Charlie's Staff Blog | Tuesday, October 11, 2022
“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24)
I think about a lot of things. Will we be able to secure the three large family gifts that we have been working on for months that would help push the new Names Family Y project forward? Will the virtual-plus programming help inject operations with a boost to enhance membership development? Will Child Care be able to expand capacity and give our association an additional revenue source that will strengthen our budget? These are big questions, and as we have seen over these past few years, the answers are complex, and it takes time, as well as a collaborative way of work, for us to realize the fruits of our labor. We also have learned that we are still facing some stiff headwinds.
Last week there was an article that appeared in the Seattle Times documenting that the Seattle area has experienced the seventh largest drop in fitness membership in the nation, dropping from 28% of the adult population to 18%. The article highlighted the fact that the biggest drop occurred in the 35-49-year-old demographic, of which men exhibited the biggest decline in behavior. We have seen and heard many people either have purchased home exercise equipment or developed new routines during the pandemic and have drifted away from being a member of a fitness facility.
There are signs, though, that this is changing, as evidenced by Peloton, a company that showed the greatest growth during the height of COVID, now experiencing a precipitous decline in its business model. There are analysts that are concluding that people are losing interest in working out from home, missing the motivation from being around others, as well as wanting to be in the community; from what we are witnessing in our centers, people are excited to be around other people.
Something else I have been thinking about of late is how many new staff we have added to our team in just a short time. Last week I heard Michelle Rose report that there have been over one thousand new employees who have joined our association since January. That was a welcome piece of information to hear, given that it seemed near impossible to attract anyone to work in our Y not too long ago. The addition of Noor and Nat to our team has been one of the true bright spots we have experienced this past year. Having these two dedicating their time and expertise to recruiting new employees has made a huge difference to our Y. Recently, we added Christine Neiman to the team as a recruiter. Christine has been a part of our Child Care team for a number of years, and she also has a background in human resources and recruiting. Hiring new staff for before and after school, as well as in early learning, is still a significant need for our Y, and Christine, with her expertise in this area, will help us recruit new employees and onboard them effectively. We are thrilled to have the team of Noor, Nat, and Christine working on our behalf. You are making a significant contribution to our Y.
With all the new employees we have added to our organization, I have wondered how effectively we are orienting them into our Y. Throughout our history, we have emphasized a common standard of excellence in programming, member services, and facility maintenance. The hallmark of our organization has always been having clean, well-maintained facilities, personable service, knowing our members, and offering quality programs. I know when I walk into any of our centers, or sites of operation, I clearly see staff who are eager to serve and make a contribution, but I have asked myself whether we are in alignment as to how to achieve those goals.
Last week, Brian Flattum and his operations team commenced with the facility walk-throughs and what we are calling our Center Snapshots. The facility walk-throughs include a team of Loren Johnson and Ed Bressette, along with the facility manager and executive director from each center. In addition, Brian, Harold, Megan, and I were all on the tour of the center. Yes, it is a lot of eyes on the facility at one time, but that is a testament to the importance we place on the care of our facilities.
Walking through Haselwood and Tom Taylor, there was a clear demonstration that the respective staff teams have worked hard to maintain their centers. Yes, COVID has had an impact, with fewer resources available, we have not been able to invest as much into maintaining the facilities, and the need for new carpet, weight room flooring, and paint is visible, but a ton of work has been dedicated to keeping the centers working well and clean. I appreciated the attention to detail that Dennis Williams and Max Berger, facility directors of Haselwood and Tom Taylor, respectively, along with their executive directors, Emily Morisawa and Efrain Gonzalez, exhibited. I also appreciated the fact they all acknowledged that the care of the facilities was a shared effort by their center teams. Facility care cannot fall on just the shoulders of the maintenance teams alone, the use the facility gets is far too great for that.
Over the years, every member satisfaction survey we have conducted has indicated that facility cleanliness is of the utmost importance to our members, and the impact of COVID has only magnified that importance. Great job Team Haslewood and Tom Taylor for your performance, and for being first up on the walk-through, and for establishing a high standard for the quality of your centers.
The Center Snapshot is designed to focus on the member experience. As in the case of the walk-through, the teams shared their observations and worked together to establish a common set of expectations. In this case, each executive director added another one of their staff to assist in the report. As was the case with the facility walk-through, the executive director shared their plan as to how they were addressing member needs, as well as delivering quality services. Both Emily and Efrain, along with their key staff, Haley Probus, Senior Director of Health and Well-being at Haselwood, and Edie Metz, Senior Youth Director at Tom Taylor, shared plans that emphasized their focus on establishing clear expectations for their teams. It was impressive that both teams spoke of the investment in the team being of the utmost importance. It was also a testament to the collaborative work of the entire operations team. There was cohesiveness within the group and an agreement as to what was expected. I left each of the sessions encouraged that our employees were clear as to what was expected of each of them, and yet, in each center, there was still evidence of the uniqueness of each team.
In the following weeks, Brian and I, along with Ed, Loren, Megan, and the operations directors, Michael Marquez and Jose Gorospe, will be joining the respective teams from the other centers to hear and see the work they are doing to make an impact on their communities. This is a big investment by our association, but an important one, working together to clarify expectations and establish standards of excellence in our operations. I am encouraged by the work that is being done by our center teams. The results from the walk-through and center snapshot reinforced my belief that the strength of our organization lies in our people, and in the commitment to working together and delivering the very best to the communities we serve. Thank you all, you are the heart of this organization.
#OneY #StayStrong #StayWithUs