In the hospitality industry with turnover rates often higher than the 50% referenced in the book regular economic times, the challenges can be great. This two part series will look at the issue of identifying, hiring and growing talent. It should seem obvious, but in my career as a hotelier, hospitality educator and consultant, I have seen a huge number of management positions that have outdated job descriptions, specifications and no sense of what the person really needs to "do" in order to be successful.
When was the last time you evaluated the training programs for your establishment? Many are mandated under OSHA and the content is fairly well established. But the manner in which you make the presentation is not part of the mandate. With the camera and audio-visual capabilities available for in-house presentations, you have the opportunity of scripting a presentation using members of staff in familiar surroundings and with the uniforms worn by your personnel. This offers the chance to add your special interpretation with multi-lingual format as dictated by the diversity of your employees.
With the invention of email, the world of convenience has moved to a new level. The cost involved with many types of mailings has also decreased and, in general, our ability to save time and speed-up decision making all has led to a more effective work environment. While emails have dramatically reduced the proverbial game of “telephone tag”, emails now have replaced some of the personal contacts associated with the call or an individual visit.
There are many different opinions that surround what is considered to be proper e-mail etiquette; however, there are certain basic pointers that can be given to enhance its’ effectiveness. The following suggestions fall under that category.
Do You Think Like a Leader or a Manager? Most of us “lean” toward one function or the other (right brain/left brain theory) but we can and do “crossover” and back from time to time. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note a few of the characteristics that distinguish “leadership thinking” from “management thinking”.
In an era where whistleblower and retaliation claims outpace every other type of employment claim, one can never tell when a disgruntled employee may file a frivolous complaint. Accordingly, restaurants should take certain basic steps to review and eliminate common, often overlooked OSHA violations. As a bonus, improved OSHA compliance will also reduce hazards and provide a non-union employer an opportunity to demonstrate interest to its employees, as well as better engage them in the company's success. Such efforts will improve morale, productivity and customer service, and likely reduce employee grievances and legal claims.
Here are some areas of concern, and some practical steps, applicable to any restaurant setting:
Problems and potential conflicts between associates and colleagues are part of the workplace environment, In the hospitality business, close contact is part of every day and this article addresses some ways on diffusing situations before they reach a critical stage.
A few years ago, I wrote a paper on corporate manners contrasting two different workplace environments in two different companies within the same industry. Though the comparison involved a regionally based savings bank versus a nationally known mortgage bank, the findings are applicable to companies conducting business across industries and countries. This is especially applicable to the hospitality industry whose primary purpose is to deliver customer satisfaction daily.
Hospitality/hotel litigation support and unbiased expert testimony in lawsuits concerning standard of care in the hospitality industry, with work on both plaintiff and defense counsel and have a balanced perspective.
Today, almost every important hotel brand is entering India in a big way. Our old assumptions are being challenged.
Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces couldn't make things more challenging for itself if it tried. Hospitality is always a tough industry, but in addition to running more than 100 hotels around the world, Taj rents luxury jets, provides travel services, and has an air catering business. Maintaining a brand identity and consistent service standards can be tricky for any company, but Taj must do this on land, on water, and in the sky with 24,000 people, every minute of every day.
Lodging industry profits have always been measured by cost per occupied room; yet many owners and General Managers have incomplete information of their hotels’ specific costs per room, or more importantly, what it costs for a room to remain unsold.
This guide includes a list of definitions of the categories and assumptions that should be helpful to immediately understand cost centers in more detail and to take action to improve profitability. This program is designed to demonstrate your specific cost per occupied room vs. the industry average (provided in base model), fixed and variable costs, monthly and yearly cash flows, monthly and yearly budgets and a host of other information. Lastly, PLANNING FOR PROFITS allows you to perform “What if” scenarios for enhanced forecast planning.
This is a short six letter word, but its definition has meaning to many of us. We all hope and want to make a difference in the lives of those we interact with. We work to positively impact others in our time.
Jack Vaughn (1937-2014) certainly left his mark and a legacy in truly dramatic ways. One of the best tributes that could be offered about Jack would be to recognize the fact that he built his reputation and influenced others in ways that were seldom self serving.
Jack was a private person and that was evident by his quietly blending into the background in the 15 years since he left Opryland.
A personal friend and professional associate, David Brudney of California, wrote a wonderful recollection of the personal side of Jack[2] that he knew in their Westin days. I enjoyed learning some things I did not know about his background prior to the 18 years Jack and I overlapped in Tennessee.
A primary observation for me was that Jack was an exceptional hotelier and caring individual. He inspired an army of other professionals through his commitment to continuous learning and certification.
Do You Think Like a Leader or a Manager?
Lodging industry profits have always been measured by cost per occupied room; yet many owners and General Managers have incomplete information of their hotels’ specific costs per room, or more importantly, what it costs for a room to remain unsold.
Jack Vaughn (1937-2014) certainly left his mark and a legacy in truly dramatic ways. One of the best tributes that could be offered about Jack would be to recognize the fact that he built his reputation and influenced others in ways that were seldom self serving.