I talk to a lot of gym owners who take their first few vacations and come back to a laundry list of questions from staff and parents. They work hard to get things in order before they leave, and when they return, they’re still working hard to answer to people. 

It can make someone a little anxious while on vacation. 

That’s why I strongly believe that at this stage in your business you need a “second in command” when you’re away. In fact, I think you need a second in command all the time. If you have a business partner, that’s great, but you need a “second in command” who is not a business partner either. 

When you’re away, there should be one person in charge of the gym. I often hear owners say that they have people who can handle things, but they didn’t leave a single person in charge of the overall well-being and management of the gym. So, when decisions need to be made, staff and parents aren’t quite sure who to turn to. Instead of proceeding forward with business, they’re forced to wait until the owner returns to get a decision. 

This delays the course of business and puts substantially more on your plate when your vacation is over. 

Here’s what a second in command should look like:

  1. This is a person who has a big picture understanding of all programs and general operations of the gym.
  2. This person is hungry, humble and smart. (For more on this, read The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni.)
  3. This person can handle making big decisions (or can be trained to handle big decisions) without “flight” or “freeze”.
  4. This person responds to difficult situations rather than reacts, meaning they can stay calm, cool and collected.
  5. This person is respected by the staff and gym families.
  6. This person has the time to manage things while you’re away (meaning they don’t have a full-time job that would prohibit them from managing the gym if it were to flood while you’re on vacation.)
  7. This person isn’t always with you – meaning if you’re headed to Summit, this person isn’t a coach who is also headed there. (Your second in command may be someone who regularly travels with you, but just know you’ll need a third in command and a fourth in command as well.) 

Someone who is second in command is the perfect back up when you’re sick, on vacation or away for a travel competition. Here are the tasks you can expect from this person: 

  • He or she can make decisions if a staff member were to call in sick or need disciplinary action. This doesn’t necessarily mean this person would be responsible for firing a staff member if something happened, but he or she could think on their feet and handle any situation with staff calmly and professionally. Major disciplinary action likely would require this staff member to handle the situation until he/she can speak to you. 
  • This staff member could handle an unruly parent creating drama at the gym and calm the situation until you’re back. This person doesn’t gossip with staff or other parents and can keep situations private until you can be reached.
  • This person can process refunds (limitations are fine) and make basic decisions about whether to credit a family or refund them when they miss something.
  • The second in command can maneuver things around in the event that a staff member was a no-show or called in sick at the last minute without having to call you. 
  • This person can do day-to-day tasks such as enrollments, disenrollments, booking parties, selling events, booking private lessons and other regular functions. 
  • This person can answer just about any phone call and reply to just about any email because he/she has the systems and has been trained. 
  • This person can be trusted with the company credit card to make basic purchases such as band-aids, cleaning supplies, gym chalk, bottles of water, etc. 
  • This person knows the systems in your gym forward and backward and adheres to them with 99 percent accuracy and consistency.
  • This person can handle minor injuries and parent communication and knows when something is an emergency that requires professional medical care.
  • This person is safe around children, always follows the 3-person concept and has the athlete’s safety as their top priority. They don’t try risky stunts without progressions and never tell an athlete, “Just throw it.”
  • This person wants to do things “your way” and has no pride about finding a better way to do things. “Finding a better way” is always up to your discretion as the owner.
  • This person fully trusts you and your intentions and doesn’t give pushback. This person is a team player who is liked and respected by owners, staff and gym families (did I say this twice…because this point is REALLY important.) 

When you pick someone who is an ideal candidate for second in command, you’ll need to create a solid training plan. This person needs to know that’s your intention for him or her. The remainder of the staff also needs to know this. The person you select ultimately should be paid well as responsibility will be in their hands in your absence. Expect them to make mistakes, but the right person will also work very hard to do the right thing at all times. The right person will also learn from his or her mistakes and be humble with correction. 

Steps to finding the second in command: 

  1. Look at your current staff to see if anyone has the character traits, leadership skills and availability to fill the position. 
  2. Develop a training plan. What are the things that you don’t want to have to “catch up on” when you return from a vacation.
  3. Talk to this person and see if he/she is up for the challenge. Adjust pay accordingly.
  4. Notify the staff of the role this person will be taking on and what they can expect from now on.
  5. Train this person and put them in charge while you’re in the building so you can see what further training they need. (I don’t get pulled from teams unless it’s a true emergency, because I have three people who can be “second in command,” “third in command,” and “fourth in command” in my absence. When I’m coaching, I basically act as if I’m absent.)
  6. Communicate often to see how the person is feeling and what their level of confidence is.
  7. Take small trips completely unplugged from your phone so this person can be placed in situations where they can’t ask you for an opinion. 
  8. When you get back, go over how it went and what they feel like they need more training on. Praise them for the things they did well and set up a formal training plan for the areas they lacked confidence.

This is going to make a world of difference in your ability to be absent and know your gym is in good hands. I personally like having someone I’ve known for a long time who has been part of our program and embodies our culture. I find it easier than hiring an outsider and teaching these things, though I also believe in the right circumstances this can be done.


So…who is your second in command going to be?