09-14T18:14:06+00:00

How Managing & Staffing Private Clubs Has Changed

The job of a private club General Manager/COO has changed faster in the last five years than in the previous twenty, and the skill set required to do it well has changed with it.

This isn’t a soft, generational-complaint story. It’s a labor-market story. Clubs are chasing a shrinking pool of hospitality talent, competing against employers who never used to be their competitors, and trying to retain people who have more leverage than any generation of club employees before them.

What “Managing a Club” Used to Mean

The strongest club managers and department heads were generally built around a fairly consistent set of traits:

Command & Authority. A clear chain, a clear organizational chart, and a manager who directed rather than collaborated.
Technical & Procedural. Understanding and enforcing service standards, protocols, and club etiquette consistently.
Discretion & Formality. Polished, buttoned-up, somewhat distant professionalism was interpreted by the Team and the Membership as competence.
Stability Over Reinvention. Long-tenured managers were valued mainly for consistency; the job was to protect tradition, not challenge it.
One-way, Infrequent Feedback. An annual review, delivered top-down, was considered sufficient management of talent.

The disciplines above are still valuable in the Club environment where member expectations are high, but on their own none of them are enough; and when taken too far, they can actively work against employee retention.

What’s Being Asked of Managers Now

Mentoring has moved from a “nice to have” to a core competency. McMahon Group’s 2025 Excellence in Club Management Award coverage specifically highlights leaders recognized for “approachable leadership and mentorship,” with staff loyalty and multi-year tenure cited as direct outcomes of that style — not as a coincidence, but as the point. Clubs are now explicitly rewarding managers who can develop people, not just direct them.

Team-building and culture-setting are now measured deliverables, not soft extras. Culture, communication style, and “lived values” are things candidates now actively evaluate before accepting a position. This means a General Manager/COO’s ability to build and sustain a healthy team culture has become a recruiting asset in its own right, not just an internal nicety.

Creativity and vision are expected, not optional. Club leaders who are reinventing programming around new member expectations like flexible athletic offerings, clever social programming, and boutique wellness are highly regarded. The manager who simply maintains what already exists is increasingly out of step with younger committee and board members who are asking, “What’s next?”

Empathy and workforce literacy are now leadership requirements. Clubs that build in flexibility and smarter scheduling without compromising service standards are positioning themselves as employers of choice, while those that don’t are losing people they can’t easily replace.

Technology fluency has entered the core skill set. AI and recruiting technology are now explicitly part of the conversation industry-wide, and clubs that lag on modern systems (scheduling, communication, member-facing tech) are increasingly behind the times.

It’s a Job Seeker’s Market & Job Seekers Are Specific

This is the part clubs sometimes underestimate: today’s hospitality talent, especially early- and mid-career staff, are not simply looking for a paycheck. They are evaluating clubs against a checklist that includes:

A visible, credible career path. Candidates want proof (not a promise) that the club has promoted people from within.
An inspiring leader with a real mentoring track record.
A culture of creativity, where new ideas are invited.
A culture of transparency, where decisions and expectations are communicated openly.
A culture built on current technology, not outdated systems that make the job harder than it needs to be.
A club that functions as a community pillar where the work feels connected to something larger than a shift schedule.
Work-life synergy with a balanced relationship between the job and the rest of life.
Meaningful work with a sense of purpose, not just tasks.
Collegiality and genuine friendship among teammates.
Reasonable expectations paired with real accountability.
Demonstrated care for health and mental well-being, not just a benefits line item.
Frequent, specific feedback rather than annual reviews, with timely and specific input delivered throughout the year.
Competitive compensation that complements everything listed previously.

The Biggest Shift: Empathy as an Organizational Capability

Empathy has stopped being an individual manager’s personality trait and become something the club itself has to build institutionally. It needs to be apparent in scheduling practices, feedback cadence, promotion pathways, and a Club’s willingness to actually understand what its workforce needs rather than assume it already knows. As fewer young people enter hospitality, the industry’s job is not just to recruit harder, but to build a culture of respect, appreciation, and professionalism strong enough to keep the people it has.

NCA Club Trends – August 2026

Richard M. Kopplin, Kurt D. Kuebler and Thomas B. Wallace III are partners at KOPPLIN KEUBLER & WALLACE. Richard can be reached at dick@kkandw.com. Kurt can be reached at kurt@kkandw.com. Tom can be reached at tom@kkandw.com.

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How Managing & Staffing Private Clubs Has ChangedHannah2026-09-01T20:54:16+00:00

The Finance Decision Hiding in Your Org Chart

Labor is the single largest operating expense at most private clubs, and turnover is one of the most expensive line items on the P&L. Wage-and-hour exposure is one of the fastest growing sources of legal costs in the hospitality industry. Each of these is a finance issue. Each of them ultimately traces back to a single org chart decision that many clubs make once and never revisit: to whom does the senior Human Resources leader report?

In recent years, the industry has begun to elevate the Human Resources function in a way it never has before. The emergence of the Director of People and Culture role at clubs across the country reflects a quiet but important shift. Boards and General Managers are recognizing that talent, retention, and culture are not soft topics. They drive labor cost, member satisfaction, and increasingly, legal exposure.

Yet at many clubs, the structure has not kept pace with the thinking. The senior Human Resources role still reports to the Chief Financial Officer. It is one of the most common mistaken org chart decisions in the Club world, and one of the most quietly damaging, both to the Club’s financial situation and to the member experience the Club exists to deliver.

The Structural Conflict General Manager/COOs Should Recognize

The Chief Financial Officer and the head of Human Resources are both stewards, but of different assets. The Chief Financial Officer protects capital, controls costs, and is measured on financial discipline. The head of Human Resources is responsible for the workforce, which means advocating competitive compensation, investing in development, and helping to build the culture that retains the people who deliver the member experience day after day.

Asking one executive to referee that tension inside their own function is asking the impossible. Charlie Gray, founder of Human Resources consultancy Gray Scalable, said it plainly in CIO magazine:

“A senior Human Resources leader should never report to the Chief Financial Officer because the two roles are often in strategic conflict, and Human Resources becomes a non-strategic function if it reports to the head of finance. The reporting line predetermines the outcome.”

That is not a knock on any Chief Financial Officer. It is the job. The problem is that the structure asks the Chief Financial Officer to suppress half of their mandate to lead a function that often needs to push in the opposite direction. For the General Manager/COO, it means the people strategy you need to deliver the member experience never arrives at the executive table intact. It is pre-budgeted out of existence before you see it. For the members, it shows up as inconsistency, front-of-house turnover, and a service culture that never quite feels settled.

The Hidden Risk Boards Should Ask About

This is the issue Boards most often fail to see, and it is the one with the largest dollar consequence.

When an employee has a concern about pay, classification, overtime, harassment, or retaliation, the first place they go is Human Resources. The credibility of that channel determines whether the complaint stays internal, where it can be investigated and resolved at modest cost, or escalates externally to the state Department of Labor, the EEOC, or a plaintiff’s attorney, where the cost is measured in five- and six-figure sums before anyone reaches the merits.

Now consider what happens when Human Resources reports to the Chief Financial Officer and the complaint involves payroll practices, worker misclassification, overtime calculations, or someone in the finance department. The person investigating reports to the executive whose function is implicated. Employees read that structure instantly and stop reporting internally. When they start reporting externally, the Club no longer controls the timeline, the narrative, or the cost.

The Quieter Cost: Turnover the P&L Does Not Show You

There is a second cost that shows up long before any complaint, and it is the one Finance Committees might underestimate. When Human Resources reports through finance, people decisions get filtered through a cost lens before they ever reach the strategic conversation. Compensation benchmarking gets compressed, training budgets get trimmed, and replacement hires get delayed. Each decision looks defensible on its own. The cumulative effect is turnover.

Industry research has long pegged the fully loaded cost of replacing an hourly hospitality employee at roughly 30 to 40 percent of annual wages, and considerably more for management positions. That cost lives across recruiting, onboarding, training, lost productivity, and overtime paid to cover the gap. None of it shows up in a single GL account, which is precisely why finance-led Human Resources structures consistently miss it.

Members feel it first, in the small moments that add up. The familiar server who is no longer there, the new hire who does not yet know how Mr. and Mrs. Smith take their drink, the valet who hesitates at the gate and forces a longtime member to introduce himself at his own club. Every one of those moments eventually traces back to a people decision made through the wrong lens.

Where the Role Should Sit

The Director of People and Culture, or whatever your Club calls the senior Human Resources role, should report directly to the General Manager/COO, with a dotted line to the Board President or the appropriate Board committee responsible for governance, compensation, or Human Resources matters.

The dotted line is not symbolic. It is the safeguard that protects the Club when a serious matter involves senior leadership, including the General Manager/COO, the Chief Financial Officer, or any Board member.

This structure delivers what the finance-led model cannot:

Workforce decisions get discussed strategically, with member experience and cost weighed at the same table.
Employee concerns route through a credible channel, dramatically reducing the probability of external escalation.
The Board gains direct visibility into turnover, compensation equity, and workforce risk, alongside financial risk.
Recruiting strong Human Resources leadership becomes possible.As Jodie J. Cunningham, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, Human Resources/Talent Strategist and Search & Consulting Executive at KOPPLIN, KUEBLER & WALLACE, explains:

“If a Club wants Human Resources to operate as a strategic talent partner and contribute meaningfully to club business objectives, the function should report directly to the General Manager/COO rather than Finance. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer signals that Human Resources is viewed primarily as a cost center rather than a strategic business partner, which impacts both perception and recruitment.”

Cunningham adds:

“Additionally, reporting structure is a non-negotiable priority for experienced Human Resources Director candidates. In my experience, top candidates immediately lose interest when Human Resources reports to Finance, as this clearly signals an outdated, administrative model rather than the strategic leadership role they expect. This structure directly undermines efforts to attract strong Human Resources talent.”

At a time when Clubs are competing for experienced Human Resources leaders capable of navigating labor shortages, compliance risk, compensation strategy, employee relations, and culture development simultaneously, the org chart itself has become a recruiting signal.

The Chief Financial Officer is free to focus on the strategic financial work the Club actually needs from that role.

The Questions Worth Putting on the Agenda

If your Club currently has Human Resources reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the conversation is not about blame. The structure made sense at a time when Human Resources was viewed primarily as transactional, and many clubs never revisited it. The industry has changed. The legal environment and the labor market have changed. Most of all, member expectations have changed.

Three questions belong on the next governance agenda.

Does our senior Human Resources leader have a direct line to the General Manager/COO?
Does our senior Human Resources leader have a clear, protected path to the Board when warranted?
Does our org chart reflect the strategic role that people, and the experience they deliver, play at this Club?

If the answer to any of those is no, the fix is not complicated. Your org chart is a document your members never see, but they read it every day in the experience you deliver. Where Human Resources sits on that chart tells your team and your next great hire exactly how seriously you take the people side of the Club.

Club + Resort Business

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The Finance Decision Hiding in Your Org ChartRoxanne2026-05-29T14:44:11+00:00

Becoming an Employer of Choice

Strong employee relations are essential to organizational health, forming the foundation of successful clubs. Team members are the ones who build the processes, develop the strategies and execute the initiatives. While members are tremendously important in the private club model, the employees bring the member experience to life while sustaining the club’s facilities and amenities. They shape the culture, deliver the service and uphold the standards that define the club’s brand and reputation. When employees are engaged, aligned and supported, their energy and pride radiate throughout the organization, creating an environment where members feel valued and connected.

One of the most critical and often overlooked aspects of private clubs is their employer brand and reputation. This reputation is not the reason a prospective member should join the club, it is the reason the best chef in the state should want to work for the club. An employer brand profoundly impacts an organization’s ability to attract, motivate and keep talented employees.

Human Capital
Every private club aspires to be the club of choice for members and prospective members, standing out within its competitive set and region. Yet, how many clubs focus the same energy and resources on being an employer of choice? Capital is often spent distinguishing the member experience, but the investment in recruiting, developing and keeping the club’s most significant asset, human capital, is frequently insufficient.

For private clubs, prioritizing staff is non-negotiable. Charles Johnson, executive manager/CEO at the Detroit Athletic Club, understands well the importance of being an employer of choice in the region. “It requires constant attention and intention, and in today’s competitive landscape, perhaps more time and resources than ever before. There is no silver bullet solution, so being an employer of choice requires a wide variety of strategies,” he says.

Perception
Becoming an employer of choice begins with your current staff’s perception of your organization:

Do they enjoy working at your club?
Do they feel valued and appreciated?
Do job seekers in the community aspire to work at your club?
Do employees speak highly of their job and employer?

Addressing these questions honestly is the first step in elevating your employer brand. When workers enjoy their jobs, are proud to be employees and speak highly of your club, they tell others. Not only does this provide positive word-of-mouth marketing in your area, it also leads to higher employee satisfaction, reduced turnover and an enhanced ability to deliver consistent member experiences.

Core Principles
Clubs that are recognized as great places to work often embody characteristics that align with the “Six Cs”:

Culture. One culture everyone believes in.
Communication. Open, clear, and concise in every direction.
Clarity. There is no doubt about who you are as an organization and where you want to go.
Collegiality. Sincere interest in one another on the team.
Cultivation. Be a teaching organization and develop growth plans for your teammates.
Challenge. Inspire your team to grow by setting meaningful and achievable challenges.

These core principles set the foundation for becoming an employer of choice. Once they are in place, secondary building blocks such as competitive pay, benefits, and work-life balance become more impactful.

For The Oaks Club in Osprey, Fla., becoming an employer of choice has been a four-year strategic priority designed to ensure the club consistently attracts and retains top-quality management and staff who deliver exceptional member experiences. This goal has been achieved by focusing on competitive compensation and benefits, robust training and career development, a positive and supportive workplace culture, and meaningful employee programs and incentives.

Holly Farrell, general manager/COO of The Oaks Club, says, “The club took significant steps to strengthen its position as an employer of choice by increasing its investment in employee benefits. The club now pays 100% health, dental, and vision insurance premiums for all full-time employees, which was a major strategic decision to support retention and well-being. Additionally, we established an employee emergency council to provide financial assistance to employees facing unexpected hardships such as weather-related or personal emergencies.”

In 2026, the club will continue to prioritize employee recognition, professional development and work-life balance, as the effort has been well worth it. The club is currently 97% staffed with exceptionally low turnover rates. Participation in staff meetings, events, and training sessions, many of which are voluntary, remains high, which reflects strong employee engagement.

“The most telling measure of success comes directly from our employees: when asked, they consistently express pride in working at The Oaks Club and have an appreciation for the culture and leadership that make it such a special place to work,” explains Farrell.

Key Challenges to Becoming an Employer of Choice
A significant challenge with today’s workforce is the generational dynamics and differing values of the multiple generations working together. Baby boomers, generation X, and millennials each approach work and life differently:

Boomers value company loyalty and commitment.
Gen Xers prioritize loyalty to people over companies.
Millennials are loyal to visions, causes, or purposes.

While these different priorities may seem complex, the good news is that when the Six Cs are implemented effectively, they resonate across generational lines.

Technology has amplified the voice of employees through platforms like Glassdoor, Facebook, and LinkedIn. A positive workplace culture can enhance your online reputation, while negative reviews and comments can be detrimental. Staying ahead requires proactive engagement, reputation management and a constant focus on the culture of the organization.

A lack of board and member understanding can be a significant challenge. Everyone at the club must recognize and prioritize the employee experience because it affects the culture of the club and, ultimately, the member experience. Creating a workplace where employees feel valued and inspired isn’t solely the responsibility of management. It requires shared commitment of the board, members, and leadership alike. When all stakeholders recognize that the employee experience directly influences the member experience, the culture of the club strengthens from within. Boards/memberships that prioritize investing in employees and ensure members are respectful and appreciative build an environment where people are proud to work. Ultimately, becoming an employer of choice is a collective effort. One that depends on everyone understanding that the club’s greatest asset is its people.

Colin O’Hanlon, COO of Martis Camp Club, confirms his club’s employer of choice status is a collaborative effort. “Our membership recognizes that our ambassadors are the heart of the club, and it is their passion and professionalism that define the member experience our community enjoys,” he says. “Operating in a remote, seasonal resort town presents real challenges in attracting and retaining top talent, which makes our culture all the more important. We know that being an employer of choice begins with creating an environment where people feel seen, supported, and inspired. Through leadership development, meaningful recognition programs, and a culture that fosters collaboration and belonging, we’ve helped our team thrive, and in turn, elevated the member experience.”

Steps to Becoming an Employer of Choice

Workplace Culture
Foster an inclusive, respectful and collaborative environment for all. Hold members accountable for the code of conduct and do not tolerate violations.
Celebrate team achievements and provide regular feedback.
Encourage employees to contribute ideas and solutions.
Competitive Compensation and Benefits
Benchmark compensation annually against industry standards.
Offer innovative benefits, including wellness programs and flexible schedules.
Create transparent career advancement pathways.
Leadership and Management Excellence
Train managers to be empathetic and effective leaders.
Conduct regular performance and engagement surveys.
Prioritize employee well-being in decision-making.
Professional Development
Personalize career development plans for each employee.
Invest in industry certifications and ongoing education for employees of all levels.
Build internal leadership development programs.
Employer Branding and Recruitment
Showcase the club’s values and culture through marketing. Invest in photos and videos and share them with your membership as well.
Leverage social media to highlight employee success stories and share why your club is a great place to work.
Streamline recruitment processes to enhance the candidate experience.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Implement comprehensive DEI training programs.
Ensure hiring practices are equitable and inclusive.
Celebrate cultural diversity through events and initiatives.
Engagement and Feedback
Conduct regular employee satisfaction surveys.
Act on feedback to address concerns promptly and improve operations.
Recognize team contributions consistently and meaningfully.
Measuring Success and Key Performance Indicators
Employee satisfaction scores.
Retention and turnover rates.
Time-to-hire metrics.
Positive reviews on online platforms like Glassdoor.
Net Promoter Score.

The Journey
Becoming an employer of choice is not an overnight achievement but a purposeful journey that requires strategy, commitment, and care. Detroit Athletic Club’s Johnson adds, “I believe one of the most important things towards being an employer of choice is cultivating a culture and understanding of being a mission-driven organization. The ability to communicate and connect every employee, at every level, that the work they do is meaningful and important to a greater cause, is both difficult and necessary.”

By prioritizing the growth and well-being of employees, and recognizing that this responsibility is shared among members, boards, and leaders alike, private clubs can cultivate workplaces where employees truly thrive with a sense of purpose and belonging. Achieving employer-of-choice status requires intentional leadership. Leaders who model empathy, communicate a clear mission, and build trust at every level. When that alignment is reached, clubs don’t just operate effectively, they lead the industry by example.

Club Director – Winter 2026

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Becoming an Employer of ChoiceRoxanne2026-05-05T19:31:29+00:00

A Step-by-Step Approach to Employee Surveys

Part 1 in the April Notable, highlighted insights from Jodie Cunningham of Kopplin, Kuebler & Wallace, who explained the link between engaged employees and stronger club performance—from productivity and retention to member satisfaction. While employee surveys are most effective for measuring employee engagement, she emphasized that it is what the club does with the survey results that matters most.

Effective surveys begin with intention. Before launching a survey, define what you want to learn—whether it’s overall satisfaction, specific workplace insights or general feedback. Clear objectives lead to focused, understandable questions and more reliable data.

From there, building trust is paramount so ensuring survey anonymity is crucial. Employees may be afraid to give open feedback, especially in the first few surveys, Cunningham warned. How you use the survey results will significantly influence future participation.

Next, consider accessibility and inclusivity of the survey. Offer it in multiple languages to ensure everyone can comfortably participate. Following
up on the survey is then the most important step. Sharing results, particularly at the department level, demonstrates transparency and reinforces that feedback is being heard.

Before launching a survey, Cunningham recommends asking the following questions:

› Are we ready? Do we have buy-in to support the survey? Are we willing to learn from the data and make changes?

› What is the survey timeline? Is the timing suitable (not during holidays, reviews or busy work periods)? Have we set clear start and end dates for the survey and determined when the data will be released?

› How will we communicate about the survey? Have we proactively told employees the survey is coming and that we value their input? Have we explained how we will use their feedback?

Then comes the most important step—action. Be sure to thank employees for participating in the survey and celebrate what is working, rather than focusing only on what isn’t. Address areas of concern and be clear about where changes will and will not be made. Communicate what you are doing and what you are taking action on to build credibility and momentum.

To turn employee insights into action, Cunningham recommends a simple 1-3-5 approach: turn one challenge from the findings into a goal, create three strategies you will use to achieve that goal and identify five tactics for success. Use AI to analyze the findings, uncover key themes and develop action plans. Include employees in the planning and communicate your actions.

“Don’t let the process overwhelm you. Start somewhere by conducting a survey, communicating the results and acting on at least some of the results. People want to know you are doing something with the feedback,” she concluded.

Notable – May 2026

Jodie J. Cunningham, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is a HR/Talent Strategist, Consultant and Search Executive with KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE. She can be reached via email: jodie@kkandw.com.

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A Step-by-Step Approach to Employee SurveysRoxanne2026-05-05T17:41:04+00:00

Digging into Employee Engagement

During a session at the CMAA World Conference on Club Management, Jodie Cunningham, HR Specialist with KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE, clarified a common misconception about employee engagement. Engagement, she explained, is not about workplace perks or surface-level happiness. Cunningham defined engagement as “the willingness and ability to contribute to company success.” She says engagement reflects how connected employees are to the club mission, vision and purpose.

That connection matters because when employees are engaged, clubs see higher productivity, stronger member satisfaction, lower turnover and improved financial performance. But the club industry has room for improvement. According to Club Benchmarking research, only 48% of club employees are actively engaged.

One of the most effective ways to measure employee engagement is through employee surveys. Attendees of this session were polled about their employee survey practices. Ninety-eight out of 176 attendees reported conducting an annual employee survey. While that is a high percentage, Cunningham says it’s what you do with the data after it is collected that matters most. When feedback isn’t acted upon, employees quickly lose confidence in the process and are less likely to participate in future surveys. Fifty-eight of the 98 respondents who conduct annual employee surveys said they communicate survey results but then do not use the data to take meaningful action.

One of the best ways to increase employee engagement is to focus on leadership behavior. A consistent finding across countries and industries is employees are more likely to be engaged when their managers are engaged.

Conducting employee surveys is important and necessary, and it requires leaders to be open to honest feedback. Cunningham warned, “You are probably going to get feedback that makes you feel uncomfortable, but that is how we learn and grow.”

Notable – April 2026

Jodie J. Cunningham, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is a HR/Talent Strategist, Consultant and Search Executive with KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE. She can be reached via email: jodie@kkandw.com.

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Digging into Employee EngagementRoxanne2026-04-15T17:18:04+00:00

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