In pursuit of a good hotel manager (part 2)Today’s modern ships are such that if the Captain gets the systems right and the right people, the ship will run itself. This is why in the Navy, if the ship runs aground, the captain is the one who get’s court-martialled - even if he was not at the helm, even if he was asleep or even if he was ill The point is that the Captain should have trained his crew and set up a system that works anytime, all the time and everytime. So once the Captain has set up systems that work properly, and, has his people performing, do we need him anymore? Ofcourse the Captain is needed, because the tasks keep changing all the while. The ship is constantly being given new directions as it sets course to navigate another journey. The cargo it carries can change in size, shape and weight whilst new challenges and problems can emerge. The systems have to be adapted all the time, and the people need to be learning new skills and changing their roles constantly. Even if the tasks don’t change – the people would. Some would be leaving, new ones arriving and the existing ones may get bored and need to be motivated. The Captain has to organise this, or organise the Organising. This is what management is, as, aptly summed up by a Captain who said “I’m not in charge of the ship; I am in charge of the people who run the ship”.
Managing a hotel is no different. As a hotel manager, you’re on top of all ongoing activities, so your workplace is everywhere in the hotel. You might start in the morning at your desk, checking enquiries or reading notes from staff members about any incidents that happened since the previous day, you’ll then do a walk around the different departments to catch up with staff on any issues. You might head a team meeting to run through the day’s schedule and highlight any VIPs or groups arriving. Later in the day you will have to spend a period of time at your desk doing things like looking after paperwork, dealing with key clients, analysing activity and setting out strategies to improve different areas. In the afternoon or early evening, you’ll get out onto the floor of the hotel and make sure all is running smoothly – guests like to see the general manager out taking a hands-on approach.
Hotel managers are the driving force behind a hotel business. Early in their careers they focus on achieving operational excellence – making sure that the particular area of the hotel under their responsibility operates smoothly and effectively. As they become well experienced in operational matters, they take on the additional responsibility of implementing strategies that create a competitive edge for the establishment, setting goals and standards and overseeing staff performance to achieve these strategies. A good manager needs to think rationally, analyze variables effectively, strategise with skill and continually invest in his/her self-growth whilst been focused all the time.
As Neil Salerno claims, ‘one of the key traits a good manager must have is to be focused on success. This trait may sound quite basic to many of us, but focus can be elusive. Focus is what directs a manager towards those activities which matter most. The best general manager realizes that just being busy is not as important as being busy doing the right things. The 80/20 rule is amazing in its myriad of applications; 20 percent of everything you do will result in 80 percent of your successes. Finding the right 20 percent requires unerring ‘focus’. Make no mistake about it: effective management is a challenge. There are many managers, but there are very few good managers and discovering those good managers is increasingly tougher than looking for the proverbial ‘needle’ in the haystack.
Shafeek Wahab - Editor, 'Hospitality Sri Lanka', Consultant, Trainer, Ex-Hotelier. |
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