I was in a meeting last week and we were discussing the recent survey results of the Nation’s membership and someone asked why Rocky Mountain ranked so well with their members in regards to their education and admin staff (by the way – thank you to all who completed the survey). My response was simply that our number one priority is our staff. Several leaders in the room looked at me surprised since, after all, shouldn’t the membership be our top priority, to which I replied, they are. By supporting the staff in their development as humans, we have the ability to have the largest impact on the member’s education and success in their teaching discipline.
Over the last several years, Rocky Mountain Division has focused on developing current and future leaders in education with an emphasis on people skills. We have adopted hiring procedures to assure that we hire not only the most skilled educators, but also the most humble, hungry and people smart staff. If you are reading this, reflect on a recent clinic or exam you attended and, while I am sure you can remember some of what you worked on, you can more so remember HOW the examiner made you feel. If you have a story to share along these lines please email me at dana@psia-rm,org, I would love to hear it. In the meantime, in full transparency, below I shared Rocky Mountain’s philosophy behind our virtues that our staff and volunteers embrace. This is our commitment to them and to you.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
As team members of PSIA-RM-AASI we have the amazing opportunity to coach, train and spend most of our day with people we love, doing what we enjoy most in life.
We are only as good as the staff we have and do everything in our power to ensure their effectiveness as leaders and their happiness as employees and people. We do our best to educate, provide constructive feedback, encourage further education and personal development, and ensure they are living the lives that our members strive for. Our staff consists of the most Humble, Hungry and Happy (people smart) people in our industry.
Our staff has an unyielding commitment to our members’ results, feelings, and safety, and to creating an environment that is professional, fun, caring, and inspiring.
We (the education staff, administration and volunteers) lead by example. We are the standard that our members strive to become. We are superheroes, role models, leaders, and friends. While we are dedicated, committed, passionate, giving, knowledgeable, approachable, and friendly we are 1st and foremost Humble, Hungry and People Smart.
We believe that we can improve every member’s life as snowsports instructors. We embrace this belief and accept it is our responsibility. We set it as a measure of our accountability.
Our primary focus is on the education, development, happiness and sense of belonging to our current members. While attracting new members is not our priority, we are committed to supporting our member schools in explaining the benefits of membership to those new to the industry. Although not marketing to new members may seem like a departure from the traditional business model of putting the majority of effort and energy in expenditure into creating increasing membership, we choose to first support the quality of a members life cycle with us verses seeking quantity in numbers. This is the essence of saying we are “unhappy with what we have; we want more or someone else”. Therefore we won’t offer discounts on membership or pressure anyone into joining who does not see the value in what we offer as an organization. We are first and foremost committed to do everything we can to make our members feel like they are part of our Rocky Mountain family and this family is based on a trusting, supportive and caring community.
Our members are the most important people that we will interact with. They are not dependent on us; we are dependent on them. Our members never interrupt our work; they are the purpose of our work. We are not doing our members a favor by coaching them. They are doing us a favor by allowing us to coach them. Our attitude and service to our members is what separates us from everyone else. Our members are as much a part of our business as any staff member. Our members are our friends and family. Respect each one like they are your mother or father and treat them like they’re your best friends.
We are an open source community from management to staff members. We communicate clearly, directly, and professionally with members, directors, and staff. We are a family which is built upon trust.
-Dana Forbes, Rocky Mountain Division CEO