One of the bigger challenges for any manager is the ability to manage different personalities in the workplace. In the hotel industry, you are just as likely to have a millennial as you are someone that has been in the industry for 20 years. Being able to manage age, sensitivity, and work style has never been more difficult than it is today.
Know Which Group Your Hospitality Managers Fall Into
The first step would be to identify which group your managers belong. In virtually every operation, you will find managers to be:
Group A – career focused individuals that are always up for a challenge. They learn quickly and are willing to work outside the parameters of their job description. Group A members will not want to be micromanaged, but they accept criticism and learn from it. These are the managers that are driven by discipline and work to never make the same mistake again.
Group B – these are going to be your team players. They are either not capable of stepping out on their own or are simply afraid to do so. They are great at working on smaller pieces of a larger puzzle. It is not uncommon for a Group A member to fall into this class out of frustration or boredom, but they can be saved and brought back up to be a Group A manager.
Group C – I like to refer to this group as P.U.C. or employees that are there to “pick up a check.” They never come in early, nor do they ever stay late. They are there to punch the clock and nothing more. They will not go out of their way to find something to do. If their assignments are not in place, they would just assume play with their fantasy roster all day than dig through a file and make some calls.
Employees in this category are savable, especially if you are coming into an existing operation. They were more than likely disappointed or abused by a previous supervisor and have simply lost their drive. Having said that, this is where you will more than likely find the employees that create the most drama. When they make a mistake, they refuse to own up to it and make everyone around them miserable. Nothing is EVER their fault.
Once you have identified the groups, it is time to decide if these managers are going to stay in their current group, if you are going to work to elevate them, or simply cut your losses. Then, it is time to form a game plan to manage them on a daily basis.
Day-to-Day Managing
One of the keys to successfully managing a team is the ability to form a relationship with every manager on your team. The dynamics of that relationship will more than likely be different for every manager. For instance, managers that don’t like to be micromanaged may require the building of a more personal relationship that will lead to both loyalty and volunteered insights on their work.
For instance, you have an all-star manager, but he or she never seems to update you unless you initiate. You both have an interest in football. Stopping by his or her office to discuss Thursday night’s game could lead to a casual mention of how the week went. Over time, you may find the manager volunteering the update as part of the normal conversation. Point being, find some common ground and develop the relationship to build trust.
What Your Staff Wants and Needs
This is where things really get tricky. You have to know what is important to your managers to continue to keep them interested. For example, for a young manager, a mentoring relationship with their boss may be the most important factor. For a more experienced employee, career advancement may be the most important.
Some might say you need a degree in psychology to be a department head of executive committee member in today’s hospitality industry, and they are not too far from the truth. Managing a successful team takes a lot of work, and it is not all hotel related. You literally need to get inside the head of each and every one of your managers to understand what makes them tick. Then, you take that information to guide them down the path to success.
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