As a leader of a team, the one thing you can never do is make an assumption… about anything. Having said that, some assumptions are worse to make than others. Over the years and through talking to other hospitality managers, this topic has been discussed thoroughly and a recent article I read by Patrick Leddin, Ph.D. brought it all crashing back. So, I am recapping some points he made in his article as well as adding some thoughts from my experience in the industry.
#1 – Don’t Assume People Know Their Goals
The hospitality industry is very much a goal-oriented business. Whether you are in sales, front desk, or operations, everyone gets a budget with goals they must meet. This often dictates bonus, next year’s budget, as well as whether or not you get to keep your job. Leddin’s article states roughly 15 percent of all staff can’t name their manager’s goals. So, I have to ask, if your staff does not know your goals, how can they help you meet them?
When I was in operations, we held full department meetings every month and as a management team, all department heads and higher met on a weekly basis. This did not even include bi-weekly recaps with my direct supervisor (and the occasional sit down in the GM’s office). At these meetings, goals were clearly communicated so everyone was on the same page. We even created visuals throughout the banquet department for goals where each segment of the department was impacted.
Over and above that, simply talk to your staff about these goals during your daily meetings. How long is a check-in supposed to take? What is the service set-up time on a buffet lunch? What are our cleanliness goals? If you don’t tell your staff, chances are they have no idea what these goals even are.
#2 – Don’t Assume People Know Their Roles
Every team member has a role to play in achieving these goals, but do they actually know what that role is? For instance, your banquet housemen are responsible for department cleanliness, but have you actually explained the cleanliness standard to them? In addition to the initial training, it is up to you, as the manager, to ensure they are always up to standard and to provide the additional training as needed.
#3 – Don’t Assume Your Way Is Always the Best Way
It can be humbling for a manager to be upped by a staff member, but you need to put away that hubris and realize many staff members have been at this far longer than we have and they just might have an idea that is outside your thought process that could work far better. Be open and listen to suggestions and if it is an approach that has not been tried before, what is the harm in trying? Furthermore, there will be times when you simply don’t know how to do a duty your staff is tasked with, so don’t be shy in asking for help. You might actually be surprised at how good it makes your staff members feel to know they helped contribute to your education in the industry.
I liken this to when I first started in the hotel industry, coming over from restaurants. I knew food and I knew service, but I did not know jack about setting up rooms for banquets. I had an exceptional lead houseman who spent weeks with me breaking down sets and explaining the best way to go about turns, staging sets, etc. The first time he overheard me discussing a set with sales that would not work based on our equipment, staffing, and other business, he just about beamed like the father of a newborn.
#4 – Don’t Assume You Know What Motivates Your Staff
This is a really big issue in our industry and one that I would wager at least 50 percent of managers do not even explore. We all assume our employees will find the same things motivating them that motivate us, but that is not often the case. One employee may find monetary rewards the biggest motivator while another employee may find swag or a simple thank you as a motivational tool.
This is an easy one to fix, though, because all you need to do is talk to your employees. During downtime or when you are working one-on-one with a staff member, just start the conversation. What is a sporting event you have never attended that you would love to go to? Do you have any restaurants you would like to eat at? What would make you think you were more appreciated here at the job? Questions like that will uncover a bevy of motivators, all of which you can use to improve your department’s morale.
Do you have managers that are simply not getting the job done? Is the local talent pool dried up? Then call JDI. Joseph David International is consistently one of the top-ranked hospitality recruiters because we work hard to find the ideal fit for both the managerial candidate and the client. For more information about hotel recruiting services please click here.