Racquet Fuel

What standards are necessary to build a successful club?

In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale talk with Consultants Doug Cash and Ajay Pant about the importance of standards in business, particularly in the context of tennis clubs. They explore how standards define a brand, the necessity of enforcing them, and the challenges of managing high performers who may resist compliance. The conversation also delves into the consequences of lacking standards, the process of building a new culture, and the role of leadership in maintaining quality control. Both Doug and Ajay emphasize the need for transparency, team involvement, and the evolution of standards over time to ensure a consistent and high-quality customer experience.

What You’ll Learn:
  • Standards are essential for setting expectations before hiring.
  • The bigger and more corporate the club, the more likely they have written standards.
  • Enforcement of standards is often lacking due to confrontation skills.
  • Standards should evolve as the business improves.
  • Involve the team in developing and agreeing on standards.
  • High performers can be the hardest to manage when they resist standards.
  • Quality control is crucial for maintaining product consistency.
  • Transparency with standards helps in building trust with employees.
  • The culture of a business is reflected in what happens when no one is watching.
  • Hiring for cultural fit is vital for maintaining standards.

Hosts:

Kim Bastable - UF Director of Racquet Sports Education
Simon Gale - USTA Leader & Facility Executive

Guest:

Ajay Pant - CEO & Owner of Karundy Consulting
Doug Cash - CEO & Owner of CashFlowTennis

Learn More & Get Certified

Racquet Fuel is powered by the University of Florida’s Director of Racquet Sports Certificate Program, the industry’s leading education for current and aspiring racquets leaders. Explore our self-paced online courses — Personal Brand Management, Operations & Programming, and Leadership & Finance — and join the next generation of directors shaping the future of the game. 👉 Learn More & Enroll Here

What is Racquet Fuel?

Racquet Fuel provides insights into the best practices and innovations of racquets industry business leaders.

Co-hosts Kim Bastable, Director of Professional Tennis Management at the University of Florida, and Simon Gale, Senior Director Racquet Sports Development at the USTA National Campus, help racquets leaders in your ability to grow the game and to improve the experiences you offer to both your staff and players by talking to industry leaders, including USTA executives, authors and innovators. If you are on a career path in racquet sports or already a racquets business leader and you want to stay up to date on ideas and innovations in racquets industry business and leadership, this podcast is for you.

Presented by the Athlete+ Podcast Network at the University of Florida Institute for Coaching Excellence.