CEC
ARTICLE
1 OF 5
ARTICLES
GROUP FITNESS MANAGEMENT
REWARD THE PASSION, SKILLS
AND LOYALTY OF YOUR TEAM
Reward and recognition for instructors will help build a happy and reliable team – and
fortunately for budget-conscious managers, it needn’t always be financial, says GFM Kirsty Nield.
eward and acknowledgment are
an important part of group fitness
management. By recognising
good work, the GFM is more likely to get the
most out of their team of instructors. Reward
is all about the GFM building good
relationships with their team of instructors,
which results in the instructors happily
supporting their manager. They are more
likely to help out with covers, contribute to
launches, attend meetings and training
opportunities, and be reliable and loyal to
the gym. Happy instructors result in fuller
classes, fulfilled members and longer-term
gym memberships.
Many instructors don’t teach classes
just for the money – they do it because they
love it. Therefore (fortunately, considering
today’s financial climate), reward doesn’t
always need to be in the form of high pay
rates or financial incentives. Simple and
cost-effective ways of showing appreciation
R
and acknowledgement often suffice.
Following the previous articles in this series, which looked at how
to create a dynamic group fitness team and how to promote classes,
this article provides an array of techniques to build relationships
through reward and acknowledgment. These should be kept safely
in the GFM bag of tricks and pulled out whenever the team needs a
fresh burst of enthusiasm, a morale boost or even a bit of a kick up
the butt!
Rewards
An effective way of recognising the hard work, passion and skills
of group fitness instructors is by providing rewards. Here are some
great, cost-effective ways of doing so.
1. Praise
Simple praise is free, it’s easy to provide and will always be
appreciated by the recipient. It can be as simple as a handwritten
thank you note or a private conversation about how much the GFM
appreciates the instructor’s efforts. A Freddo Frog in the pigeon hole
of an instructor that has helped the GFM or an appreciative Facebook
post can facilitate an ongoing dialogue between instructors with
NETWORK AUTUMN 2019 | 49