2010

Planning 2010.

Training has to be part of our profession requirements.

More courses you have, better you are, no doubt about it!

For next year:

Pilates Equipement Training;

TRX Suspension (under research);

BODY BALANCE and BODY STEP(?);

AQUA AEROBICS (special instructor)

Functional Training.

LEADERSHIP Training for all.

Marketing our Careers

And still researching for more and more trainings.

Any ideas, let me know...

memories

First picture all Instructors together.

Flex Jump Phase III

All of us (at that time).

Managers at Wafra Open Day.

Another Pic of all.

Cultural Moment - Wafra

After a Special Class. Shaab.

One of the many Fridays...

One year.

October 15th, 2008 I started in Flex.

One year has passed, conclusions came to my mind:

-Building a Team takes longer than I thought.

-Creating people's development depends on their home education: if they were raised with trust and honesty or with lack of self-confidence and lies; if they were educated to be unfairly competitive or to give a hand to the work fellows; if it was shown to them only the negative side of all situations or optimism was part of their day-to-day lives;

-Human kind needs friendship to survive. The foreigner instructors made the members their friends and the misuse of this friendship causes lots of problems;

-We lack personal developing training in this part of the world. Self Analysis, FeedBack Techniques, Leadership Training are missing for everyone;

-Can you answer me now what is your mission? If you answered something, are you practising it everyday?

It sounds negative and not motivated, I admit. Nevertheless, it pushes me forward to reach higher levels of relationship with all people around me. And connecting with everyone lately has been an strong experience. Everyday a surprise and a necessity that makes me react diferently.

As time passes by, people cannot hold the masks any more: they have to show their real faces. So, NOW I see them! The real personalities rising from beautiful masks of kindness and gentle atittude. The dark side of every soul coming into my face and showing me exactly what are they made of: themselves!

I could detect some kinds of professionals here, among cleaners, reception, instructors, managers all levels:

- There are ones REALLY dedicated, they don't threaten anyone, they are always ready to make the business to move. I call them The Providers. For those, I am fighting for better conditions and packages.

-Others are only working for their salaries (they must be asking now "what do we work for?"). If the shift is up to 4pm, at 4:00 they punch out. Don't dare to ask them extra hour, and never call them on day off, they never asnwer. I call them Clock Workers, they only work if you provide them with bateries. No self motivation. No mission in life.

- There is a team (a team?) of complaining professionals, they think they are good, they claim rights they don't have, increments for arriving on time (isn't it obvious?) and skills bellow avarage. I call them Criers. Because they cry, cry,cry like babies.

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There is a rule called 80/20. It means that 80% of your business is done by 20% of your staff. The other 20% of the job is done by the 80% left.

Look around and guess who is doing 80% of your company jobs today. Also evaluate if your are part of he 20% or the 80% of the employees.

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Changes on the way

I can see changes at the horizon...

There is no way to get ready, as I don't know exactly what will happen.

I just know it will change.

Straight forward

As a powerful light, I keep on going...

We continue with the training for the instructors, launching new classes, organizing schedules, planning for 2010.

As I said before: no bad humor of any one will put me down or divert my mission in life!

Promoting trainings for the instructors as much as I

can: that's the only way to have a strong team. And that's what we will do! Give them knowledge.

One miracle will happen, I know it will. To allow us to work

in peace, in the right direction, without threating. I know it will happen...

I know.

Recently

Yesterday I faced the angry boss, arguing a non sense for me.

Where they see trouble, I see chance.

What to do about it?

One member complaing can change a whole project of 10 months?

Well, the asnwer is YES, he can.

And no numbers or facts could convince the nervous man.

I observed they want to get ride of the obstacles very fast, jumping into quick solutions to solve immediately the situation. Disregarding the consequences of such a hurry answer.

Soon, it comes back with a Dragon's face and asking for its rights!

My current situation does not allow me to do any sudden change. So, adapting to the poor reality of pampering members instead of teaching them reality about training and providing REAL results, not the FAKE results the managers insist to give members.

Aff, tough times.

300 days report

I will post the report of 300 days here.

Also my personal comments.

First the report:

Report on 300 days Management

On August 17^th, 2009 it will be 300 days of my management in Flex Resorts.

I proudly present the report on these days.

Proud of the generosity of the company to me.

Proud of protection the company provided me.

Proud to be part of a big Family.

From the first week working in Flex I noticed a problem with Trust. I commented with Mr. Khalid and the other managers at that time (they’ve all gone!) that the employees do not trust the high management. For many reasons: miscommunication, delays, mistakes with salaries, unclear salary policy, etc. I am still trying to clarify all the issues as much as I can with meetings, memos, conversation one to one. Sometimes I am misinterpreted, sometimes they are grateful.

My only concern is the RESULT. I observed the clubs are increasing number of members/ revenue in comparison with last year, which makes me satisfied, but not entirely happy.

Still there are mistakes in the management and these same managers are the ones dealing with the instructors and receptionists that are in direct contact with our customers. The members will always suffer if we don’t break this bad circle.

Why am I talking about the managers? I remember clearly Mrs. Amani telling me: “The instructors need motivation. They are very demotivated!” And she was right.

Digging deep in the lack of motivation, I found managers against instructors and vice-versa.

That’s why I insisted in Leadership Training for ALL Managers – 17^th floor, 18^th floor, 19^th floor and branches. The leaders have to know how to deal with their staff and to do it as one voice. Same proposal=success.

Allow me to copy a small part of the book ‘The 8^th Habit’:

“THE WHOLE-PERSON PARADIGM

At the core, there is one simple, overarching reason why so many people remain unsatisfied in their work and why most organizations fail to draw out the greatest talent, ingenuity and creativity of their people and never become truly great, enduring organizations. It seems from an incomplete paradigm of who we are-our fundamental view of human nature. The fundamental reality is, human beings are not things needing to be motivated and controlled; they are four dimensional-body, mind, heart and spirit.

We can co-relate:

Body- to live- survival;

Mind- to learn- growth and development;

Heart- to love- relationship;

Spirit- to leave a legacy- meaning and contribution.

PEOPLE HAVE CHOICES

So, what’s the direct connection between the controlling “thing” (part-person) paradigm that dominates today’s workplace and the inability of managers and organizations to inspire their people to volunteer their highest talents and contributions? The answer is simple. People make choices. Consciously or subconsciously, people decide how much of themselves they will give to their work depending on how they are treated and on their opportunities to use all four parts of their nature.”

‘The 8^th Habit. – Stephen R. Covey’

Just to illustrate the problems we have in Flex are well known around the global companies.

My suggestion – that I collected in Flex and in my years inside clubs – are:

- Every department in Flex Resorts might deliver their tasks on time and without mistakes;

- Prepare the managers to deal better with employees needs and duties;

- Promote professional growth to all employees (training, trips, challenges);

- Listen to the employees solutions for company’s problems;

- “Promises” for the employees should be avoided.

Some subjects covered last 250 days (50 Days report sent on December 4^th, 2008)

- - Hiring new instructors: locals, from abroad, travelling to Syria to contract instructors (DONE, to be continued);

- - Creating set of rules to avoid bad exercises among that instructors that cannot understand principles of anatomy and exercise physiology (DONE);

- - Promoting Meetings among Managers (DONE, to be continued);

- - Detecting extra materials and equipments and relocating some among branches (DONE, to be continued);

- - Constant training and evaluation instructors (DONE, to be continued);

- - Following up with HR all instructors issues (vacation, sick leave, salary discounts, disciplinary procedures)(DONE, to be continued);

- - Following up with Mad. Iman hiring of instructors by advising her on technical levels of the candidates (DONE, to be continued);

- - Checking and reporting Accommodation conditions (DONE, to be continued);

- - Work Shops for members about "how, when and why exercise" (DONE, to be continued);

- - Reviewing PT payment procedures (DONE);

- - Preparation for Paul Brown's visit and training. Full follow up of the training. Evaluation of all staff in F2F (DONE);

- - Following up Paul Brown's suggestions for F2F improvement-commission on appointment (DONE);

- - Participation in Graduation Parties (DONE);

- - Training Syrians Instructors to Flex Standards before let them start working in the clubs. Helping me: Sara(DONE);

- - Welcoming new instructors at the Airport (DONE);

- - Support for new instructors (out of working hours) (DONE);

- - Prepared the "Fitness Pack" for managers to know what to check in instructors classes(DONE);

- - Following up with new managers in Family(DONE);

- - Helping the Family in manager vacation (DONE);

- - Special Classes all Branches (DONE);

- - Standard for schedules per colors(DONE);

- - ‘5 Steps of Costumer Service’;

- - Re-organizing Supervisors Job Description (DONE);

- - Writing articles for Feminine Magazine (DONE);

- - Collecting information and ideas from instructors for new classes and implementing the reasonable ones (DONE);

- - Promoting new class and training :"Flex Jump", created by Jonathan (DONE), AeroBoxe, helped by Jonathan (DONE);

- - Promoting full Swimming Training. Helped: Paulo (DONE);

- - Training Wa'El (new Executive instructor) in F2F, Helped: Douglas, Paulo, Sara (DONE);

To be ended in 2009.

- - Planning VIP Corner to Flex Woman with Florina, Branch Manager. (To be presented);

- - Planning new approach for Flex Family. Helping; Melissa, branch manager and Dalia, Sales Manager. (To be presented);

- - Detecting material and equipments stored in improper places (member access), helping: Mr. Ayoub. (under process);

- - Uniforms (under process) ;

- - Replacing hopeless instructors (under process);

- - Cardio Training developed by Anny, fitness instructor;

- - Jiu-Jitsu Classes in Executive and maybe for teen agers boys in Family, developed by Neudson and Andre.

It is a great honor to work for Flex Resorts.

Best Regards,

Marcia Novo Lopes

Fitness Manager

August – 2009.

My sincere feeling is that everyone improved, from bottom to top, the clubs are better organized with the exception of Family which concept is all wrong. We are going to work on it.

The financial situation is better, technically there were some improvings. New classes took place, many trainings were done, technical discussions, "forbidden exercises" appeared, thousands of emails sent and received, recognition of some talents, recognition of irreversible cases, fellowship developed, rudeness of others at the surface.

The team is still far away to happen. They cannot put themselves in other people's shoes.

To improve every and single instructor is a hard mission, just because there are some of them that don't know they don't know...

I guess another 300 days will be necessary to reach to the point of having a good team, with stars that help the sky to bright, making the small stars shining and leaders happy!

Let's go for that!