The Lessons I Learned
Do you know what this logo represents? It is what remains of the Peninsular Club on Ottawa Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids.
As an 8-year-old boy, my father Lance took a new job at the famous Peninsular Club as the new General Manager. After years, he then became the “tour director” of the city’s oldest social club. He worked with the “who’s who” of the Grand Rapids business, social and political communities.
My father spent almost nine years at the Peninsular Club as the General Manager, and I went from being an 8-year-old running around the building (causing trouble, I’m sure), to a 15-year-old who was asked to put on a uniform and bus tables during events.
I could have never realized then the lessons I was going to learn because my father was able to have me be part of his work life at the Peninsular Club.
Here are some of the lessons that I learned:
· The “One”. When you find someone who is willing to work their guts out for you, pay them whatever they want. He used to say (and still says), “It will take you hiring and firing ten other people, to find the one who will bend over backwards for you”.
· Remember a Person’s Name. At the height of the Peninsular Club, there were over 1,000 members (most with spouses). My dad wowed me because he greeted everyone by name (always including Mr. and Mrs...). Most of the time he even knew what they were going to have to have to drink, and he would even order it for them. I would ask, “Dad, how do you remember everyone’s name?!”, and he would say, “It just takes practice Russ. When you know something is important, like remembering names, you come up with ways to remember…”. This is a lesson I try to practice daily, as remembering names is easily one of the simplest ways to increase influence with another person.
· Dress for Success. As a kid, I thought to myself: “Why in the world does my dad have 100 suits?”. Now I don’t think he actually owned 100 suits, but it seemed like it to my 10-year-old mind. Every day he wore a suit and a tie. Even on days he was not working and had to stop in, he wore dress pants, a dress shirt, and a jacket. People take you more seriously when you dress like you belong!
· Take the Stairs. In a world dominated by convenience and elevators, my dad would always run the stairs (even in suit and dress shoes). He would send members and guests up the elevator to the floor they needed, and would then greet them as they got off the elevator (It made me think he was a superhero whenever he did it).
· Everyone is Equal. Just because you “serve” someone, that does not make you less than them. My dad helped me see that just because someone was a “member” of the club, it did not mean he was not on equal footing with them. They were married and had kids. He was married (still is) and had kids (still does). He saw the other person as an equal, and spoke to them as if they were simply a friend that he had not seen in a long time. He did this with both the club members and the staff members.
Knowing my youth was spent running around a downtown Grand Rapids building, it is no wonder that I turned out to be a city boy. My wife and I love living the urban, downtown life just around the corner from this building.
I should have known I would end up being a “city boy” living the urban life. For years my family climbed to the top roof of the Peninsular Club and watched the 4th of July fireworks from what was then the best view of the city in my mind. My now wife even joined us in 1997 to watch the fireworks. To think that the love for downtown Grand Rapids began way back in the 1990s for us while we were still kids is strange to think about.
My father left the Peninsular Club in 1998 for a new opportunity on the other side of Michigan. He was sad to leave, but thought it was the natural next step in his career. Within a few years the club was having problems with new management, and eventually the athletic club (that he helped build) was sold off (now MVP Metro Club). In 2008 the last party was held in the ballroom he helped redesign in 1996.
What lessons did you learn as a kid from your parents that you use on an everyday basis? I would love to hear about them!