Affiliate Philosophy
Most people have an impoverished view of what is physically possible for a human being to do. This impoverished view of course extends to themselves. Many even have nostalgia for a time when they felt they were physically strong and active, but for many this “golden age” never really existed. They simply were young and felt good and strong, but most have never seriously trained or developed their physical abilities over any significant time. This improvised view is a big reason why many think what CrossFitters do in their workouts is crazy.
Often these people seem to feel that developing their physical abilities is not a worth the effort without having some reason to justify the effort like winning at sports. Many people who do exercise are motivated by fear. They have heard that their life could possibly be shortened or their quality of life diminished if they do not take care of their body.
We think that developing one’s physical abilities and capacities are intrinsically good things and therefore should be done for its own sake. The fact that one will live longer and better because of it are compelling reasons too but are generally too abstract for most people to seriously consider in their daily life and therefore are not enough to sustain most people over the long term.
It is a common view that human intellect and the ability to learn are not limited by age. Likewise we believe that human beings can continually develop their physical abilities over their entire lifetime. At CrossFit Tallahassee we make it our goal to change this impoverished and debilitating belief that many people many share into an understanding of their true nature and ability to continual development their physical abilities.
We have the amazing opportunity to coach, train, and spend every hour of our day with the people we love and doing what we love. We focus our efforts on our current clients first, our coaches second, and our new members third.
“World Class Affiliate in 100 Words”
Commit to the development of community. Pursue excellence, integrity, and camaraderie at all costs. The ultimate goal is the health and happiness of all of our members.
Hone the skills of your coaches and constantly encourage their development. Study human movement in meticulous detail. Similarly, master the concepts of fitness, nutrition and CrossFit.
Program to increase general physical preparedness. Functionality, variance, and intensity are indispensable principles. Encourage and attend to all athletes. Be a positive influence.
Interact within the community and know each member’s name. Cultivate and nurture these relationships. Respect each as a person and treat each as a lifelong friend.Emotional Bank Accounts
Relationships, both in and out of the affiliate, are drastically improved by understanding the concept of the Emotional Bank Account (EBA). You want to create healthy relationships with your members by making frequent and sizable deposits in the EBA, while limiting or avoiding withdrawals.
The ways to withdraw are obvious: Intimidating, not listening, ignoring, gossiping, not coming through on promises, reluctance, inconsistencies and disinterest will all make withdrawals in the EBA. There are three important types of deposits into the EBA:
Living a Life of Integrity: Doing the right thing, always - regardless of who is around or how hard it is. This also includes:
Appealing to the Nobler Motive:
When dealing with your members in sensitive situations, always give them the benefit of the doubt. If you assume the members are giving you their best, they are more likely to do just that.
Clarifying Expectations:
Make expectations clear in the beginning takes time and effort on the front end, but saves time and energy in the long run. When expectations are not clear people become emotionally involved and simple misunderstandings become compounded, turning into personality clashes and breakdowns.
Paradigm Shifts: Seeing things from others points of view, not just your own. This also includes:
Learning Everyone’s Name:
Know all your members by name. This should simple, but is more powerful and important than you can imagine. When you use someone’s name, you are saying to that person, “you are important.”
Listening Sincerely (even when it’s negative):
Truly listening, not thinking about what you are going to say while the other person is talking. Stop what you are doing and listen. Empathetic listening is the key to making huge emotional bank deposits.
Tactful Conflict Resolution: Listen sincerely to the member with the issue, and without prejudice, sympathize with them. They will feel important and become loyal members.
Five rules of Tactful Conflict Resolution:
Don’t be defensive.
Listen.
Thank them sincerely.
Sympathize with their needs.
Be honest and admit mistakes.