The other day I took my first formal downhill ski lesson.  YAHOO!

I guess I should clarify that statement, because my better half is a Level IV International Ski instructor.  Every time I have skied in the past has been with him, and so every ski trip has [...]]]>

Stacey B. photo by W.Blackstaffe

The other day I took my first formal downhill ski lesson.  YAHOO!

I guess I should clarify that statement, because my better half is a Level IV International Ski instructor.  Every time I have skied in the past has been with him, and so every ski trip has been a lesson – most of which I took for granted.

This time was different, I had to behave, my instructor was someone with whom I couldn’t ‘whine’ or complain as I am comfortable doing with my husband (call me human, I too rattle in my shoes when asked to leave my comfort zone and try something that scares me – but I was willing to try) .

I have never really been much of a ski enthusiast, I have always felt the day was a struggle for me, mostly because I was very much a beginner when I met my husband, and because I am a big chicken, so challenging myself to take what felt like great risk to my life never felt like fun for me. 

On this day -  I had fun.

Here are some of the leadership lessons I learned while watching both my husband and his talented associate, Stacey, accomplish great things while they were helping us newbie’s:

• Follow What I Do

One of the folks I was with managed to find herself in an odd position, doing the splits, legs splayed with skis crossed in the back and facing UPHILL – and stuck.  Stacey understood her predicament, and promptly put herself in the exact same position as my friend and Stacey slowly guided my friend back onto her skis all the while making her feel comfortable and secure without ever making her feel ridiculous or embarrassed.

Great leaders guide the way by example, over and over again always respecting the people they lead.

• There are Many Ways to Learn

I had a breakthrough with my turns and learned how to lean into the ski I was edging with to make that turn.  I know my hubby had told me (a million times) to align myself with the hill not the trees, but I just didn’t get what he meant – did he want me to fall downhill?   Stacey told me the SAME thing in a different way.  “Make the letter ‘C’ with your body so that it is over top of your outside leg during the turn.  Suddenly I had a different visual than trees and slope. Breakthrough.

Great Leaders understand they need to share the same story in different ways in order to make it relevant to everyone.

• Follow What’s Right.

For a few years my hubby has asked me to follow him and do what he was doing.  I kept refusing, I wanted him to follow me, and then tell me what I was doing wrong.  This time I did not argue with Stacey and followed her – this time I paid attention to exactly what her body was DOING rather than ask for criticism and it helped me ‘get’ where my hips, legs and body needed to be.   At the same time, my husband was teaching another one of my friends (a much better student than I) and she was grateful for his lead, as it guided her to really improve her skills.

Great Leaders show the way.

• Picking Oneself Up Means Not Quitting

A few weeks ago I had fallen skiing.  I was so frustrated for falling down when I thought I had control and darn-it, the fall hurt.  My right shoulder has since lost a bit of its movement as a result.  At this point in my ski-learning I wasn’t getting it, was still afraid of the speed and now I hurt.  What I did not know is that I was on the verge of getting it.  The other day I watched my friend get up, try again, get up, try again and really WANT to learn.  She is tenacious and strong, and she is definitely not a quitter.  I watched throughout the day how she improved because of her tenacity and how no matter what new thing was thrown at her she was going to keep on trying.

Great Leaders know learning from the fall is how they improve for next time.

• Some folks learn better in a group

As absolutely giving and understanding as my ski-hill friends are, most of them are expert skiers and have been doing it all of their lives.  Skiing with people who are excellent is great, especially when they are all instructors who delight in seeing others improve.  But there is always something in the back of one’s mind that thinks, “I hate to always hold these experts back.” and it’s hard to shake.  The other day my little group included two expert skiers and three of us who really wanted to improve but are new to the sport.  Learning with other learners created different conversations, laughter, camaraderie, and a sense of self that felt like I belonged in a community.  This is why at a ski hill beginners learn with beginners and experts learn with experts.

Great Leaders provide learning opportunities that are geared to the level of the learner and they do so in groups.

This week I loved skiing, too bad it is at the end of the season.  Next year brings with it new opportunities to enjoy it again and I pray these lessons stay with me.

My ski adventures take place at Nakiska Ski Resort near Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  The Nakiska team are a joy to be around, from snow hosts to lifties, from ski school to lodge and everywhere in between – it is clear that the on-site Nakiska management team is out to rock-it for an experience the guests can truly celebrate.

Thank you to the Ski Cellar in Calgary, Alberta and Nakiska for arranging a delightful Ladies Day.

Patti is a strategic advisor in Leadership, Customer Service and Cultural integration through Mergers and Acquisition. You can book her to speak at her personal page. Need Strategic Sense for your business? – hire us for Leadership Development of individuals, teams, group training and company strategy. Happy Workplaces Succeed, take the path to get there. (403) 201-8512

Recreation is a different kind of business, it is weather dependant and many decisions must be carefully planned, but implemented in [...]]]> Two people I know in the recreation industry were chatting this week and I learned something that gave me a smile regarding the difference in leadership there and in some large corporate settings.

Recreation is a different kind of business, it is weather dependant and many decisions must be carefully planned, but implemented in last-minute crunches.  For people in the recreation industry, it is even more vital to apply careful upfront planning prior to season changes due to the havoc delivered from an early fall, early spring or significant alterations in expected weather.

Most folks in the recreation industry serve their customers in an outdoor venue, such as ski venues, winter/summer tours, heli-skiing, river rafting, golfing, etc. and are almost entirely weather dependant.  They are more so during the opening and closing months for their industry.  Significant dollar losses and gains are possible almost by the hour.  It’s highly recommended that the long-time experts in the industry own the responsibility in decision-making onsite due to the delicate nature of profit and loss during these seasons.

So what did I learn in the conversation?

One of the individuals was being asked to cut costs.  In corporate, that typically means getting a list of employees, figuring out if any are dead-wood or if any are low performers and cutting employment.  Production slows slightly, but responsibility for duties seems to slide to one of their co-workers and corporate will describe it as pulling up the bootstraps.

Not in this particular instance, the Recreation Industry Manager was charged with reducing costs without a significant hit to the delivery of a great product.  So here is what they did:

They cut all company Data Phones from the budget.

Why? It is a lot more expensive to replace knowledgeable people than it is to replace cellphones. Did they cut a larger number of phones than people, sure did, but wouldn’t it be great to work at a place that cared for the people more than the phone?

(Can you imagine management staff in a corporation believing they can even ‘live without’ their Data Phones?)

In the recreation industry employees are vital to a single role.  For instance; a lift operator on a ski hill can’t double as a ticket seller at the same time has operating heavy equipment; a river scout can’t guide 12 people down a wild white-water river ride and manage to drive the busses to the end-point at the same time; and a golf pro can’t double as your grounds keeper while teaching members how to golf.  Begin cutting people, and you will dangerously hack away at your customer experience (which is what customers are really paying for).

Remember, recreation is what consumers spend money on when they have a little extra.  When they spend money on recreation, they want the best experience possible with a rush of fun, excitement and pleasure that can’t be gained in an office setting.  Customers want to arrive knowing the whole operation is running smoothly and safely AND they want choices.  People don’t want to find out that the 18 holes they booked to play was reduced to 9.  They don’t want to wait 3 hours because 3 boats were scheduled to go down river, but because of budget cuts, only two will go and the third will follow later.

Many lessons can be learned by following the Recreation industry and their experts, the people who have been managing and running them for over 25-40 years and who know their stuff.  They have been through a lot of down-turns, a lot of weather changes and a good-deal many daily decisions made instantly, expertly, and with the understanding that change is not their enemy but their friend if they are prepared for it with upfront planning.  It is, after all, a business that needs to remain profitable to continue offering those exciting experiences that keep the rest of us sane.