During my 30+ year professional speaking career, I’ve enjoyed a number of incredible, world-class service experiences. But my experience from twenty years ago this week is hard to top. In 2002, I spent 10 days working as a “paid volunteer” at The Masters Championship at Augusta National Golf Club. A tough job, but somebody’s got to do it, right?
4 Actions for World-Class Service and Performance
Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, I led many training sessions on leadership and customer service for CMAA (Club Managers Association of America) and their member organizations. CMAA chapters in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New York, Nevada, and Virginia, as well as individual golf clubs across North America offered their members and employees the tools they needed to deliver high performance and world-class service. It was my high honor to help them do just that.
During that time, I was introduced to Augusta National Golf Club. In the estimation of most, Augusta National is a world-class service organization. Of course, the very best service and leadership organizations in any industry are constantly driven to be better still. How do they create the magic? Four actions are constant. They consistently:
#1. identify great internal leaders and service professionals
#2. establish standards of performance excellence
#3. intentionally create unforgettable customer (“patron”) experiences and
#4. methodically invest in the training and development of the professionals who represent them.
Masters Out Front and Behind the Scenes
Masters tournament buffs will probably remember 2002 as the year 26-year old Tiger Woods won his 3rd overall and 2nd consecutive Masters title. Since 2002, he has won two more and is vying for yet another this weekend.
The world will certainly be watching Tiger. Along the way, they are sure to see the best golfers in the world competing for that coveted green jacket.
But, unfortunately, what the world will probably not see are the countless world-class service professionals working behind the scenes to deliver this major sporting spectacle, on the loftiest of stages, while the entire world watches. And, yes, I will be watching, too, and I will remember those un-sung pros I met in 2002.
The Green Jacket Ceremony
Part of the magic of the Masters is the ceremonial bestowing of the green jacket — that moment when the full weight and recognition of high achievement is placed on the shoulders of the winner — for all the world to see!
If your organization were to recognize and celebrate high performance in a similar fashion, who would be deserving of the “green jacket” award?
Now, with those people firmly in mind, why not call special attention to these “masters” who create the magic within your organization and for your customers.
And if you get a minute, watch a few rounds from the course they say ‘is perfection, and asks for perfection!’
Enjoy!
#themasterschampionship2022 #augustanational #greenjacket #worldclasservice
