As a gym owner, you probably have an inspiring vision as to where you’d like to take your gym and the lives you hope to improve along the way, but you need a team to help you get there.
Not only does your staff help deliver your mission, they’re full of their own ideas, feedback, and strengths.
Establishing a solid connection with your staff, and helping to develop them in many areas, will not only make them happier but take your gym to the next level. These tips should help you on your way.
10 Staff development tips
**All tips from CrossFit’s Affiliate Playbook**
- Know that your business, and you personally, cannot succeed without your staff succeeding.
- Get to know your staff members as people.
- Be vulnerable. If you bring your full self to work, open up about your life, and aren’t afraid to show your strength and weaknesses, you’ll encourage your staff to do the same.
- Se aside at least one hour each quarter for a one-on-one development conversation with each member of your team. Use this time to discuss their performance, goals, and future at the affiliate. Be sure to take notes you can reference down the line.
- Give direct feedback in real time. Make sure you are fiving feedback on great performance as well as poor performance, using specific examples. When you point out poor performance, always provide suggestions for improvement.
- Create a team. A collection of individuals will remain just that until you make an effort to bring them together as one unit, one team. Bring the full team together to discuss the business on a monthly basis and for bonding activities every one to three months.
- Make sure every employee knows and truly believes in the values of the business. One great way to do this is to integrate your core values into everything you do.
- Identify everyone’s strengths and give them an opportunity to put those to work and really shine – inside and outside the bounds of their role.
- Publicly celebrate success. When an employee does something exceptional, make sure you call this out and celebrate it with the team.
- For the members of your team who supervise other employees, be sure to invest time and energy in developing their leadership skills. Your job is to guide and empower them to build those skills and develop confidence as a leader.
What other development tips would you add?
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Image Sources
- 2022 CrossFit Open dates: Image courtesy of CrossFit Inc.