Yesterday I talked about what coaches can be doing in the gym when they’re not coaching. We also talked about working shifts versus coaching teams. If you missed that, click HERE and you can read more. 

Today, I want to talk to you about how to change the culture in your gym. Many of you probably have coaches who would gladly hop on board and help you do more. They know they’re valuable assets and capable of helping your gym grow, but they’re not sure how to help. This is an excellent problem to have. However, some of you may not have that problem. Some of you might have coaches who have full-time jobs or are students and are already stretched thin. They coach because they love all star – not because they really want or need a job. 

I had those coaches once too. I was afraid that by giving them more responsibilities I would lose them. The opposite happened though. They realized how important they were to the growth and stability of the gym. Let’s talk about how you can get to that point: 

  1. Most likely – your coaches know how busy you are all the time. They see you bumping into doors and walls trying to reply to emails and text messages while you’re walking through the gym! They know you stay well after others have left for the night. So first – start systemizing the things you need help with. People who are busy are often willing to take on more responsibility as long as they don’t feel like they’re just spinning their wheels. If you already know how to do something, and you give me very little training or effort, I’m going to be frustrated if a 1-hour job takes me 2 hours. So, create checklists and write out the tasks.
  2. Determine who would be best suited to take on those projects. Maybe you have a coach who is available to come in at 2 p.m. each day who has really great communication skills. By providing a system for answering and filtering emails (as well as some training – we’ll get to that), you now have an admin who can take a lot off your plate! However, if the coach who has all the availability can only type 12 words per minute, you’re not selecting the right person. Look at your staff’s natural talents outside of coaching and see who best might be suited in each position. 
  3. Train the person in the position. Don’t assume someone knows how to make copies or knows how to mop floors! Instead, take the system and walk through it with them. Ask if they have any questions. After they do the job the first time, walk through it with them and make sure they hit all the steps. Congratulate them on a job well done. If they didn’t do a great job, review your system. Did you miss steps? Could your training use some work?
  4. Add the tasks to the person’s plate and create an accountability system. By doing this, you’re now empowering them to do the tasks on their own. For accountability, maybe they have to check off something that it’s been done or complete a short google form. By doing this, you’re not asking if they did the task as they’re walking out the door. You’re creating the system and holding them accountable. 

So how do you release this new process to your staff? Give them the WHY. Let them know you’re working your tail off day and night, and you could really use the help. Let the know what you’re wanting them to do and an estimate on the amount of time it should take. If they have extra time at the end of the shift, there are other things they could help with that would also help you out a ton. 

Tell them why again. Why will taking these things off your plate help them in the long run? Well, a happy boss can be a creative boss. A happy boss has time and a fresh mind to think of new ways to reward their employees. Further, a boss who has time doesn’t hear something and lets it go right out the other ear. This sort of boss can really listen and troubleshoot for their staff. 

So, give them the tools, train them and tell them what sort of an impact their contribution can make on the gym and the mission of the gym. If they’re not on board after that, you’ll need to think, “Is this really the sort of staff member I want to work alongside?” 

Tomorrow I’ll tell you what 3 qualities I look for in all potential employees!