It is vital group fitness is run by a manager
who can be resourceful
Ideally, mentors will be the best and most
experienced instructors and will understand
the finer details of teaching group fitness.
They must be patient and understanding
and have the time to stay after class to
give feedback and answer questions. They
must also be prepared to give up sections
of their classes from week to week until the
new instructor is competent to teach on
their own. This can be frustrating, and some
instructors may not be cut out for it.
When it comes to teaching, some new
instructors take longer than others to
understand cueing, learn choreography,
work to a phrase and develop good stage
presence. Therefore, the mentor needs to
be patient but firm and allow them the time
they need to get up to speed. However, it
is important to keep in mind the potential
frustration of class participants who are
used to a high standard of instruction. An
eight-week mentoring schedule should be
the maximum amount of time allowed.
It is really important to not throw your
new instructor in the deep end before they
are ready. If they are not yet confident with
teaching on their own, give them more time.
A bad group fitness experience can set a new
instructor back and stick with them for ever.
In some cases, when the new instructor just
can’t seem to get it and the mentor and class
are frustrated, it might be necessary for the
GFM to ask a new instructor to step away
from the mic, have a break and try again later
or with a new mentor. To ensure processes
are in place in case of such circumstances,
drawing up a training agreement at the start
of the arrangement is very useful.
Keeping your great instructors
So, the GFM has built the best team of
instructors they can find. Classes are
buzzing and group fitness is doing well. It is
important that the GFM doesn’t just sit back
and rest on their laurels though. The best
way for GFMs to ensure that they have the
support and respect of all their instructors
34 | NETWORK SPRING 2018
is to reward and acknowledge them. Most
instructors don’t teach classes because
they have to; they do it because they love it.
Getting paid is often just an added bonus.
However, this shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Recognition of achievements, loyalty
and reliability should be an absolute priority.
Reward doesn’t need to be in the form of
financial incentives. The following simple and
cost-effective ways of showing appreciation
and acknowledgement are often enough.
I have to praise you
Simple praise is free, it’s easy to give and
will always be appreciated by the receiver.
A handwritten thank you note or a private
conversation detailing how much the
instructor’s efforts are appreciated is easy
and free. Having a stash of Freddo Frogs and
popping one in someone’s pigeon hole when
they help you out, or posting a message on
Facebook thanking them is simple and low
(or no) cost.
Having a whiteboard in the staff room
and using it to acknowledge instructor
achievements and occasions, such as ‘Happy
Birthday Sanuli!’, ‘Well done for receiving
your BODYATTACK Certification Sam!’ or
‘Congratulations on your engagement Tom!’,
lets instructors know the GFM is interested
in them and their achievements and wants to
share it with the team.
Tokens of appreciation
Management may be able to supply the
GFM with vouchers that they can give
to instructors who have gone above and
beyond. These could include coffee
vouchers, supplement samples or free
visit passes for the gym for them to share
with friends. Finding one of these tokens of
appreciation in your pigeon hole will always
put a smile on an instructor’s face.
Trust and responsibility
The amount of responsibility instructors are
given directly correlates with how capable
the GFM believes they are. Selecting
instructors to take the lead on instructor
training, or giving them the ability to make
their own judgement calls without the
manager’s involvement, demonstrates to
them that they are valued and are up to the
task of leading other instructors.
Provide opportunities
The best instructors are the rock stars of your
gym. Providing them with the opportunity
to lead by example will reinforce their value
to the club. This can be done by asking
individual instructors to lead a specific
program, and giving them a corresponding
title, such as ‘HIIT Leader’, ‘Head of Aqua
Fitness’ or ‘Seniors Program Leader’. These
people can be put in charge of updating
other staff regarding the latest trends in
their area, helping mentor new instructors
and letting the GFM know if there are any
problems with equipment or complaints
regarding their program. As well as making
them feel validated, this will also inspire other
employees to compete for the top spot.
These various approaches will create a
long-lasting dialogue about performance
while keeping instructors on the right track
and improving engagement.
The best group fitness program in
the world
Having a good relationship with, and respect
from the gym’s team of instructors, will
result in them being keen to support their
manager, which in turn makes the GFM’s
job much easier. Look after your people and
they will look after you. The instructor team
will be willing to help out with covers, will
contribute to launches, will want to attend
meetings and training opportunities, and will
be reliable and loyal to the gym.
The top three ingredients to a killer
group fitness program are great classes,
great instructors and an amazing manager.
Hiring the best GFM, finding or training up
the best instructors, and treating them like
royalty, will ensure that the rewards will
come back to the club in the form of huge
group fitness success.
Kirsty Nield is a Group Fitness Manager, instructor and
presenter, Kirsty is passionate about making people
fitter, healthier and happier. Starting as a freestyle
instructor in the late 90’s, she takes great pride in
her classes. Kir