Here’s the hard part about evaluating your staff: Most people wait too long.
Maybe a coach is doing something that doesn’t quite meet your standard. But you put off the conversation because it’s awkward and you have enough stress in your life.
Then you start to notice other things: The coach isn’t leaving the gym clean or maybe isn’t really ready for class.
As things build up, you get angrier. Finally, you can’t avoid the hard conversation any more, so you book a chat.
And it’s all negative. You give the person a list of things he or she is doing wrong.
The coach leaves the meeting demotivated. You both feel worse about your future together.
And what happens the next time you ask that coach to meet you for a chat? He or she will anticipate another beatdown.
The key to improving your staff is constant evaluation. And the key to good evaluation is frequency. Every three months, gym owners in our Growth Stage hold Career Growth ToolKit meetings.
Today, I want you to practice five Career Growth ToolKit Meetings for your coaches.
Evaluate and Ascend!
Here’s how a Career Growth ToolKit meeting works:
Book a sit-down coffee meeting with your coach every quarter. Plan for 30 minutes, and hold the meeting outside the gym.
If it’s your first Career Growth ToolKit meeting of the year (or your first ever!) start with goal setting.
What would the coach like to do with his or her career? Full time? Part time?
How much does the coach need to earn to get there?
Now pull out your Career Growth ToolKit spreadsheet and calculate how to get the coach to the destination.
How many classes can you give the coach? How much personal training, nutrition coaching, admin work or other work can you give the person? At what rate? Don’t worry if you don’t have all the opportunities available now. You’ll work together to achieve the targets.
If it’s not your first evaluation of the year, review Bright Spots. What’s going right in the staff member’s career?
Next, establish your current position.
How much is the coach earning now, including all benefits from the business (like the value of membership)?
Does the coach’s performance match his or her goals? Show the person his or her most recent evaluation form. Ask if the coach agrees with your scores.
Finally (and this is the most important part): Plan ascension. Show the coach the targets that must be reached in order for him or her to make more money. How many PT clients? How many nutrition sales?
Map out a path to improving the lowest scores on the evaluation form. How can the coach improve presence in class? Is technical instruction needed? How will the coach acquire it?
Set a date for the next Career Growth ToolKit meeting in three months.
Download our Intrapreneurialism guides here.
Our Coach Evaluation Form is available in the Incubator, and our Career Growth ToolKit form is available in Growth Stage.
Other Articles in This Series
Rep Week: Sales
Rep Week: Goal Reviews
Rep Week: Affinity Marketing
Rep Week: Hard Conversations
