by Jeri M. Riggs Hospitality Factors LLC www.hospitalityfactors.com
Show up on time for meetings with your employees.
Don't answer your cell phone when you're meeting with employees, unless you tell them in advance that you are expecting a call that you will need to answer. Turning off your cell phone for the meeting will send a positive message.
Introduce stand up meetings (that's not the same as 'line up" meetings). Usually 'stand up' meetings result in a shorter - get to the point conversation and employees will begin to appreciate your meetings as added value, not time wasters.
Respond to questions and concerns, and ask for input. If you're not able to answer, don't ask the question.
The old usage..."be part of the solution, not the problem'. Be careful with this as some employees simply don't know or don't have a solution, but they're asking for help to resolve an issue or concern. Don't discard a problem because they don't offer a solution. Know when this is appropriate.
Get to know your employees; ask about their family,children and pets, and be sincere or don't ask.
Give credit for success to others; you don't own it. Your boss or client will know where the leadership is coming from.
Don't make your employees feel like they are not successful if they don't aspire to grow into management positions. Explain how everyone's job contributes to the success of the business. Offer training and encourage them to do the best job they can. Develop a reward program that is achievable for every hourly employee.
Thank your employees when new projects or products don't succeed. Failure can mean success. Many organizations trial a new concept or product before embarking full scale. If it doesn't succeed, they pull back and as a result, save the company a ton of money by avoiding a full-scale loss. That in itself is a success! Recognize your staff for their efforts and communicate that victory also comes from realizing that a concept or product may not be ready for the marketplace, for any number of reasons.
You're in the hospitality business. It's 365/24/7. Remember that for most of your employees, "Friday" for them often falls on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. So don't show up on Friday saying "TGIF" and don't leave at the end of the day with "have a good weekend....". Be sensitive to the world in which most of your employees live.
"Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first." ~Simon Sinek
HOSPITALITY FACTORS LLC
Hospitality Factors is a hands on approach offering consulting for hotel and restaurants.
