As you begin to put systems in place and empower your staff, you’re going to see a few things happen in your business. First off, some people will truly excel. This is the self-discipline they’ve been looking for and the structure they’ve needed from you. Secondly, some people will be downright defiant. They’ll resent the fact that you’re finally standing up for yourself and your business when they’ve likely been walking on you for awhile now. 

The first group of people – find ways to reward them for a job well done. Learn their love languages and show them gratitude. Give them opportunities for more leadership and responsibilities (with a pay raise to match it). 

But let’s talk about the second group of people. Usually gym owners who talk to me aren’t raving that every single staff member did exactly what they were supposed to and knocked the socks off the owner. Usually, I hear that about a few people, and then we find out 1-2 people are rude, resentful and defiant. This behavior can come for a few reasons: 

  • You haven’t been clear on why the changes are happening. People hate change. In fact, with my gym parents, I say the word, “improvements” to our routine as much as I can. “Change” has a negative connotation. Have you been clear with your staff on WHY you so desperately need these systems and need them followed? 
  • You haven’t been clear on the benefits. Have you explained to your staff what the outcome will be if they follow the systems? In the end, they will feel more freedom. They can focus their energy and brainpower on more important and creative things once they’re not trying to read your mind about little things.
  • You haven’t clearly written the system and trained them on it. If the system is too complicated or lacks clarity, they may just be frustrated. I know a gym owner who once wrote 37 systems and released them all to her staff at the same time. Imagine her frustration two weeks later when the staff was defiant and fighting back.
  • You have the wrong people on your team. At the end of the day, some people are probably meant to be entrepreneurs. I was a good employee for others. In hindsight, I can say, I probably wasn’t great. I was always operating by someone else’s rules, on someone else’s time clock, with someone else’s playbook. Deep down in my heart, it didn’t feel right and I didn’t know why. Entrepreneurship feels right. Being my own boss was exactly who I was meant to be. I was not meant to play by the rules but to make my own. Maybe you have someone similar and they just don’t know it yet.

So if your systems aren’t getting followed, I’d start first by looking at what you can do to sell the staff on it. They’re not going to love systems just because you suddenly want to implement them. I believe as the owner 99 percent of my job is to sell my staff on new processes, sell my customers on new products, and to sell the community on why my gym is the greatest thing on earth.