Leadership In Hospitality Industry

Leadership  Introduction As a director who mentors and guides his managers, it is common to encounter challenging situations with these employees. However, a particular experience with a senior employee 4 years ago surprised me and gave me a professional alert. The employee in question had made significant progress in his career, and I admired his dedication and enthusiasm for our company's vision. However, his behaviour suddenly turned when he was held accountable for his department's performance. This short article explores the experience, the lessons learned, and the importance of stable behaviour in professional relationships. The Experience The senior employee had been making remarkable progress in his career path within the organization, and I often guided and mentored him along the way. However, during one of the most demanding periods at work, I had to be assertive and hold him accountable for the specific unstable performances of his department that occurred multiple t...

During the COVID-19 crisis, I joined the housekeeping staff and cleaned rooms.  That's right.  I'd take my tie and expensive suit off, I'd fold them neatly into my bag, then wear simpler clothes and vacuum, dust and change the sheets. A proper part of the housekeeping staff.  Then I'd wear my suit again and head to my office to fulfil my duties as the hotel's Director of Operations.  I've been asked if I was at all embarrassed.  But the truth is that I couldn't have been prouder.  I had the opportunity to become a part of and get to know the housekeeping staff in a way I couldn't have otherwise. I met the team daily, heard their phone calls to their families and spent time with them.  I couldn't have done it without "getting my hands dirty".  It made me think about all the staff members we tend to forget. Whose faces disappear for us in  the fast-paced world of hospitality.  And so, one day, I had an idea. I would make those people's in...

The use of an auditing tool is a powerful method to gage performance levels in any organisation which deals with customer and client service on a daily basis.   The use of a tool such as the " The Best In Class Audit Tool © ",   allows measurement of employee versus guest interaction, against the specifically developed procedures. The tool which I have developed allows for both training of first line employees, and also offers incentives for these employees to increase their performance.The company’s main purpose in conducting an internal audit should be to increase the overall service level, as well as the employee’s commitment to the company standards. In addition, there is the added benefit of direct management to be able to identify and recognise those employees that are performing correctly, and are thus the ‘best in class.’    Within that same audit, the management is able to identify those employees performing below stan...

The Arrival Experience at the IHG For the IHG Brand one of the most important ingredients to ensure the secret for success in creating guests a memorable stay is their first impression, their arrival experience. When our guests enter the hotel, their arrival experience sets the bar for any further relationship with the hotel. When the bar is raised and maintained at high levels, a strong relationship with the guests can be built. It has been said that in the hospitality industry the first impression is the last impression. At the David InterContinental Tel Aviv the first impression is also the future expected arrival experience as our guests are anticipating experiencing it again and again during each future arrival.

By keeping a directive and authoritative style in assigning & managing your projects, you will always find yourself being challenged by your own managers, which is how you will accomplish your vision & plan. Most of the time, if you are directive and somehow absolute, you will find your managers trying to look for an easy way to accomplish projects effortlessly. However, they are, then, more likely to end with unwanted and unsuccessful results. Possibly then you might find yourself adjusting your project repeatedly or even dropping it, hoping you will find the right people to accomplish it, or even blaming your managers. You worked hard and invested many hours in planning all the logistics of your project, you have set milestones defining periods, you have assigned tasks to your managers to bring it to life and you have tried all possible ways to commit your team.  But it doesn't always work effectively. Why? The answer is that by being an authoritative and directi...

Creating new products and solutions stems from our ability to think and see outside the box. Creative people today are dealing with the challenges faced by groundbreaking pioneers: the need to explain and convince others of what they're doing. Sometimes, they battle alone, and they may experience difficulty and doubt along the way. If they wish to succeed, they must believe in themselves and know they are on the right path. Furthermore, they should select a supportive environment that empowers them. Most people have yet to see that creative thinking isn't the privilege of a few; each of us has the ability to be creative. When I started walking down this road of collecting information and directing through images, I felt like a pioneer in the field. No one seemed to understand what I was doing or why. Many believed that I was taking unnecessary personal and financial risks. My environment encouraged me to stop and "get back on track"; my loved ones explained to ...