TOP 10 REASONS HOTELIERS FAIL

THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR HOTELIERS TO FAIL AND WHILE NOT ALL OF THEM ARE CONTROLLABLE, MOST ARE CURABLE WITH SPECIAL EFFORTS.

It is fair to say that Hotel General Managers and Professional Sports Team Coaches have one thing in common. They both get fired when the team is not scoring enough goals.

It is also fair to say that both these professions need to change strategy regularly to keep winning games. While there are differences in some of their tasks, there are many similarities that are worth reviewing.

Here are my Top Ten reasons why hotel General Managers lose their jobs,

1. Invisible. Face-time is important with staff, owners, guests and department heads. Equally as important one-to-one as in groups. If there is not enough visibility on a daily basis, our manager loses points. This manager may well be spending too much time behind the computer. Sort of like a coach that doesn't interact with the press.
2. Inaudible. A strong, eloquent voice from the manager must ring in the ears of his employees whether he is there or not. Leadership is critical in the entertainment industry where our employees are specialists in 'improv'. If they don't know what you want them to say or do, more points lost.
3. Idea Drought. Solutions to problems, creative ideas to boost satisfaction, dealing with issues head-on with ideas, concepts and fun processes.....if it all goes dry, the enthusiasm has gone. Perhaps like a coach with nothing to say to a trailing team at half-time!!
4. Distant. Eye contact with a maid, a dishwasher and a guest are all equally critical, and the absence of one on one day signals the start of a departure.
5. Inebriated.  Not necessarily alcohol....although some have been known to drink too much. But success, the position, the upscale positioning can all lead to a condition in which a manager is drunk with his success and loses touch with the reality.
6. Incredible. When you don't know, don't pretend. If the owner, the department head or the management company don't believe your rationale, who will? This is a team sport.....get the team together and create a credible team effort.
7. Bankrupt. If the property is losing money, losing market share or major corporate accounts, management will probably be changed regardless of what is at fault. Chances are that some of the other senior positions will change too.
8. Uncompetitive. If the property has been rendered uncompetitive by the addition of a new property, this is generally a good time to make a change, since compensating tactics should have been taken in time.
9. Tired. The manager has been there too long and is too comfortable. Arrives at the same time each day and is gone by 5.30PM, weekends off and vacations taken regardless of special events. This manager is inclined to be a whiner!
10. Predictable. What a tragedy when every step, every reaction, each response is predictable, foreseeable.....nothing new, no fun, no explosions, no crises, no passion....just straight-forward predictability.

The good news is that all of these failings are benign and curable. None are seriously life threatening as long as there are open communications between manager and colleagues. All can be constructively addressed including the need to trade players, buy strengths, cradle maturity, enhance with youth and work with scouts.

While the use of the penalty box is rarely used in hotels & resorts in Western Democracies, I have seen it used with some beneficial effects in Socialist countries!!

Final Thought! If these are good reasons why hoteliers fail, why are there not more companies with clear, concise,positive guidelines available for all their managers so that these pitfalls can be easily avoided?

For assistance in curing any of the above managerial symptoms, contact [email protected]