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Home Operations & Facilities Leadership

Recap: From Surviving to Thriving — Strategies for Success in a COVID-19 World

Bobby Dyer by Bobby Dyer
July 27, 2020
in Leadership, Operations & Facilities
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On July 23, Community Rec Magazine presented a new virtual roundtable that discusses strategies to help your facility thrive — not just survive — during the COVID-19 crisis.

The panelists were Chris Tointon, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska; Art Krueger, the director of The Wave Aquatic and Fitness Center in Whitefish, Montana; and Todd Rockoff, the president and CEO of the Tucson JCC in Tucson, Arizona.

The following is a summary of the top takeaways from the roundtable, including how to prepare for a possible facility reclosure, adjusting cleanliness and safety procedures, and bracing for the continued impact of the pandemic:

Operational Procedures

  • Be a good steward of your facility and its mission — set a good example for members on following distancing and safety guidelines, and constantly coach staff on how to enforce these policies.
  • Have internal planning sessions to discuss how to adjust procedures if local governments put more restrictions in place.
  • Create different entry points in your facility for various populations to avoid crossing paths and promote social distancing.
  • Require all staff members to wear masks, and require members to wear masks unless they’re swimming or doing in an activity — such as tennis — in which participants are sufficiently distanced.

Communicating to Members

  • Publish your safety and cleanliness guidelines so members can access them.
  • Create “how to” videos that demonstrate new guidelines — where to enter the building, where to park, how to navigate the facility and maintain social distancing, what programs are available, etc.
  • Transparency is key — being as open as possible about what’s happening at the facility will help put members’ minds at ease.
  • Consider hosting a public Zoom call members can join to make suggestions and/or voice concerns.
  • Don’t over-communicate — find a middle ground of keeping members informed without swarming them with emails or social media posts.

Emphasizing Your Importance to the Community

  • Ask how your organization can set a good example for the rest of the community and other businesses in the area.
  • Advocacy for childcare providers is very important to the future of the community after the pandemic.
  • Speaking with government decision-makers and/or policymakers when and where you can — even informally — can give clarity on what your facility is able to have open, as well as share the importance of your facility being open.
  • Consider partnering with other health and wellness facilities in your county and/or state to form an alliance through which you can communicate with the governor’s office and advocate for community rec centers as essential businesses.

Preparing for Possible Reclosure

  • It’s important to support your staff — emotionally and financially — while navigating a possible reclosure.
  • Expand your facility’s essential services, such as child care and youth education, to boost your organization’s standing as an essential business.
  • Put your cleanliness and safety protocols into practice and be conspicuous about them — the cleaner your business is perceived to be, the more likely it is to stay open.
  • Everyone — staff and members — has to own cleanliness. It’s everybody’s responsibility.

Fallout from the Pandemic

  • New business development will (and likely already has) come to a halt, since organizations won’t have the capital to support these projects.
  • It’s important to keep essential services like childcare and food delivery programs going even while facilities continue to operate at a limited capacity.

 

To access the on-demand version of this webinar, click here.

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Bobby Dyer

Bobby is the former editor of Community Rec Magazine.

Tags: Community ReccoronavirusCOVID-19leadershipoperations & facilitiesrecapvirtual roundtable
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Bobby is the former editor of Community Rec Magazine.

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