Middle Management Movement By Michelle Pascoe

I don’t know about you but this time of year my inbox has been inundated with emails on how to plan for 2019. Here in Podcast 39 I wanted to take you away from planning and simplify it with direction. If we were to play a game of word association how would the following words make you feel and think – Reflect, Realign and Reboot! As I reflect on 2018, I discuss how to realign yourself so that your values are congruent with oneself and business and how to reboot your inner critic for 2019. Ready, set, go!

After listening to one of my earlier podcasts Jason Manning CEO of Pittwater RSL contacted me and said he had some really strong opinions on diversification and wanted to have a conversation - so here we are Podcast 38. Jason examines the overuse of the word “diversification” within the industry and how clubs need to ‘diversify’ in order to replace lost revenue. When taking on the role of CEO at Pittwater RSL it was mid project of a large renovation. He discusses the challenges of not knowing the plans and brief of the project plus the challenge of being over budget. 3 Years on heading up a beautifully renovated club Jason discusses his role and the team who have made this a successful renovation and vowing to never use the word diversification again!

When I last spoke with Paul (Episode 3) he was the executive Chef at Campbelltown Catholic Club and about to take the leap of faith, move out of the area and start his own consultancy firm, Chef Paul Rifkin - www.chefpaulrifkin.com.au Today we talk about a wide range of topics: business, career decisions, service, planning and audits. As we talk business we establish the benefits of mentors, how they help to see value in yourself and your business, we also acknowledge his nerves with his new venture even though Paul is a well-established, experienced and successful chef. How being a chef is a great career and not to be scared off by those who say shift work is hard as it is a rewarding and satisfying career. Paul and I go on to talk about how simple food done well creates the ‘wow factor’, Tips on how staff can handle diners at this busy time of year and how he has become a mentor within his new business. Listen now to this fantastic Podcast where we learn so much with the amazing Paul Rifkin.

With all the craziness of this time of year, I thought I would take this opportunity to review and reflect. Looking back at my first podcast interview with Douglas Kirkham (CEO of Canada Bay Club) we discuss the why, why do we do what we do? Douglas reflects on his many years in service, why he was drawn to the hospitality industry and we also discuss automation within the club sector. Now is a great opportunity to asses and look at what we do, why we do it and what are the changes we are going to make for the coming year. Possibly a change in roles, broadening our own professional development or maybe even considering travelling into a completely different direction. Enjoy the podcast and then take this time to reflect and think how you can prepare yourself for 2019.

Whether technology is your friend or foe, you cannot deny apps and desktop tech tools create an opportunity to seamlessly and efficiently manage both your business and personal life.   On this week’s Podcast I discuss a few tools and apps I use that helps with work flow,  connecting with my employees, maintaining productivity, integrations within my website along a very exciting announcement for our OOPS clients that sees OOPS launched on The App Store and Play Store later this week.

We have all been there, at that fine line when trying to navigate through the recruitment process, do we hire the team based on a team we want or is it due to expansion, need and desperation? As if recruiting isn’t stressful enough;  How many times have you hired out of desperation only to feel regret, disappointed and frustrated! In this weeks podcast I talk about 4 top tips that will help you find the best possible candidate. Think Right person, Right Role! Join me as I discuss what are the dangers when hiring too quickly, especially when you hire from the heart and not your head.  Why it is better to hire slow and if necessary fire fast and also what it takes to retain good employees.                                                                                          

This week I talk about recognising that patrons understand their environment and gather their impressions through sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. What you see and what you don’t see is equally important, along with using music to create an ambience. How about smell? The aroma of coffee beans so alluring you have to try that cute little café! Thinking of texture and its tactile properties is an important one, our skin is the largest organ in the human body and is a ‘must’ when thinking about the patron experience. Lastly taste, food is probably the most important draw card,  what you offer, how fresh the produce is and whether you cover a variety of dietary requirements. Listen now to learn how to deliver a VIP customer service experience that appeals to all five senses.                                                                                 

Serena ‘Dot’ Ryan is an award winning Digital Marketer who is a contributing writer for the largest Social Media Education website in the world, Social Media Examiner. In 2014, Serena created ‘Serena Dot Ryan®’ a digital marketing agency specialising in education and optimising online presence. Serena's belief is that knowledge is power so it is essential to continuously learn digital marketing. However, it can be hard to see clearly what you should be doing to get the best results for you and your business. So where do you start? To improve or make the most of what you have access to in digital marketing, you need to know what is possible beyond what you already know, you need the opportunity to discover and learn new things. To start your digital marketing learning journey and take advantage of our special offer, visit http://michellepascoe.com/podcast/.

In this episode I interview Glenn Cushion, CEO of Ingleburn RSL Club. Glenn has been in the Registered Club Industry for a number of years, starting off in the Bar and General Duties at Bankstown Sports Club and quickly moving through the ranks by taking on positions where he had the opportunity to develop his professional skills. He has now been in the position of CEO at Ingleburn for 7 years. Glenn has always believed in asking for more, learning from others and continual self improvement through external courses and conferences. His leadership at Ingleburn RSL has seen the Club grow from strength to strength and undergo a number of renovations, with the most recent opening of a newly renovated dining and bar area, and the successful introduction of a premier pay for play entertainment facility for children, Tabatinga.