‘Concious leaders’

What we do today as conscious leaders will determine if our guests and employees will keep coming back, says Scott Knepp, Management Analyst, Horwath HTL Atlanta.

Staying in the present moment can be difficult for the hotelier (or any business executive). That said, we also know that the most rewarding moments of the job are the in-the-moment connections that we make with our team members and our guests. With all of the uncertainty, fear, and division that consume our landscape, these moments are more fragile & sacred than ever and must be navigated with thoughtful leadership.

Here are five present moment actions that you can take to have a significant impact on your guest experience and the morale of your team:

1. Practice what you and your organisation say you are going to do.

Your organisation has probably sent out an email outlining all the safety measures to keep people safe while they are guests in your hotel. You have signs in the lobby, plexiglass over the desks, payment screens pushed back. Those elements make a guest feel safe. The moment one employee does them half-heartedly or doesn’t ensure that other guests are complying, that trust is gone and might not be rebuilt. Brand expert and author, Marty Neumeier, says in The Brand Gap that ,“A living brand is a collaborative performance, and every person in the company is an actor.” Your front-line team member didn’t write the script, but they will determine its success.

2. Your team members won’t do it if they don’t see you doing it, or if they don’t understand why.

People need to understand clearly why they are doing something. Just telling them what to do is a great way to see it not, or begrudgingly being done. “Wear a mask in guest areas and the break room” and “We all need to wear masks because we all have a commitment to show our guests, our employees, and you that we are making every effort to ensure your safety.” These statements sound different, and they will elicit different levels of compliance. Do not assume people know.

3. Put on a good show.

This is one of Disney’s operational standards. A good show used to mean that housekeeping should be invisible, as if the property were always immaculate. Also, give your employees a script of what it sounds like to approach a guest who is not following the standards and let them role play with you. Rehearsals make for better performances.

4. Define and provide space for when it is ok to loosen on requirements.

I bet the first thing you do when you get to your office is to take off your mask. Your housekeepers are no different. If you don’t find the time and place for them to do it safely, they will find it on their own, and it might not be where you want it to be. Author Stephen Covey says in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People that “The cause of almost all relationship difficulties is rooted in conflicting or ambiguous expectations around roles and goals.” The more clearly you define your expectations, while still making room for your employee’s goals (finding a time to take a break from the mask), the more empowered your team is to meet expectations.

5. Keep conducting your team meetings, one-on-ones, and lobby walks.

Your scope of influence will not extend outside of your office if you aren’t regularly checking in with your guests & team members. Circumstances may dictate that you do this differently, but find creative ways to connect. The practice of social distancing makes it all the more essential that we are connecting with our employees & guests, and that we demonstrate our care for them. What we do today as conscious leaders will determine if our guests and employees will keep coming back.

The practice of social distancing makes it all the more essential to connect with our employees & guests”