Pacesetter Technology and 59club Announce Strategic Partnership to Elevate Club Member Experience
March 11, 2025 –Pacesetter Technology, a leading innovator in mobile technology for private clubs, has announced a strategic partnership with 59club, the industry’s customer service management specialist. The collaboration is driven by a shared mission: helping clubs elevate their customer experience through cutting-edge technology and data-driven insights.
By integrating Pacesetter’s advanced mobile solutions with 59club’s industry-leading analytics and training programs, this partnership will set a new standard for club operations and customer experience. Club leaders will gain real-time access to key performance data, training materials, and access to industry events, enabling them to make more informed decisions and deliver exceptional service.
“I am so excited to start this partnership with Pacesetter,” said Simon Wordsworth, Founder of 59club. “Their product and aspirations match exactly what 59club is all about. Over the next few years, the mobile experience delivered by Pacesetter will dramatically change the way our clients interact with 59club. We will be able to support our venues as they strive for excellence by providing mobile access to results, events, training materials, and much more. In addition, 59club will look to support Pacesetter clients with the data they need to be the best club for their members, and the best employer possible. This partnership is just a perfect match—two companies at the top of their fields, striving for better.”
Pacesetter Technology’s innovative mobile solutions are already transforming club experiences, enhancing personalization, and streamlining operations. By joining forces with 59club, clubs will have unprecedented access to both cutting-edge technology and world-class training resources, allowing them to raise service levels and drive member and guest satisfaction.
“We’re thrilled to partner with 59club,” said George Stavros, CEO of Pacesetter Technology. “Our technology, coupled with the deep industry knowledge and training from the team at 59club, is a perfect fit. Aligning our shared values exponentially helps us both raise the bar on the member experience.”
This partnership underscores both companies’ long term commitment to innovation and service excellence, ensuring that golf clubs & resorts have the tools and insights necessary to thrive in a competitive landscape.
Congratulations to the all of the new winners and the few that claimed back-to-back titles in this year’s celebration presented by Turtleson.
A selection of the golf and club industry’s very best Clubs and Operators descended on The University Club of Toronto and the Calgary Petroleum Club over the last week with the hope of claiming an industry ‘Oscar’ at 59club Canada’s second annual Service Excellence Awards.
A couple of days that started with tales from mystery shopping, carried on with an impressive panel of new industry GM’s, ended with a glittering awards ceremony honouring the finest customer service providers for having achieved the highest standards of excellence across 2024.
59club’s illustrious accolades are determined by scores collected from their impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with 59club’s objective benchmarking criteria. On the two nights, 59club presented 10 awards across different categories, recognizing ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the businesses – sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food & beverage and management. With 59club continuing to reflect the very best performances, regardless of a venue’s size, scale or profile.
The Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club took home three achievements; Most Improved Experience, Golf Ops Team of the Year and Golf Manager of the Year, accompanied by a coveted Gold Flag, improving upon their Silver Flag status received in 2024.
Kudos to clubs or courses with multiple nominees including Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club with seven, Cataraqui Golf & Country Club with five, La Vallee du Richelieu and Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club with four a piece and Mad River and Donalda Club with three a piece.
It was a pleasure to see multiple team members attend this joyous evening. Some awards are individually awarded but more often than not they’re shared among the entire department. Team spirit is what these evenings are all about.
59club’s Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Designations, are always a highlight of proceedings. These highly prized accolades recognize member clubs’ and resorts that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout 2024.
This year, 59club presented a very impressive fifteen ‘Gold Flags’. The deserving winners were: Camelot Golf & Country Club, Cataraqui Golf & Country Club, Donalda Club, Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club, La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club, Mad River Golf Club, Mickelson National Golf Club, Oshawa Golf & Curling Club, Pinebrook Golf & Country Club, Royal Ottawa Golf Club, Sarnia Golf & Curling Club, Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, The Club at North Halton, The Derrick Golf & Winter Club and Victoria Golf Club.
“We are truly honored to receive the 59club Gold Flag Award, a recognition of our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional service and experiences for our members and guests. This achievement reflects not only the dedication and passion of our incredible staff—who continually go above and beyond to create a welcoming environment, deliver outstanding hospitality, and maintain world-class facilities—but also the invaluable support from 59club, whose mystery shopper program and service training provided the insights and guidance needed to reach this standard of excellence.” – Glenn Phillips, Sarnia Golf & Curling Club
“Being recognized as a repeat 59club Gold Flag recipient illustrates the commitment the club’s staff has to delivering service excellence to the membership and their guests.”– Brad Franklin, GM Oshawa Golf & Curling Club
The lone Silver Flag went to Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club and two Bronze Flags winners included Black Bear Ridge Golf Club and McKenzie Meadows Golf Club.
Other prestigious award winners on the night included Dean O’Doherty, La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club, who took home the Superintendent of the Year award and Steven Young was congratulated, for the second consecutive year with the Golf Manager of the Year award.
Ashley Zibrik was hailed Golf Retail Manager of the Year from Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, while the Food & Beverage Manager of the Year title went to Michelle Larcher from Mad River Club.
Individual experience awards were issued to Carrying Place Golf & Country Club for best F&B experience, Cataraqui Golf & Country Club for the best Retail Experience as well as La Vallee du Richelieu with the Best Individual Golf Course Experience award.
“Winning in the categories we were selected for signifies a remarkable achievement, marking key milestones in our journey. It reflects our commitment to excellence. This recognition is a testament to our hard work, innovation, and passion for success.” – Daniel Beauregard, GM Cataraqui Golf & Country Club
To recognize venues which have shown continued commitment to engage, analyze and enrich their member and guest experience, utilizing a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s software platform, a ‘Service Excellence’ designation was awarded to Hamilton Golf & Country Club for the second year in a row! A very impressive feat.
“Working with 59Club has provided measurable results for service interactions at every touch point. It has allowed our team to track progress and address areas of improvement we may not have otherwise recognized. Our recent award recognition also provided the team a sense of pride for the effort they’ve put forward to ensure we’re constantly working towards being best in class.” – Rich Morel, Carrying Place G & CC
Camelot Golf & Country Club, Cataraqui Golf & Country Club, Donalda Club, Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club, La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club, Mad River Golf Club, Mickelson National Golf Club, Oshawa Golf & Curling Club, Pinebrook Golf & Country Club, Royal Ottawa Golf Club, Sarnia Golf & Curling Club, Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, The Club at North Halton, The Derrick Golf & Winter Club, Victoria Golf Club
Silver Flag Designations
Fairmont Chateau Whistler
Bronze Flag Designations
Black Bear Ridge Golf Club, McKenzie Meadows Golf Club
The nominees for 59club’s Canadian Service Excellence Awards, presented by Turtleson, are announced! The winners will be unveiled during two separate awards ceremonies; oneat The University Club of Toronto on February 26th and at The Calgary Petroleum Club on February 28th – the second ceremonies of their kind to be hosted on Canadian soil. Everyone is welcome to attend to celebrate service excellence! Register you and your team here.
These afternoon / evening events will include an hour session on the good, the bad and ugly of service in clubs as well as an impressive panel of some of our industry’s leaders new to the golf and club industry; James Rosnau, Raj Mutti, Andreas Spove, Martin Boucher and more!
59club’s prestigious accolades honour outstanding Venues, Teams, and Individuals in the global golf & hospitality industry consistently delivering exceptional customer experiences for members and guests.
The selection process remains unbiased, relying on scores attained through an in-depth and objective mystery shopping program. This program meticulously evaluates the experiences provided to members, visitors, and potential members across Golf, Greenkeeping, Retail, and F&B operations.
59CLUB CANADA ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ AWARD NOMINATIONS
Leading Individual Golf Course Presentation
Camelot Golf & Country Club
Cataraqui Golf & Country Club
La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club
Oshawa Golf & Curling Club
St. George’s Golf & Country Club
Leading Individual Retail Experience
Pinebrook Golf & Country Club
Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club
Donalda Club
Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club
Edmonton Petroleum Golf & Country Club
Golden Golf Club
Cataraqui Golf & Country Club
Leading Individual Food & Beverage Experience
Royal Ottawa Golf Club
St. George’s Golf & Country Club
Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club
Mad River Golf Club
Carrying Place Golf & Country Club
La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club
My59 Survey Service Excellence Award
Saugeen Golf Club
The Club at North Halton
London Hunt & Country Club
Hamilton Golf & Country Club
Carleton Golf & Yacht Club
Muskoka Lakes Golf & Country Club
Oshawa Golf & Curling Club
Golf / Club Manager of the Year
Gary Ward – Mad River Golf Club
Jim Hope – The Derrick Golf & Winter Club
Steven Young – Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club
Glenn Phillips – Sarnia Golf & Curling Club
Daniel Beauregard – Cataraqui Golf & Country Club
Michael Horsley – Donalda Club
Golf Operations Team of the Year
Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club
Sarnia Golf & Country Club
Donalda Club
Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club
The Derrick Golf & Winter Club
Cataraqui Golf & Country Club
Superintendent of the Year
Paul Robertson – Victoria Golf Club
Ian McQueen – St. George’s Golf & Country Club
Andrew Hart – Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club
Mike Van Sickle – Royal Ottawa Golf Club
Chris Chapman – Camelot Golf & Country Club
Dean O’Doherty – La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club
Golf Retail Manager of the Year
Andrew McCarthy – Donalda Club
Jamie Parkinson – Sarnia Golf & Country Club
Andrew Szewczuk – Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club
59club the global customer service management specialists have today announced their partnership with leading sportswear brand; Turtleson as they head into 2025.
The partnership has been forged with a shared passion for advancing and modernizing the golf industry, with Turtleson famed for reimagining classic sportswear for modern lifestyles, and 59club synonymous for elevating customer experiences and driving sales performance across the global golf & hospitality industry.
With regional divisions spanning the USA, Canada, UK & Ireland, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, Asia, Australia & New Zealand and Korea; 59club’s global uniform needed to reflect the modern brand whilst affording regional teams the flexibility to accommodate cultural nuances.
Of the partnership Simon Wordworth CEO of 59club said “When our teams take to the road, we want them to stand out in the crowd and be noticed, that’s what attracted us to Turtleson. Their sophisticated color palettes, and modern tailoring sets the bar for quality, style, and versatility. Our uniform is a reflection of our brand, of our values and our commitment to excelling standards in the industry. For us Turtleson are the perfect fit to accompany us around the world as we continue to make positive impactful strides as we enter new markets.”
Since 2011, Turtleson has crafted premium golf lifestyle apparel for private clubs, resorts, and men’s specialty stores around the world. Known for their captivating collections and exceptional service, Turtleson has earned its place as a leading apparel partner in North America, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Greg Oakley, CEO of Turtleson added “When exploring potential partnerships, we look for companies and brands that share a similar vision. After meeting Simon and the 59club, we realized right away this was company we wanted to be associated with. 59club is known throughout the world as the standard measure of quality service and at Turtleson we work hard everyday to set the benchmark for quality and service in our markets, it just seems like a natural fit”.
For stockists & more information visit turtleson.com or call Anneke Self on (423) 217-4950 or email her: anneke@turtleson.com
For advice regarding 59club’s Customer Service Management solutions please visit 59club.com or reach out to your local 59club Manager
What does it take to go from a handshake to a hug?
…Time? …Personality? …Trauma? …Jubilation?
It’s certainly not a linear path. Even using the word linear when referring to a hug doesn’t seem right. Hugs are not strategic, they aren’t measured, they are pure feeling. No one is immune to a well-timed hug.
Of course, we all know those people that are naturally compassionate and come by them honestly, hugging all the people, in all the places, all the time, without it feeling awkward or uncomfortable (for the record, I think this is a magical quality). But we must keep in mind, for as many of these people that are out there, there are equally as many that have only given out a handful of hugs, outside of their immediate family, in their entire lives. Not wrong by any means, it’s just not part of their DNA.
Do hugs belong in business? Interesting question. More often than not only for extraordinary circumstances or extraordinary individuals. Do they belong in hospitality? Probably more so than business in general but are still generally uncommon.
We (59club) measure performance in hospitality. At least, this is the answer I usually give when asked “What do you do?”. An answer that I’ve fine-tuned after a few years leading 59club in Canada, but quite honestly I don’t like it. Not that it’s inaccurate, after all it’s “business-ee”, but it’s cold and frankly uninspiring.
So I’m taking a new approach… We help companies go from handshake to hug.
I think it’s going to take some courage on my behalf as I naturally lean to the – have only given out a handful of hugs – side but I’ve been working on that 🙂 I’m kind of looking forward to the looks that I’ll receive with this statement, not to mention the follow up questions.
“How do you do that?”
I guess this is the real question anyways. And, trying my best to keep it simple, I would have to say that wehelp people care. This is a tricky solution to sell. There is an art to get decision makers to think about tactically putting caring and feelings into operations but quite honestly, and with bias, I feel like we’re getting closer to doing this every day. It’s not as much of a radical change as one might think, ultimately it’s a million little things that will curate the journey from handshake to hug.
A smile, eye contact, an engaging/genuine question…
How are you today? nope, how about —> How are you feeling today? Can I help you? nu uh, try this —> What brought you in today? No problem? trash that and use —> My pleasure
Recruitment has to be a big part of the journey in trying to achieve going from handshake to hug but I’m not sure it’s entirely possible to have 100% of your staff made up of natural-born-huggers.
I find myself thinking of some of the Social KPI’s the legendary Gregg Patterson has laid out for us time and again in his sessions. In fact, we’ve thrown these in to Club Study questions in the past…
“How many members funerals have you attended this year?” “How often do you write a hand-written thank you note for members or staff?” “# of Manager’s Office visits by children.” “# of hand-written birthday cards to members.”
These actions have to be fleeting, right? Maybe they didn’t happen too often in the good ‘ol days either. I can’t say I have any data to say one way or the other. It just feels like even though collaboration in business is on the rise, connection and community have never been lower.
I realize we offer a utopian style of thinking at 59club. Sometimes when I look at the service data from our mystery shopping visits and test, I think we have a long uphill climb ahead of us. But we’re up for the challenge. One smile at a time, one engaging question after another, we’ll get there together.
At the end of the day… “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Norman Vincent Peale.
I find surveys can carry a stigma. Some love them and swear by them while some are turned off by them and downright despise them. It might even be 1/3, 1/3, 1/3; use often / use sometimes / never use, not unlike most things I’m sure.
We have a survey platform. So naturally, I get into deep discussions about them with those that are in favour and those that aren’t. One topic that I hear from those that are vehemently against is relation to the tone. Many GM’s feel their staff get discouraged or deflated from the results and that surveys just resemble a loudspeaker for members to voice displeasures.
I get it and quite frankly, they’re not wrong.
Last week I was curating an Exec Summary for a club after a member survey via our platform (FYI, this is an added service and not included normally) and it allowed me to take a deep dive into the quantitative and qualitative data, aka numbers and comments. I couldn’t help but notice the disjointed nature between the two. The numbers, when correlated with our industry benchmarking, suggested this club was rivalling best in class in almost every area. The comments suggested otherwise. If I gave the numbers to one person to read and the comments to another there is no way you would think it was the same survey!
Does that mean this survey has less value? Absolutely not. In fact there is value in both the comments and the numbers. The numbers are essential to track improvement. For better or worse – what gets measured get managed – and without this you simply don’t know how things are trending. Relying on the voices around the bar, in the shop or in the locker room are not reliable enough to track improvement or decline. Full stop.
So where do the value of survey comments come into play you ask? They are two fold…
One of the most powerful human needs isthe feeling of being understood. Comments give the audience; members, guests, staff, volunteers, the opportunity to speak their mind. As a Club Leader, is every comment actionable? Of course not. Roughly 40-60% (Club Study data 2023) of a Club Manager’s daily activity is walking around the club helping people feel understood, but, it has its limitations and the survey can enact this for the larger group.
You have to look for patterns in the comments. It’s very difficult to get context or scratch the surface in a survey question or in its series of questions. The comments will do this to a fault, however, if there is a particular name, space, time, or detail that needs addressing you can find it in the comments. This will take some patience.
We are poor at articulating ourselves, we’re not robots and usually speak off the cuff. I will always advise against showing your board or other staff the comments if possible. I concede this is difficult. It comes across as a lack of transparency but ultimately we can’t help ourselves. We gravitate towards the comments while the numbers take a backseat.
In the end, taking into account my bias, I will advocate for the numbers. And if it means permitting, and mostly discarding, the comments in order to acquire the data. It’s still worth it.
Paris, France – 17/07/2024 – 59club, the leading provider of customer experience benchmarking and improvement solutions for the golf, leisure, retail, and hospitalityindustries, is excited to announce the appointment of Maxence Boireau as its new Managing Partner for 59club Europe West & North Africa overseeing operations in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Morocco. In the golf industry for the past decade, Maxence brings a wealth of expertise and passion to 59club and is committed to continuing the company’s legacy of providing exceptional service to its clients.
“I’m thrilled to join 59club at such a pivotal time,” shared Maxence. “59club has a long-standing reputation for helping businesses across golf and hospitality deliver exceptional customer experiences. I am dedicated to building on this legacy. With a deep passion for both golf and hospitality after a decade in these industries working for well-recognized brands like Le Golf National or Golfbreaks, I believe 59club possesses the tools and expertise to empower businesses of all sizes to achieve their customer experience goals. I am excited to join 59club as they enter this exciting phase of growth! The introduction of new services and ongoing updates to their industry-leading tools make this a perfect time to be on board.”
Under Maxence’s leadership, 59club will continue to focus on providing golf courses, hotels, restaurants, spas and gyms with the data, objective analysis, and insights they need to make informed decisions about their customer experience programs with the help of Mystery Shopping, Satisfaction Surveys, and Training & Education. The company will also be expanding its product offerings to include innovative solutions that will help golf courses attract and retain more customers.
“We are confident that Max is the right person to lead 59club Europe West & North Africa into the future,” said Simon Wordsworth, founder of 59club. “He has a deep understanding of the golf and hospitality industry, and a proven track record of success. We are excited to see what he will accomplish in the years to come.”
About 59club
With a presence in over 20 countries and serving nearly 1,000 businesses in the golf, restaurant, retail, spas, and hospitality industries, 59club is the world leader in comparative analysis and customer experience improvement. The company provides performance management solutions and leverages the collection of objective and subjective data to enhance the business performance and customer experience of its partners. 59club helps them identify their strengths and areas for improvement to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
Partnering with a prestigious portfolio of properties across Europe and North Africa, including Le Golf National, Terre Blanche, Le Touquet Golf Resort, Golf de Chantilly, The Dutch, or Royal Palm Marrakech for example, 59club is the ultimate choice for owners, managers, or site managers who want to stand out from the competition and build customer loyalty while boosting their turnover and profitability.
How often do staff approach a member/guest that is looking around the shop within one minute?
Data from mystery shopping the globe in June tells us it’s 55% of the time. We’d like to see that number rise.
59club’s Member Experience Summer Workshop
Imagine the golf shop selling more food and beverage
Imagine the F &B team selling a driver… you read that correctly.
It might seem like a wild idea but, with our Member Experience Workshop your team will learn how to break down the silos while increasing revenues and satisfaction while taking your hospitality to new levels!
Teams will focus their time working through their own department as well as other areas of influence. The course is designed to perfect the skills of anyone who works in golf. It defines the key communication links between departments that create the ultimate seamless service.
Whether you are looking to define standards, educate and upskill new or existing team members, develop an understanding across all departments in the delivering of service excellence this Workshop will highlight learning for all.
Email our Director of Operations Paddy Kelly – paddy@59clubcanada.com for pricing and booking your workshop!
High-profile venues across the country were recognized for service excellenceat glitzy ceremonies in Calgary and Toronto
Some of the golf industry’s very best clubs and Operators descended on The Glencoe Club and The National Club over the last week with the hope of claiming an industry ‘Oscar’ at 59club Canada’s first Service Excellence Awards.
A couple of days that started with some insight on members followed by an impressive panel, ended in a glittering awards ceremony honouring the finest customer service providers for having achieved the highest standards of excellence across 2023.
59club’s illustrious accolades are determined by scores collected from their impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with 59club’s objective benchmarking criteria. On the two nights, 59club presented 11 awards across different categories, recognizing ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the businesses – sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food & beverage and management. With 59club continuing to reflect the very best performances, regardless of a venue’s size, scale or profile.
Kudos to clubs or courses with multiple nominees including Credit Valley Golf & Country Club with seven, Sarnia golf & Curling Club with six and Oshawa Golf & Curling Club, Carleton Golf & Yacht Club, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club and Fairmont Banff Springs all with four a piece.
It was a pleasure to see some large teams from Carrying Place Golf & Country Club, Fairmont Banff Springs and Mickelson National there to celebrate the evening. Some awards are individually awarded but more often than not they’re shared among the entire department. Team spirit is what these evenings are all about.
59club’s Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Designations, are always a highlight of proceedings. These highly prized accolades recognise member clubs’ and resorts that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout 2023.
This year, 59club presented three ‘Gold Flags’. The deserving winners were: Donalda Club, Oshawa Golf & Curling Club and Credit Valley Golf & Country Club while Silver Flags were captured by four clubs; The Club at North Halton and three Fairmont properties: Jasper Park Lodge, Chateau Whistler and Banff Springs.
Of this year’s awards, Simon Wordsworth, CEO at 59club, commented:
“The Glencoe Club and The National Club were perfect hosts for our first-ever awards ceremony in Canada, and my unerring congratulations go to our nominees, tonight’s winners, our supporters and everyone involved with 59club for their commitment to perfecting service standards across our industry.
Just over 13 years ago, we celebrated our first award winning performances in the UK, and as I look back at that wealth of data, I am privileged to have witnessed 59club quite literally reinvent member and guest experiences across Golf & Hospitality using technology & data to measure, train and support our clients to achieve service excellence.
Our promise to our clients, and to those just embarking on their journey with 59club – as 12 Franchises take hold around the world servicing golf, leisure, spa & hospitality providers – has always been to continue supporting their customer journey, with new tools and more intel, to equip our most ambitious companies in their pursuit of excellence.”
Other prestigious award winners on the night included Andrew Hart, Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, who took home the Superintendent of the Year award and Steven Young was congratulated with the Golf Manager of the Year award.
Gavin MacIver was hailed Golf Retail Manager of the Year, while the Food & Beverage Manager of the Year title went to Michael Binns from Credit Valley Golf & Country Club.
Individual experience awards were issued to Pinebrook Golf & Country Club for Best Overall Experience, Oshawa Golf & Curling Club for best F&B experience, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler for the best Retail Experience as well as the Highlands Golf Club and Oshawa Golf & Curling Club splitting the Best Individual Golf Course Experience award.
To recognise venues which have shown continued commitment to engage, analyze and enrich their member and guest experience, utilizing a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s software platform, a ‘Service Excellence’ designation was awarded to Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
The Einstellung Effect – Knowing too much can be a problem…
In a world full of people trying to become experts, it’s hard to appreciate generalists. Expertise establishes instant credibility, and, we can easily see it and identify it – a PhD or gold medal, a plus handicap, a mechanic, programmer or pianist… the list is endless of people we can appreciate.
But knowing too much about a given topic or trade can be hazardous, enter the Einstellung Effect.
In 1942, Abraham Luchins laid out a challenge, which you can find by clicking here, that tasked participants with filling a large jug using smaller, varying sized jugs of water. I won’t break down the process or solution in hopes that you’ll give it a try but essentially the takeaway was that the deeper your knowledge on a given subject or problem, the more likely you are to revert to your old habits and ways of doing things to solve problems that arise. For those familiar with the Dunning-Kruger Effect, if we were staking boundaries, we’d have the Einstellung Effect on one end and the Dunning-Kreuger Effect on the other.
One of my favourite quotes by Charles H. Brower states “People are more comfortable with old problems than new solutions.” There’s some thick irony within this quote today as we live in a world of striking innovation and technology. We have the ability to be more self-aware than we’ve ever been. It was so much easier to be blissfully unaware in the past. We didn’t know what we didn’t know. There is so much potential to increase our self-awareness, personally and professionally, using what seems like an infinite amount of ways to collect data. This can get us to the ideal state of knowing what we don’t know. The challenge lies in avoiding assumption, regardless of your level of expertise, experience or knowledge on the subject. Start from scratch. Heed the generalist, tackling a problem with an open mind, because they are malleable, adaptable. Use appropriate tools to acquire rich data, ones that generations before us wish they had when faced with old problems, to get the info you need on a road to making better decisions. Eventually, specialists will have a chance to enact their expertise, but this has to happen after exploring all of the options and avoiding the vicious “that’s the way we’ve always done it” trap.
