Case Study: Farmington Country Club

Giving Birth to a Brainchild

by Pamela Brill (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
April 2007
 

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Creativity is hardly in short supply at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va. To the contrary, it is seen as vital to maintaining a successful business operation, says Clubhouse Manager Eben Molloy.

“New ideas keep the member experience more dynamic and the work environment more efficient,” he says. “The general atmosphere is to do it, whatever it may be, better than the day before.”

Eben Molloy, Clubhouse Manager, Farmington Country Club

New ideas are primarily formulated during two annual processes: budget reviews and goal-setting. Each operating budget requires department heads to submit a potential expense-reduction document. “It is this document that really forces us to identify creative methods for what we already do in new ways that are cheaper, faster and better,” says Molloy.

Come January and February, Farmington’s department heads start to work with their staffs to revise their respective vision statements. These statements are based on four key areas of business: community, members, employers and industry.

“Department heads include all of their staff in goal completion [exercises],” Molloy explains. “The core concept of this process is to ensure that the GM’s vision statement reaches line-level decision making.” The process is then maintained through-out the year, with group leaders updating the senior management team on their progress.

To prime the idea-generating pump even more, Farmington conducts an employee survey every two years that seeks to identify new ways to improve the staff’s experience. Meetings are held at both the staff and department-head levels to discuss results and exchange ideas.

Because Farmington encourages its employees to openly share their ideas, management is very accepting of any and all proposals. “No idea is off limits,” says Molloy. “Ideas are judged with a ‘use-or-not-use’ mentality—not [if they’re] ‘good or bad.’ ” As a result, team leaders act more like cheerleaders than critics.

Once an idea has been given the go-ahead, implementation teams are assembled by department. Ideas are then carried out through action plans, with deadlines assigned by senior staffers. This process is monitored through weekly, monthly or quarterly meetings that serve as progress checkpoints. “As a manager, completion of your department goals directly relates to your performance review,” notes Molloy.

For employees who successfully fulfill their individual and department goals, Farmington recognizes their hard work and dedication with tangible rewards. “The results of the progress meetings lead directly to the performance review process,” Molloy explains. “The end piece of one process serves as the starting point for another.”

Blue-Ribbon Idea: The Faces Wall “The Faces Wall” came about as a result of discussions with Farmington CC’s former Youth Activities Director Donna Ripplinger, who was looking for a unique way to connect with the children. “We took pictures of each child and documented their likes and dislikes,” explains Clubhouse Manager Eben Molloy. A file for each child was created in Microsoft Publisher and then printed, laminated and posted. The master file and the wall is continually updated with each new child. “It’s a great way for kids to get to know each other better. It is also a convenient way for staff to recognize kids and cater their activities to the children,” Molloy adds.