V O L U M E 2 8 | I S S U E 2 2 017
U N I T E D
S T A T E S
S W I M
S C H O O L
A S S O C I A T I O N
WANT TO SUCCEED? BUILD YOUR ENJOYMENT MUSCLE
The Gift of Teaching Swim
NEW BEGINNINGS
IT COMMITTEE IS ON THE GO
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IN THIS ISSUE 3
Letter from the President
5 From the Desk of the Executive Director 6 2017 San Jose Highlights 8 Want to Succeed? Build Your Enjoyment Muscle 11 Comp Time May Replace Overtime 15 Effective Management Requires Asking Questions 13
THE GIFT OF TEACHING
SWIM
18 Ask Al: Ideas to keep your facility working well 21 Safer 3: New Name New Urgency 23 IT Committee is ON THE GO 25 The Best Place to Find New Employees 27 New Sponsor Announcements 28 Index of Advertisers
ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS 13215 N. Verde River Dr., Suite 10 Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 480.837.5525 usssa@usswimschools.org usswimschools.org Executive Director Lisa M. Zarda, CAE, CNAP Editor Monica Martin ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President Lynn Ledford, Cal Elite Kids Vice President John Kirk, Little Otter Swim School ASSOCIATION DIRECTORS Tracy Koleber, Nitro Swimming Tiernan Murphy, Making Waves Swim School Jeff Purchin, 5 Cities Swim School Casie Shore, Swim to Shore Swim School Matt Young, Hubbard Family Swim School
USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 1
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT DEAR SWIM SCHOOL FRIENDS,
It has been a very busy first quarter for the Association! I enjoy this Letter from the President. We are a unique group of business owners and friends. I will tell you. My neighbors are awesome and I love my girlfriends from the days of old. And of course, I always enjoy the family gatherings. But there is no one quite like all of us. No one else leans in with interest when someone mentions enrollment trends. The neighbors can only take so much of recent demographic studies and my family really does not care about the trends driving the learnto-swim market. But there is this little corner of the world where all of you are and like minds and like hearts abound. I love our little corner. There is so much going on at the Association, I really must use this space to communicate the happenings. First of all, I am thrilled to report that Lisa Zarda is now serving as our Executive Director. Lisa is amazing. You are going to love her! First of all, she is great at this. Really great. She has nearly 18 years of experience in Association management. She brings a wealth of expertise in managing and serving business based members, developing strategic partnerships, association financial management and conference and event planning. On paper, she graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science and a minor in business administration. She is a Certified
Association Executive (CAE) through the American Society of Association Executives and a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP) through the Nonprofit CPAs Alliance. She is active in the American Society of Association Executives and has served as a Council Chair, Vice Chair of the Educational Webinar Subcommittee, Chair of the Collaborate Sub Committee and Chair of the Knowledge Committee. Before coming to the US Swim School Association, Lisa enjoyed an 11-year leadership role as the General Manager of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools, a $1.5 million entity with over 700 members. Lisa is qualified, experienced and competent. Moreover, she is warm, approachable and incredibly diplomatic and kind. Please introduce yourself and help her to feel welcome in our little corner. There is more! You may have noticed the awesome new website! John Kirk has spearheaded the arduous process of updating and improving our website. The website LOOKS fantastic and there are many new features and improved functionality that will help us to serve you better. Are you ready for Orlando? Conference planning is underway for both the Fall 2017 conference and the Spring 2018 conference! The Association has changed its approach to conference planning. In the past, we sent out notices asking members to speak and then reviewed the various applications that we received. This process required quite a bit of prodding from the office and did not always result in a cohesive, structured agenda. This year, the Committees are working hard to create a planned agenda with relevant topics and current content that is part of a planned theme… one that avoids repetition or duplication. It is a tall order to fill! Once the agenda is created and the topics are outlined, the Committee will enlist qualified speakers who have expertise with the various subjects. This process was used for the first time with our Spring Conference in San Jose and resulted in an excellent conference. The Fall Committee is ROCKING their agenda planning and has started to announce topics and is calling for speakers! The Infant Toddler Committee and
Special Abilities Committee continue to set a stellar example of educational excellence for the USSSA. Both committees are working to incorporate more and improved video content for their classes and have contracted with professional videographers and editors to help us continue to raise the bar in our delivery of these flagship courses. I want you to know that your Association is dedicated to helping you meet your business and professional goals. Together, we will continue to move our industry forward! Monica Martin and Mark Gorzen continue to provide expertise and leadership in the office and have been instrumental in the work and progress of the Association. Just to keep you posted, behind the scenes we are working on our budget, planning webinars, strategizing on sponsorship growth, building our tiered membership, working on adding increased value to teachers and administrators, addressing Association pricing, working on specific ways to engage small swim schools, preparing to send out requests for award nominations… and right now as I write this, preparing to send out our new magazine! There is never a dull moment and we are excited to share all that we can with you, here in our little corner of the world.
LYNN LEDFORD President US Swim School Association
Lisa Zarda and Lynn Ledford USSSA Office Headquarters
USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 3
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FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Hello, my name is Lisa Zarda and I am thrilled to be your new Executive Director. As I reflect on the theme, NEW BEGINNINGS, I can’t help but see all the ways this association has and will be experiencing new beginnings. For me, this role as Executive Director represents a new beginning as I move on from 11 years of service as the General Manager of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools to lead this association to even greater heights. For those I’ve not yet had the pleasure to meet or talk with on the phone, I’ll take a moment to introduce myself. I am originally from the Midwest but have called Arizona home for over 11 years. I live and try to stay cool in Cave Creek, Arizona with my husband Ken, two kids and two dogs. We are Green Bay Packer fans/owners and love to go hiking up in Flagstaff, Arizona, as it reminds us of the Midwest. I bring to this position nearly 18 years of association management experience in addition to certifications as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) as well as a Certified Non-Profit Accounting Professional (CNAP). There are many exciting things happening at USSSA! Final touches are being put on plans for the 2017 National Conference in Orlando, Florida, taking place October 11–13th. I recently hosted a convention at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista and I know you are all going to love the hotel and the location. It is a short walk to Disney Springs,™ formerly
Downtown Disney, with a vast selection of food, entertainment and shopping. You can learn more about this conference at the events page on our website. And speaking of new beginnings, USSSA has a brand new magazine, Ready Set Swim along with a new website and new database system. This new database will allow us to better track educator members who can now join USSSA for free with their school’s membership. School owners can sign up their educators by visiting our website. As a result of our new database system, you may find the need to reset your password when you first login to your account on our website. If you have any issues requesting a new password, please call the association office at 480-837-5525, we are happy to help. We look forward to the opportunity to create deeper connections within our member schools and provide even more value for your membership! I also wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t share a friendly reminder to renew your membership with USSSA. Most of our members have a renewal due date of April 30th. If you have not yet renewed, please do so today so you don’t miss out on important association news and information.
Lisa, Ken, Clare and Ian Zarda
I look forward to working with the USSSA board of directors, staff, committees, sponsors and members to take this association to even greater heights. It is my pleasure to serve you in this role. Please feel free to reach out, I’d love to hear from you!
LISA M. ZARDA, CAE, CNAP Executive Director US Swim School Association
2017 SAN JOSE HIGHLIGHTS BY ANN MARIE SUNDERHAUS USSSA SPRING WORKSHOP COMMITTEE
The San Jose Spring Workshop set record attendance! Thank you to everyone who attended this awesome event. The two days were jam packed with outstanding speakers sharing their knowledge with attendees who were excited and ready to learn. This Spring Conference did an awesome job delivering topics for owners, managers and swim instructors. The topics delivered ranged from Miren Oca (Ocaquatics Swim School) sharing how to grow your managers from within, to Dan Berzansky (Premier Aquatic Services) scaring everyone just a little bit reviewing his well thought out emergency procedures. Other sessions focused on the importance of continuing to learn new ideas about customer service, on-boarding employees, open and honest communication, and engaging families and recruiting amazing staff. These topics were complemented with expertise on competitive turns, teaching breaststroke to 3 and 4-year-old’s, hand holds with babies and many more applicable in-the-water sessions. The topics were fun and interesting due to the delivery of the presenters. How great were the morning energizers? Bob Hubbard (Hubbard Family Swim School) and Johnny Johnson (Blue Buoy Swim School) as dancing babies lit up the room with much fun and laughter! Sara Batchelor (PRO Swim Academy) had everyone on the edge of their seat ready to run up to her with a rubber band or their personal clothing items, belts and more being thrown onto the stage. Tammy Schoen (Houston Swim Club) and Ryan Rydman (Houston Swim Club Pearland) engaged the tables in building towers while Georgette Cutler (Cal Elite Kids) kept our attention by quizzing us and using a prize wheel! The speakers dominated the sessions. Each of them coming totally prepared and providing information that was applicable to our daily businesses. The meetings did not stop in the conference room. Conversations continued in the hallways, at meals and in the hotel lobby bar. Everyone at the conference was learning, sharing and forming relationships. The energy was uplifting and refreshing. It was a great reminder as to the importance of coming together to learn and help each other impact more families, children and staff in positive ways. If you were unable to attend, there’s always next year. Get ready to gear up for the 2018 Spring Workshop in Dallas, Texas! We look forward to another record breaking turnout and hope you can join us for more knowledge, energy and fun. You know what they say, EVERYTHING’S BIGGER IN TEXAS!!! Hope to see you there. 6 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG
“ We’re thrilled that our instructors can login to the Staff Portal to update students’ skills and quickly email parents their student’s progress. This is a huge time saver and the parents love it!” — Jeff Gershe, Just Swim Inc.
NEW MEMBER LIST ABERRY SWIM CENTER Yanxi Zhou Suzhou, China
BOWLER SWIM SCHOOL Kelsie Bowler Draper, UT
LIFEBUOY SWIM SCHOOL Jeff Reda Baton Rouge, LA
AQUA-TOTS SWIM SCHOOL BANGKOK Tiparad Vimolchalao Bangkok, Thailand
EDUCATION FOR ALL SQUID SCHOOL Jennifer Yttrie Osakis, MN
THE REEF SWIM SCHOOL Karen Bolyard Summerfield, NC
BITTY BUBBLES SWIM SCHOOL Brittany Moog Panama City, FL
EVERGREEN SWIM SCHOOL Cemil Atay Portland, OR
BLUE KID SWIM CLUB Siyuan Li Suzhou, China
INTO THE SWIM Dale Miller Oakhurst, NJ
WATER WONDERS SWIM SCHOOL Becky Bennett West Springfield, MA
USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 7
WANT TO SUCCEED? BUILD YOUR ENJOYMENT MUSCLE BY DAVE CRENSHAW AUTHOR, BUSINESS COACH & 2017 NATIONAL CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER
If you grew up in a household without a swimming pool, like I did, summers were simply not as fun as the summers your friends probably had. They had a pool. I had Legos. To me, the neighborhood house with a swimming pool was a childhood oasis. I remember walking barefoot across that blazing hot cobblestone surface, sitting on that first step and slowly dipping my feet in the refreshing water. Before long, I was diving for pennies, playing Marco Polo, and doing can-openers from the diving board. Little did I know that those days of fun in the sun would someday serve as a teaching metaphor for the grown-up me. In my upcoming book, The Power of Having Fun: How Meaningful Breaks Help You Get More Done—and Feel Fantastic!, I talk about how important it is for adults to find their personal “Oasis.” What is an Oasis? Imagine you’re wandering in the desert, trying to get home. The arid climate is drying your skin, your hair is covered in dust and a growing thirst sensation is beginning to worry you. But then you happen on an oasis—it might even seem like a mirage—or maybe it’s just Scottsdale, Arizona? Either way, it has nourishment, cold water, and, just maybe, a swimming pool. It’s the motivation and replenishment you need to get back to what you need to do and get where you need to go. People in the modern workplace are traveling a metaphorical desert road, working 60 hours per week trying to get in, get done, and get out. Except when they get out, they are still in. Going home is the mirage. They think about what they are going to do at work tomorrow and how much they are dreading it. Just because you are in the business of keeping children afloat, teaching them the backstroke, the butterfly stroke and the occasional high-octane belly-flop, doesn’t mean that your workplace can’t be a desert. Your workplace may be watery, but it’s still another day at the office. You may be fulfilling a childhood dream of being near a swimming pool all day, but deep down you know life isn’t a summer vacation.
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As an instructor myself, I get it. I’ve had clients that flake and goof-off. I’ve had clients fail and need to be rescued. I’ve had partners and speaking engagements fall through unexpectedly. I’ve been in business long enough to know that every job has its extended periods of chaos, even when you are living your dreams. Sometimes, during such a desert, we experience the moment of success, both professionally and personally. Yet we fail to take it in and feel it. Why? Because we’re so trapped in the desert midst that all we see is chaos. That’s a problem that must be addressed. I remember a period in my life when one of my children would hug me. Affection really should be one of the joyous aspects of parenthood. Yet, I remember feeling nothing. No emotional response. Just a blank stare. I didn’t stop loving my children, I just couldn’t process it. This is a problem. Dopamine, the naturally occurring “success” chemical in our body, plays a significant role in our ability to perform well at work. But, when we’re deprived of dopamine, our performance—and our happiness— becomes severely crippled. If you’ve had difficulty enjoying success, whether with loved ones or with your swimming students, I want to offer you a system that worked for me and I think will work for you. It’s called a Personal Oasis. These are pre-determined moments when you promote meaningful enjoyment in your life. Figuring out what is enjoyable to you and making these Oases happen is something I’ll cover in my keynote at the USSSA National Conference in Orlando, Florida. In the meantime, you can start building your enjoyment muscle— and increase the positive impact of dopamine—by practicing a simple system anytime anything positive happens in your day. Doing this won’t simply rewire your brain toward happiness; it will also impact your career as you find more motivation and strength from the pockets of joy you take in.
Enjoying Oases is broken down into three steps: • Mental Acknowledgment • Emotional Acknowledgment • Verbal Acknowledgment This may seem like touchy-feely stuff, yet these steps are grounded in brain science. We’re going to rebuild neural pathways as we strengthen your enjoyment muscle. MENTAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Think about the last wonderful thing that happened in your life or career. Maybe it was the success of a student. Maybe it was something that happened at home. Stop and mentally acknowledge it. Something good happened! By mentally acknowledging this event, you’re telling your brain it was noteworthy, and deserves your attention. • Getting that handwritten Thank You Card from Caleb was so nice. • That mom telling me I was her daughter’s “favorite teacher” was fulfilling. • The office dance party was fun. How many times have you failed to acknowledge good moments because you were multitasking or just being busy? Stop. Tell yourself, “That was fun.” Simple. Powerful. Yet fewer and fewer people are doing this in our information-overloaded world. Pay attention. That’s it! You’re on your way! EMOTIONAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT: The next step is to ask yourself how the moment made you feel. If you’re on emotional autopilot, you can shimmy yourself out of robot mode by asking: “ How did _________________________ make me feel?” Pause. Consider your answer carefully. “It made me feel great” and “It made me feel like a million bucks” and “It made me feel like the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” are all valid answers. The point here is to get you out of the logical part of your head and transition to the emotional part. Develop emotional connections to every success you achieve. Your body is built to fire those neurons and produce dopamine when good things happen. All you need to do is open the gate.
VERBAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT: When you have a moment to say how you feel, just say it…when you get a chance. Simply saying that something felt good cements the feelings you are experiencing. This third step builds mental reps, taking your mind to full extension to make gains. Just say, “That felt great!” Of course, saying this in front of parents might freak people out a little bit. Be judicious about what you say and who you say it around. Your intentions might be in the right place, but appearances do matter! You can whisper it to yourself, you can tell a friend, or you can write it down in your journal. Just say it! Taking these three steps on a consistent basis is an integral part of unlocking the power of having fun. When you not only make Oases part of your day, but enjoy them, you increase your performance and success in all aspects of life. Next time you feel like you’re going off the deep end or are treading water at work, remember to acknowledge your successes mentally, emotionally and verbally. Brain, Heart, Mouth. These three steps won’t just keep you afloat, they’ll keep you making steady strokes along the surface of life. Dave Crenshaw is the master of building productive leaders. He has appeared in Time magazine, USA Today, FastCompany, and the BBC News. His courses on LinkedIn Learning have received millions of views. He has written three books and counting, including The Myth of Multitasking, which was published in six languages and is a time management bestseller. His fourth book, The Power of Having Fun, is due for release in September 2017. As an author, speaker, and online instructor, Dave has transformed hundreds of thousands of businesses leaders worldwide. DaveCrenshaw.com USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 9
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COMP TIME MAY REPLACE OVERTIME BY SEAN DEVER SEAN DEVER CPA & ASSOCIATES
Generally, employees who work more than 40 hours in a week (or more than 8 hours in a day for certain states) are entitled to overtime pay, which is generally calculated at 1.5 times your normal rate. But soon we may have another option available to us if we can swim through the required hurdles. The Working Families Flexibility act of 2017, which would amend the federal Fair Labor Standards Act to permit private-sector employees to offer comp time in lieu of monetary overtime pay is currently being considered. This would enable employees that work overtime in one week to opt out of the higher overtime pay in exchange for working fewer hours in a future week. This practice is currently illegal in the private sector but if passed there are certain requirements that must be met.
For starters, everyone must agree to the deal. This includes employees as well as the employers, so the owner can’t just stop paying people overtime wages. Employees must have worked 1,000 hours during the year to be eligible. The comp time isn’t a straight one-toone equivalent. The employee actually receives 1.5 hours of comp credit for each hour of overtime worked. As an example, if an employee works 45 hours during a given week they are entitled to take 7.5 hours of comp time in a future period. In addition, there is a cap on the number of hours eligible to be taken off. Employers must allow the employees to use their earned comp time within a reasonable time frame from the date of request. Any comp time not used by the end of the year must be paid out to the employees.
Lastly, the good news is nothing is binding. Within a 30-day notice period the employer can discontinue comp time for no specific reason. Employers would have to pay out any comp time earned to make this switch but the flexibility is there if the plan isn’t working as expected. I think that schools across the country are looking for the next generation of employee and this is one way to attract and maintain the best. Everyone is looking for more flexibility and work life balance and this appears to be a step in the right direction. Express Payroll is part of Sean Dever, CPA & Associates, an accounting firm which provides services such as: Small Business Accounting; Tax Preparation & Planning, Business Valuation, Succession Planning and Payroll Service. Sean focuses the firm’s services towards the children’s sports education industry, including swimming, gymnastics, dance and cheerleading. For more information, email sean@devercpa.com or visit www.devercpa.com.
USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 11
CALENDAR OF EVENTS JUNE 22, 2017
WORLD’S LARGEST SWIMMING LESSON wlsl.org
AUGUST 21-23, 2017
AUSTRALIAN SWIM SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE DARWIN CITY, AUSTRALIA australianswimschools.org.au OCTOBER 11-13, 2017
USSSA NATIONAL CONFERENCE ORLANDO, FLORIDA usswimschools.org
JULY 31-AUGUST 2, 2018
SWIM AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL SWIM SCHOOLS CONFERENCE COOK ISLANDS swimaustralia.org.au
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THANK YOU ANNUAL SPONSORS
THE GIFT OF TEACHING SWIM BY JIM SPIERS SWIMJIM INC.
Aquatics educators are very lucky professionals. We teach children a fun, healthy activity that they can enjoy their whole life, but also the only sport that can help save their life in an emergency. Swimming’s physical aspects are the first things that our parents think of. But we know how amazing it is to engage children’s developing minds. We also get to educate parents about how each of these brain functions can express themselves in the water and how the whole child develops as a result of consistent swimming education and coaching. The first thing SwimJim loves to teach its parents and team members is about the reptilian brain function. This is the fight or flight response we see when a child is upset during their first few lessons. We know how this provokes a similar protective response among parents. Next, we help kids develop their limbic brain systems. This is where emotions and memories are born. When I meet
students I taught 25 years ago – often with children of their own – they can sing the songs I taught them in their lessons. We support how kids feel, how they experience those emotions and memories and how they mature while developing coordination, strength and social interaction. Through Experiential Learning based in Music, Song, Repetition, Love and Nurturing, we as swimming educators have the wonderful gift of being able to help children learn in a happy and safe place. They grow not only in skills but in confidence and learn to trust people outside of their families. Swim teachers have known for a long time that swimming lessons early in life make smarter kids, as well as stronger and safer kids. Now there is proof. Check out Dr. Robyn Jorgensen’s four-year research project on early swim lesson’s positive impact on kid’s education milestones in basic subjects: www.robynjorgensen.com.au/early-
years-swimming. It is gratifying to see her professional and well-respected conclusion that swimming propels children ahead faster and further than parents realize. Dr. Jorgensen says, “The importance of learning to swim at a young age cannot be disputed. With accidental drowning being the leading cause of death in under-5s, it makes good sense for all young children to develop water safety skills from a very early age.” Aquatics educators are in a rare position. We impact our students in an incredible way. AND we get to have fun while we do it! We also get to share our knowledge and experience through the US Swim School Association where we get to learn from the best of the best. Thank you all for all you have shared with me. I look forward to growing myself, as well as helping children learn in a happy place.
USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 13
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT REQUIRES ASKING QUESTIONS BY SHARI HARLEY
If an employee quits and the manager is surprised, shame on the manager. Employee turnover – literal turnover (he quits and leaves the building) or figurative turnover (he quits but continues to come in everyday and do his minimal best) – are extremely predictable. Most employees need only a handful of things to be satisfied and productive at work. The key is getting employees to tell you what those things are. And they might just tell you, if you ask. An employee’s first few weeks at a new job often involve a lot of training. Managers tell employees what they need to do and hopefully why they need to do those things. I recommend balancing telling with asking. Effective management involves asking the seven questions below during the interview process, after an employee starts, and again 90-days to six months into the job.
USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 15
1
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT QUESTION “What brought you to this company? Why did you accept this job? What are you hoping the job will provide?” Ask one of these three questions. Pick the one you like best.
2
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT QUESTION “What would make you leave this job? What are your career deal breakers, things you just can’t tolerate at work?” Ask either of these questions.
3
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT QUESTION “What type of work, skills, and/or areas of our business do you want to learn more about?”
4
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT QUESTION “Tell me about the best manager you ever had. What made him/her the best manager?” This will tell you what the employee needs from you as a manager and is a much better question than,“What do you need from me as your manager?” That is a hard question to answer. Telling you the best manager s/he ever had is easy.
16 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG
5
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT QUESTION “Tell me about the worst manager you ever had? What made him/her the worst manager?”
6
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT QUESTION “What are your pet peeves at work? What will frustrate you?” Why find out the hard way what frustrates employees when it’s so easy to ask. This question demonstrates that you want your employees to be happy and that you will flex your own preferences, when possible, to meet employees’ needs.
7
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT QUESTION “How do you feel about being contacted via cell phone or text outside of business hours? How do you feel about receiving emails during the evenings and weekends?”
If you’ve participated in one of our effective management trainings and received a box of Candor Questions for Managers, you know I could go on. But these seven questions are a good start. Regardless of age, gender, or work and educational background, all employees have a few things in common. Employees want to: • Work for someone who takes an interest in and knows them • Feel valued and appreciated for their contributions • Be part of and contribute to something greater than themselves • Feel respected as a person. Managers respect their time, expertise, and needs
Taking the time to get to know employees throughout your working relationship accomplishes many employee needs. If you have long time employees, it’s never too late to ask these questions. Regardless of for how long employees have worked for you, they’ll appreciate you asking. There is no need to feel that employees will raise an eyebrow and wonder why you’re asking now. They’ll just be happy you’re asking. You can simply say, “I realized that I’ve never overtly asked these questions. I just assume I know. But I don’t want to do that. You’re too valuable to me and to the organization. During our next one-on-one meeting I’d like to ask you these questions and you can ask me anything you’d like.” If you have a manager who will never ask you these questions, provide him/ her the information. Don’t wait to be asked. You’re 100% accountable for your career. Tell your manager, “There are a few things about myself I want to share with you. I think this information will make me easier to manage and will help ensure I do great work for the organization for a long time.” Managers, the better your relationship with your employees and the more you know about what your employees need from you, the organization, and the job, the easier employees are to engage, retain, and manage. Stop guessing and start asking. © 2017 Candid Culture, Reprinted with permission. Shari Harley is the founder and President of Candid Culture, a Denver-based training firm that is bringing candor back to the workplace, making it easier to give feedback at work. Shari is the author of the business communication book How to Say Anything to Anyone: A Guide to Building Business Relationships that Really Work. She is a keynote speaker at conferences and does training throughout the U.S. Learn more about Shari Harley and Candid Culture’s training programs at www.candidculture.com.
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From reading the USSSA articles, we have discovered that our pool builder seems to have taken a few shortcuts with pipe and equipment sizing, and equipment selections. Our indoor school is growing quickly and we are starting to see early signs of trouble, mostly poor clarity after heavy use and early skin irritation with our instructors. WHAT CAN WE DO TO BUY TIME UNTIL WE’RE LARGE ENOUGH TO RENOVATE?
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I
Welcome back to our “Ask the Expert” feature, designed to assist you with issues related to swimming pool water, mechanical equipment, space conditioning and code compliance. Ask a question, and we will try to answer to the best of our ability. t’s a good idea to be proactive as many swim school owners have been able to tweak their facilities to keep them working well for many years despite serious construction deficiencies.
Here are a couple of ideas and suggestions to hopefully help. AUDIT THE POOL TO IDENTIFY THE ISSUES A good first step is to arrange an experienced professional to oversee a complete audit of the pool system. This could be partially accomplished by your staff and should include: • Digital Pool Water Chemistry Testing (including pre and post turbidity testing) • Digital Fill Water Chemistry Testing • Hydraulic engineering review including GPM and pipe sizes entering and leaving equipment room • Photographic inventory of all equipment including model numbers, data plates, etc. • PDF set of construction plans if available • List of known issues and some patterns of occurrence This will help us document deficiencies to better formulate a short and long-term game plan. Note: If you don’t feel your local professional has the experience or the equipment, please contact the USSSA, and we’ll assist you in finding someone who can help.
COST
QUICK SOLUTION(S)
PROBLEM
LACK OF EXPERTISE
POOR OVERALL CONTROL
ONE BITE AT A TIME Once you have assembled the information, an expert can predict what is causing the issue and take action. Some of the corrective actions will cost more that others, and here is a quick (yet not exhaustive) list of simpler issues with some successful strategies that have worked in the past. Continued on next page.
WATER QUALITY ISSUES
SKIN IRRITATION
Staff is not experienced or educated in swimming pool operation at the highest level, so small issues are not being corrected in a timely manner and they turn into bigger issues.
Poor documentation (aka metrics) and/or control of major pool parameters contribute to deteriorating water conditions.
Poor clarity, dull unappealing water, chlorine odor, etc. This is normally either an oxidation and/or a filtration issue. The audit will give us some indication, and the treatment varies with the issue.
Poor water quality, or concentration of organics that can’t be broken down.
Get staff certified with a National Certification Class. The top ones include AFO (Aquatic Facility Operator – NRPA), AquaTech (Starfish Aquatics), or CPO (Certified Pool Operator – NSPF). These teach similar topics, but AFO seems to have the most stringent teacher certification requirements, has less math, and invests more time in topics like ORP, pool management, etc. The AquaTech course is a hybrid class with an interesting internet-based portion, and a popular full day hands-on class required for full certification.
One can take complete control with a reliable equipment room control system that monitors and/ or controls chemistry, recirculation flow, filter cleanliness, filter pressures, water consumption, etc. You can use the remote control and data logging metrics to find trends and solutions, and the alert notification programs help you resolve small problems before they become larger ones.
Taking direct pinpoint and reliable control (even with a 60-90-day interactive control demo) will help give you some good data for diagnosis. Other solutions include using an automatic Peroxolyte treatment (feed strong powder oxidizer based on bather loads) help handle the air and water quality until you get a chance to add a UV system. A good amino acid digester (enzyme) will also help reduce organics to help the water outperform the treatment system.
Dump a significant amount of pool water and refill with fresh water. Dump an amount at least equal to 4-gallons for each bather per week, and continue this trend weekly until the irritation subsides. Purging large amounts of indoor air sometimes helps relieve irritation as well.
Cost normally under $375 per student. It gives your operators that knowledge and the confidence to do the best possible job on a daily basis.
This solution can cost thousands, but even the best ones are available under an affordable monthly service plan and can save you much more time and money than it costs.
Varies per treatment, but Peroxolyte and/or Enzyme treatment can cost hundreds a month for pools with 1,000 bathers a week, but costs depend on severity of issue.
Water is cheap and costs a lot less than losing customers, and/or instructors, or worst yet, having someone take legal action against your school.
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CONCLUSION The best way to overcome issues is to closely study the mechanical systems, learn the deficiencies and trends, and develop a strong short and long-term game plan. The short-term plans are quicker to implement, and can resolve problems right away, but the costs can add up quickly. Sometimes the long-term plan, implemented using a 3-year lease or maintenance agreement, ends up being more affordable and more effective than the sum of the short-term solutions. Hope that helps! Please feel free to forward your questions and comments through the Association office, or directly to me, via email at amendoza@ ceswaterquality.com. Best Regards, Alvaro G. Mendoza
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MAKING INDUSTRY WAVES WE VALUE YOUR MEMBERSHIP! The Association has geared up to give you another incredible year of service and benefits including: • INDUSTRY NETWORKING • BUSINESS BUILDING CONFERENCES • ONLINE FORUMS • INFORMATIVE MEMBER MAGAZINE & E-NEWS • EASY ACCESS TO ONLINE RESOURCES • EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
SAFER 3: NEW NAME NEW URGENCY Have you heard? Safer 3 Water Safety Foundation is now STOP DROWNING NOW. After a lot of thought and research, the decision was made in January at the board’s strategic planning meeting. We are energized about our continued evolution and know you will be, too! There are many reasons for the change, but the two biggest reasons: • We need an urgent call to action • We need a clear, simple vision Safer 3 is still our toolkit. Safer Water, Safer People (Kids) and Safer Response are still the cornerstones that will move the needle. We hope you agree that this is a very positive change for the foundation! If you would like to learn more, please visit us at www.StopDrowningNow.org.
A friendly reminder that it maybe time to renew. Renew today online at usswimschools.org. Thank you for your support! THE ASSOCIATION’S 2017 NATIONAL CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE APPLY NOW! USSSA’s 2nd Annual Scholarship Program is now available to all members. The Association will provide financial assistance towards the cost of conference registration fees. Contact the office at usssa@usswimschools.org or 480.837.5525 for the application and instructions. Applications must be received by July 31, 2017. We look forward to hearing from you!
THE COUTTS FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP FUND Developing Future Leaders of the Swim School Industry In association with our partners at the Australian Swim Schools Association (ASSA), the inaugural Coutts Family Scholarship Fund provides an unprecedented opportunity for six individuals - three from the USSSA and three from the ASSA - to access the world’s best practices, expand their knowledge and network with other swim school members. Here are event details at-a-glance: HOSTS: John and Sally Coutts WHEN: January 27-February 5, 2018 WHERE: Coutt’s Residence in Finland Applications due by 5:00pm AEST June 30th, 2017 Contact the USSSA office at usssa@usswimschools.org or 480.837.5525 for details.
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IT COMMITTEE IS ON THE GO BY KATHY HUBBARD & MIREN OCA USSSA INFANT-TODDLER COMMITTEE
Bob and Kathy Hubbard, owners of Hubbard Family Swim School, headed to Boston, Massachusetts on March 6th at the invitation of Sally Poveromo, owner of Little Flippers Swim School. They were excited about the opportunity to teach the Infant-Toddler Education ON THE GO Workshop to a fantastic group of 29 teachers. Sally and her Program Director, Kelly Gosselin, had a beautiful party room in their Winchester, MA location to host the group. They provided a nice early morning welcome and a great lunch which everyone enjoyed. The attendance was amazing! Sally had reached out to fellow USSSA swim school owners, and several swim schools from the region joined the Little Flippers staff to take advantage of the workshops. Roots Aquatics and Fitness Center from
Westfield, MA, Pods Swimming from Providence, RI, and Noah’s Ark Swim School from Cheshire, CT, all had great representation. SwimJim Swim School also hosted two USSSA ON THE GO courses this past spring...one in New York City and the other at their Houston location. They were very gracious and welcomed Saint Street Swim to their Houston course and it really created a fun sharing of ideas. Miren Oca was the presenter for both courses and commented, “I think it is fantastic that USSSA member swim schools can come together to educate their teams on working with infants and toddlers. The ON THE GO courses really provide a great opportunity to introduce fresh, new ideas and teaching tips.” It is incredibly easy to coordinate your own Infant Toddler ON THE GO course
at your swim school! The new pricing of $50 per student (payable to USSSA) for the entire 8-hour workshop certainly makes the day affordable. The host school will select a course presenter and work with the presenter to discuss travel arrangements, presenter fees and accommodations. The venue, dates and time should be worked out with the presenter of your choice. It is entirely reasonable that the host school adjust the price of the course when inviting other swim schools to cover the cost of hosting the workshop. For those of you interested in hosting this 8-hour workshop, please check out the USSSA website (www.usswimschools.org) for a list of qualified presenters or call the office for more information. We’ll see you ON THE GO, too!
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The main, and best, source of new employees, by far, is internal referrals.
THE BEST PLACE TO FIND NEW EMPLOYEES BY WALLY ADAMCHIK
I just delivered a presentation at a national convention on the best practices in recruiting and retention. My business focuses more on the retention side of the equation, but the client asked me to put this together. I learned a lot doing it. In fact, I’ve found that the topic is in high demand; four other conventions have asked me to do it for them. To save you the trip, I will share with you one of the key points from my research. The main, and best, source of new employees, by far, is internal referrals. That is, an employee within the company submits the name of someone he knows, or knows of, to fill a position in the company. This is a win for the hiring company, because the cost of this acquisition is often lower, and new hires from referrals usually stay around longer.
You can make this work for you. The old cliché, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” has merit here. Who do your employees know that they might be able to refer for a position? Who do you, and they, know who can give you information, make an introduction, or maybe send some people your way? And before you shrug and say, “No one,” I need to tell you that you, and your people, know far more people than you think. The problem most people have is that they don’t tap into their entire network. They make evaluations about who may or may not be able to help them without knowing enough to make a smart decision. A couple of days ago, my friend Ken, a retiring Marine LtCol, called me for advice. We had a great conversation and I asked if he had talked to another mutual friend of ours, Kelly. He hadn’t. He said he didn’t think Kelly could offer input, and listed several seemingly valid reasons. I then pointed out a number of ways that Kelly—and other members of his network he hadn’t considered— might be able to help him. Ken was seeing things one way. I simply helped him see them other ways, too. Take a look at your cell phone contact list. Every single one of those people is part of your network, and they all know people. Let’s say you have 100 people in your phone. You’re really
looking at 200 potential leads. Sure, some of them won’t be able to offer help. But many, including those you had not considered, might fit your company, or know someone who might. Your employees have cell phones too. Best of class firms help their employees understand what they are looking for and continually remind them. You should also reward them, well, when they do refer people to you. We still need to talk about how to handle these referrals well but we will do that next time. For now, think about all those relatives, friends, and acquaintances from school, active duty, sports teams, and church. Make a list. You will be amazed and energized by seeing just how many folks can be sources of information when your network is energized. The objective of the internal referral program is to get people to interview. When this happens the next time you find yourself asking, “Can you hear me now?” there will be a vast network of people, not just hearing you, but helping you get heard Wally Adamchik is President of FireStarter Speaking and Consulting. Visit the website at www.beaFireStarter.com. He can be reached at 919-673-9499 or wally@beaFireStarter.com. Reprinted with permission.
USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 25
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BIG WELCOME TO YOUR PHONE APP! We are excited to announce that Your Phone App is a new partner of the Association! Your Phone App is now bringing their world class and affordable mobile app development services to our members so swim schools can easily engage with customers and increase sales at very affordable rates. Owner, Michael Barnett, doesn’t just develop mobile apps and walk away like many other developers do, he has a genuine affection and care for each business he works with on an ongoing basis to help make their app a success. Michael also provides free marketing collateral such as posters, fliers and counter cards to help swim schools with promotion and marketing initiatives. Businesses can easily update their app in seconds and no coding and technical knowledge is required via their world class, easy to use Content Management System. Your Phone App can help USSSA Members reach online success! • Increase brand recognition, retention and loyalty • Increase customers and sales • Easy to share absentee and make up lesson forms • Easily engage with your customers through push notifications • Reward customers using various loyalty programs • Allow your customers to easily engage with your swim school Contact Your Phone App today on +61438 428628 or +611300 082 824 or email them at michaelb@yourphoneapp.com.au. Check out their website at www.yourphoneapp.com.au.
BIG WELCOME TO WYZED! We are pleased to announce that Wyzed is a new partner of the Association! Wyzed is an online training platform that allows you to automate your swim school employee training and communication. Simplify and streamline all aspects of employee management including hiring, on-boarding, ongoing training and daily communications. Create more space in your business and set your team up for success from the start with automated online training. Wyzed can help USSSA Swim School Members manage their employees with ease! • Create and deliver online training (including hiring, introductions, role specific training, memos and updates) • Track all staff progress to make sure they are compliant • Online assessments and quizzes to make sure staff operates at a high standard • Deliver trackable business updates and memos to make sure everyone knows what is going on • Completely mobile-friendly, with all training accessible anywhere at anytime • Manage daily communication with SMS and email from within your Wyzed account For more information, please contact Wyzed Co-Founder Aaron Price at +61 434 056 850 or email him at aaron@wyzed.com. Visit their website today at www.wyzed.com.
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