In my last blog, “Time to Do an Audit: Evaluating a Kid’s Club and So Much More,” I talked about all the areas I look at during an audit/evaluation because, as I mentioned, it’s not just about the Kids’ Club.
So, what happens after I sit down with the General Manager, Resort Manager, Director of Recreation, Kids’ Club Manager, or whoever is involved?
That’s when the real follow-up begins.
After the evaluation and our meeting, I create an Action Plan that pulls together everything outlined in my written report, along with the items identified during the evaluation. These are the standards and expectations we originally established to determine what I would be looking for during future audits.
And again, the Action Plan covers so much more than the Kids’ Club. It can include everything from the Kids’ Club and recreation areas to restaurants, guest services, staff throughout the hotel, maintenance, safety, signage, equipment, and so much more.
From there, the manager goes through each item, contacts the appropriate departments or team members, determines who is responsible, and establishes a realistic deadline for completion.
For example, maybe Maintenance needs to repair a fan or touch up some paint. Perhaps Food & Beverage needs to update a menu or provide a new highchair. Maybe the recreation team needs to adjust programming, or another department needs to address a safety or guest-experience issue.
Why do I feel action plans are important after the audit…because it not only keeps the project and enhancement on the club moving forward, but it turns ideas, discussions, and training into specific actions that actually get completed.
For me, here are some great reasons why everyone should work using an Action Plan.
- Creates accountability — everyone knows what they are responsible for.
- Defines clear deadlines — tasks don’t remain open-ended or get forgotten.
- Turns feedback into action — training and audits identify opportunities, and the Action Plan identifies what will change.
- Clarifies ownership — each item has a person or team responsible for completing it.
- Keeps everyone aligned — management and the Kid’s Club team are working toward the same priorities.
- Tracks progress — you can see what is completed, in progress, delayed, or still outstanding.
- Creates consistency — especially important when different team members or departments are involved.
- Provides follow-up — future meetings can focus on progress rather than repeatedly discussing the same issues.
- Demonstrates improvement — it provides a record of what was identified, what was done, and how the program has developed.
The Action Plan is particularly valuable because training by itself doesn’t guarantee implementation. A team can receive excellent training, understand the concept, participate in role play, and leave excited—but without assigned responsibilities and deadlines, it is very easy for things to return to the way they were before.
Throughout the year, I do ask to see the team’s Action Plan. I want to understand what has been completed, what is still a work in progress, and what may need to wait until the next budget season.
When it comes to follow-up, I always try to position the Action Plan as a support and accountability tool rather than a criticism tool. That distinction can make a big difference in how the property teams receive it. The goal isn’t to point fingers; it’s to help the team identify what needs to happen, determine who can make it happen, and then keep moving forward.
I know everyone will have their own preferred format, but I think the simplest approach is often the best. Set up your Action Plan with columns for:
- What’s the Action
- Responsible Department/Person
- Status
- C = Completed, IP = In Progress, P = Pending
- Deadline / Follow-Up Date
Those last two columns are especially important. They help keep everyone on target and, more importantly, prevent those little items from continually getting pushed to the bottom of the list.
And let’s be honest—there’s something pretty satisfying about changing that status to C = Completed. Every time you cross another item off the list, there’s a little sense of relief…and hopefully a smile on your face!
When I am on a property for five days or more, there is a lot that goes into putting all of this together. Between training, walkthroughs, observations, conversations, and sitting down with the teams to understand what they need, I am looking at the operation from many different angles.
My goal is always to make sure the team has the tools, resources, knowledge, and support they need to operate their club efficiently—and at the level of, and hopefully beyond, guest expectations.
Something that falls between training and the Action Plan is an assessment of the operation—and in this case, we’re talking specifically about the Kids’ Club.
As I mentioned in my last blog, my first day on property is typically an observation day before we get into training. This is an important part of the process because it allows me to see the operation as it normally runs before we begin changing or adding anything.
It also gives me the opportunity to identify things that I may want to highlight during training.
That first day is really my opportunity to understand the full operation. On the other days, I may be walking through or passing by, but I don’t necessarily get to experience the complete journey that a child and family are having in the Kids’ Club from beginning to end.
And yes, I realize that the team may be a little nervous having someone observing them. I would probably be nervous too!
That’s why I don’t look at one observation as the absolute picture of how a team operates. It is simply a snapshot—an opportunity to see what is happening, ask questions, and open the door for communication.
It also becomes a great conversation starter once we are in the training room, particularly when we move into discussion, coaching, and role play.
What Am I Looking For?
Again, I’m sure everyone has their own checklist and areas they like to focus on. These are just a few of the things I look for when observing a Kids’ Club team.
And just like the Action Plan, this isn’t all about criticism.
It’s equally important to recognize what the coordinators are doing right.
If someone does something exceptionally well, tell them!
Give them the kudos they deserve. Recognition is just as important as coaching, and sometimes simply hearing, “You did a great job with that,” can make someone’s entire day.
At the end of the day, the assessment is about the same thing as the Action Plan: observe, communicate, support, implement, and follow up.
And I don’t believe in simply having the conversation and walking away.
I’ll often go back in 48 hours and observe again.
Has what we discussed been implemented?
Is the coordinator using the technique we talked about?
Is the transition between activities smoother?
Are the children more engaged?
Did the team make the adjustment?
That’s when you can really begin to see whether the coaching and conversation have made a difference.
A Few Things I Look For During an Observation
- The key elements of the session were executed effectively.
If not, what changes could be made to ensure the session is more successful in the future? - Did the coordinator consistently use name recognition with the children?
Using a child’s name helps create connection, recognition, and a more personalized experience. - Did the children experience a significant amount of downtime during transitions?
Transitions can be one of the biggest opportunities to improve a Kids’ Club experience. Are the children engaged, or are they simply waiting for the next activity to begin? - Did the coordinator engage the children throughout their experience?
I’m looking for interaction, energy, communication, encouragement, and genuine engagement—not simply supervising the children. - If the session did not start on time, why?
Was there a legitimate reason? Was the team prepared? Were the children waiting? Understanding the “why” is just as important as identifying that something happened. - What was executed well?
What was the strongest element of the session? What should the coordinator continue doing? - Areas for coaching include:
What opportunities were identified that could help the coordinator, the team, or the overall operation improve?
Because at the end of the day, that’s really what all of this is about.
I’m not looking for perfection. I’m looking for progress.
An audit identifies opportunities.
An assessment helps us understand the operation.
Training provides the tools.
The Action Plan creates accountability.
And follow-up makes sure the changes actually become part of the operation.
That is how a Kids’ Club continues to grow—and ultimately, create a better experience for the children, the families, and the team.
Next Up: Safety and Family Sensitivity