Membership Surveys Build Consensus On Most Difficult Club Issues
Clubs are one of the most democratic beasts on earth. A typical club can easily have 1,000 member/spouses each vying for attention to have many things done their own way. Every member is equal, so the one who shouts the loudest tries to get things his or her way.
Pity the unfortunate board or manager who has to govern or manage in such an atmosphere. But there is a tried and true way to make sense out of conflicting opinions and viewpoints, and that is to survey your members.
Clubs are faced with countless controversial issues, from dress codes, to dining quality, to facility improvements; they all need resolution. It is in this light the use of the right membership survey is invaluable. Surveys help boards make decisions.
Facility improvement programs are most likely approved when following a survey.
Boards and managers should view surveys as good opportunities to learn what members want and don’t want. But many times some board members want to do something their own way with no concern for the members. Some managers know they have operating problems, but they hope the issues will just go away. But they won’t. Ignoring problems don’t solve them. So whenever a major club issue needs resolution, look to a good survey to bring consensus not only to the board, but also to the membership itself.
About Christian Clerc
Christian joined McMahon Group in 2015 and assists Clubs and communities with strategic and facility planning. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Masters of Architecture and Masters of Urban Design. He completed his B.S. in physics from the University of Dallas, where he was social chair and treasurer of the UD Rugby Football Club.
Christian enjoys following technology transfer across industries. An abiding delight in the complexity of creation, both physical and social, provides inspiration for his strategic and design insights.
He enjoys listening to and then synthesizing feedback from Board, Committee and stakeholder meetings into actionable insights in the context of the organization’s leadership priorities. He continues to strengthen his skills in visualizing spatial concepts, outlining financial impacts derived from priorities, and developing strategies. He also built the McMahon Membership Survey database with industry benchmarks derived from over 10 years and 120,000 survey responses representing all Club types. He works closely with Club planners and leadership across all departments to develop innovative services that help our clients in a rapidly changing world.