It’s nice to know a superstar.
Matthew Allnatt of the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles, California is a superstar. Matthew cares about his employee’s well-being better than any leader I know.
Once a week, he meets with his executive team to make sure they are caring for their well-being in the following areas: physically, mentally, spiritually, financially, and vocationally. Each of his direct reports is required to monitor their team’s overall condition.
Unlike most clubs that tend to work long hours, Matthew insists that his team takes time off and even tracks it to make sure they are using all their PTO.
Under his leadership, the Jonathan Club also:
– hosts regular health fairs to share important information about wellness.
– provides confidential hotlines for team members who might be struggling with emotional and mental stress.
– encourages employees to participate in meditation and other activities that promote positive mental health.
-selects an annual mission, called the Initiative for Good that gives club members and employees the opportunity to give back to the community. Past initiatives have included support for veterans, breast cancer awareness, and homelessness.
– offers free ESL classes to encourage non-English speaking staff to learn English even though they realize that this additional training might result in staff leaving for better jobs in the future.
– allows one or two managers to apply for a one-month sabbatical to work for the Tokyo American Club.
Matthew told me that anxiety and stress are destroyers of morale, and he regularly reminds his team of the importance of empathy and kindness.
Matthew’s mantra is to do everything to support his team and their family time. He told me that he encourages his staff to never miss an important “life moment” with their family.
This type of thoughtful leadership is rare in the club industry known for working long hours. But do you think that the Jonathan Club has trouble with turnover?
Any organization that has trouble finding and keeping talent can learn a lot from the Jonathan Club’s example. Prioritizing employee well-being is a worthwhile and profitable endeavor.
How does your organization compare to the Jonathan Club? What additional steps can you take to improve your employee well-being?
I love this post and the perspective on ensuring leaders monitor the well-being of their team. I’d love to hear more about how Matt tracks and monitors that the team is measuring their progress. Perhaps a future post? 😉
Keep the great examples coming, Tim and keep serving!