The CMAA Code of Ethics

Gregg Patterson

General Manager, The Beach Club

Senior Associate, Kapoor and Kapoor Hospitality Consultants

Dean and Adjunct Professor, B.C.U.

“To see the universe in a grain of sand…….”

e-mail at gjpair@aol.com

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Learning Objectives!

At the end of this session you’ll be able to:

Discuss the importance of ethics in making good decisions quickly and consistently

Use ethical principles to explain the decisions made---clearly and effectively.

Identify ethical dilemmas that can and most probably will arise in your personal and professional life.

Use The Club Manager’s Code of Ethics as a tool for resolving ethical dilemmas in your professional life.

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Ethical Warm-Up• The Mission of the club manager?

• How does CMAA pursue the mission?

• Testing---in the real world?

• What are “ethics?”

• Can you teach ethics?

• Can you identify a person’s ethics by observing a single “telling detail?

• How best to teach ethics to staff and members?

• Is ethics more about “neighborhood re-enforcement” than a written code?

• What ethical dilemmas will club manager confront at some time, somewhere in the club industry?

• How does one lose a “trust culture?”

• What ethical dilemma would cause you to leave the club you’re at?

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Remember…….

• Ethical overlap experienced when making a Decision:

– Decision---club ethics, industry ethics, personal ethics.

– Decision---Principles, practices, responsibility.

• Ethics of The CCM Mission---network, education, reflection, BUZZ.

• Ethical Introspection----The Reflective Practicioner.

• Personalizing Ethical Principles---the power of anecdote.

• Ethical Theory leads to Ethical Practices--ideas do matter.

• Ethical Practices lead to ethical theory---there’s philosophy in the details.

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Preparation

• The Code is about:• Dignity.

• Technology.

• Conflict resolution.

• What is a Code of Ethics and why might a manager need one?

• Why might a club want a manager to have a Code of Ethics?

• The role of CMAA in creating and enforcing a code of ethics.

• Hiring a CMAA’er and purchasing the CMAA Code of Ethics.

• Personal validation of The Code!

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The Code

• “An honorable calling…”

• “Incumbent upon club managers to be knowledgeable in the application of sound principles in the management of clubs.

• “…with ample opportunity to stay abreast of current practices and procedures.”

• “…convinced that the Club Manager Association of America best represents those interest.”

• “As a member thereof, subscribe to the following code of ethics.”

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The Code…….continued

• We will uphold the best traditions of club management…….

• …through adherence to sound business principles.

• By our behavior and demeanor, we shall set an example for our employees…….

• …will assist our club officers to secure the utmost in efficient and successful club operations.

• We will consistently promote the recognition and esteem of club management as a profession...

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The Code…….continued

• …and conduct our personal and business affairs in a manner to reflect capability and integrity.

• We will always honor our contractual employment obligations.

• We shall promote community and civic affairs by maintaining good relations with the public sector to the extent possible within the limits of our club’s demands.

• We will strive to advance our knowledge and abilities as club managers……..

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The Code…….continued

• …and willingly share with other Association members the lessons of our experience and knowledge gained by supporting and participating in our local chapter and national association meetings and seminars.

• We will not permit ourselves to be subsidized or compromised by any interest doing business with our clubs.

• We will refrain from initiating directly or through an agent, any communications with a director, member or employee of another club regarding its affairs without the prior knowledge of the manager thereof, if it has a manager.

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The Code…….continued

• We will advise the national headquarters whenever possible, regarding managerial openings at clubs that come to our attention.

• We will do all within our power to assist our fellow club managers in pursuit of their professional goals.

• We shall not be deterred from compliance with the law, as it applies to our clubs.

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The Code…….continued

• We shall provide our club officers and trustees with specifics of federal, state and local laws, statutes and regulations to avoid punitive action and costly legislation.

• We deem it our duty to report to local or national officers any willful violation of the Code of Ethics.

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Gregg’s “Ethical Test of Compliance”

• Staff Ethics------What would the Big Cheese do???

• Don’t make the decision unless:

• You could publish the decision on the front page of your monthly newsletter.

• You would willingly announce and defend the decision to the membership at the annual meeting.

• You would mount the podium and announce it at the closing business session of the World Conference.

• You would gladly have the decision published on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

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The Summing Up

• The Code of Ethics doesn’t cover:

– Ethical bricks.– Personal professional ethics.– Club specific ethics.

• Ethics and the need for Grid Thinking.

• The ethical future of clubs.

• Vision without action is a daydream.

• And remember---The Laugh Club and The Intellectual Property Cheer!

• Now………….a reflective “ethical opportunity!!!”

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Ethics in The Real WorldThe Assignment:

The room will be divided into groups.

Within each group managers will discuss “ethical dilemmas” they have experienced.

One of the many dilemmas discussed will be chosen as the group’s “ethical dilemma.”

When the group is called on to “deliver,” the manager whose story was selected will lay out the issues in detail. He or she will not, at this time, say how the dilemma was resolved.

The audience will now ask questions designed to gather additional facts. No editorializing on the issue will be allowed---questions must be asked with the sole intent of identifying facts needed to draw a conclusion!!!

Members of the audience will then be asked to offer their opinion on how the dilemma should be resolved.

After several managers have had the opportunity to give their decision, and after much editorializing on “why” and “who” and “how,” the manager who made the presentation will tell the audience how the issue was actually resolved.

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