The Key to Success is Simple…Know What You Want | By Lizz Chambers, CHA/CHE
What profile do you seek to fill your leadership positions? Hopefully, you know because you have profiled your most successful leaders? We all have leaders we wish to clone. In order to duplicate our successes we must know exactly what type of individual we are seeking in the first place. After years of successful and, sorry to say, unsuccessful selection we have found the following profile best suits our needs in a variety of hotel franchises. From economy to luxury, from select or focused service to full service and resort properties, this profile has served us well.
I would like to first clarify that although the profile we seek in our leaders includes "hotel experience", this is not as important for our associates. We have found that if you hire the smiles you can teach the skills in the majority of the associate level positions. Some of our best leaders originally walked through our doors with absolutely no hotel experience. What they did have was a fabulous smile, a great attitude, drive, determination and the dedication to stay the path. This type of associate quickly joins our Succession Program and with experience they will and several have become some of our best leaders.
We have found that our best leaders fit the following profile:
- Hotel Experience
People who understand how a hotel works, what it takes to be successful, and who appreciate the rewards of making people happy. These people understand that putting a smile on an associate's or guest's face is as much of a bonus as any financial award. - Life Experience
People who have a variety of career and life experiences and who have a good idea of "what they want to be and do when they grow up", which includes being a compassionate leader and running a great hotel. - Balance
People who work hard to balance the most important parts of their lives: Spirit (whatever that means to them, e.g. Strength, Character, Heart, Soul), Health, Family and Work. - Profit and Loss Understanding
People who can put people first and still know how to make money in the hospitality industry. - Passion
We seek people who love what they do…People who love who we are and what we do. People who understand and believe in our Core Values so much so that they not only know them…they live them each and every day.. - People We Trust
We provide our leaders with a lot of responsibility and latitude. We look for people we trust with both. We are in our properties at least once a month to offer support and catch our leaders doing something right, not to spy or find fault. Therefore, we must trust our leaders to deliver. - Leadership, Charisma & Personality
At its core, ours is a people business. It has to be one that is attractive to people. And we believe that each and every one of our hotels is a reflection of its leader's personality. It starts at the top. If you have a leader devoid of these characteristics you will not have a hotel where people want to work or stay. - Entrepreneurs and Risk-takers
People who will take the tools we give them, take risks to build their business, and take responsibility for the outcome. - Independent Thinkers
People who can and do think for themselves. People who seek total understanding of various options and come to their own conclusions. - Action
People who understand that doing something…anything…is always the preferable course of action in the hospitality industry. We believe in the 3-P's of Empowerment no matter what your position. All of our leaders and associates have the Permission to take care of our guests (that is their job) the Power to do what ever it takes to ensure each and every guest becomes a loyal guest, and most importantly, the Protection, when a decision may not have been what we would have done. No one is ever disciplined for taking action as long as the best interest of our guests and associates are at the heart of the decision. - Accountability
While we are in the people business, we ARE in business. We seek people who can balance the soft heart required to lead people and the tough mind to lead a business. In other words, people who have the ability to hold themselves and others accountable.
Everyone in your organization should be a coach, responsible for providing ideas, tools, support and encouragement. Manage your leaders by influence, NOT by control. Strive to be tolerant of mistakes along the way, but intolerant of poor results. Whenever possible, favor individual leaders in methods and approaches. Listen; really listen, to the people you choose to lead your company. And seek creative ways to communicate with them. The key is to know what you want and not settle for less. Then success will be simple.
[Lizz Chambers conducts in-house training and training assistance for all properties managed by Newport Hospitality Group. She coordinates and conducts supervisory skills workshops to prepare supervisors to earn their certification through AH&LA's Educational Institute.]
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