Five Tips for Managing Your Team In the Hospitality Industry

sIn Marvel’s hit movie The Avengers, a group of superheroes come together to save the world. Their journey together is not without its difficulties, and it takes time for them to learn to work together. However, eventually they fall in line, understanding their distinctive roles and overall purpose to win the day.

It is a great popcorn flick, but what does it have to do with managing a hotel? A lot more than you might imagine. After all, a hotel may have a single manager, but it is operated by an entire team of people. No matter how good or talented any individual member may be, if they cannot work constructively as part of the team, then they are ineffective. Ineffective employees are not only more likely to be frustrated or bored, but they are less likely to build a successful hotel. The quality of a hotel is intimately tied to the quality of the team. In essence, for a manager to lead a successful hotel, they must start by leading a successful team.

Many teams require time, persistence and leadership. This is the most important job for a manager. To get started on improving your team, consider the five following tips.

1. An overall direction. Imagine that a teacher tells students to write a paper about the summer. Some students plan an in-depth APA research paper about the environmental changes that occur. Others write a wonderfully creative story about a summer vacation, complete with dialogue and chapters. There would also be students who write a few paragraphs about what they did last summer.

Which students are right? It is impossible to say because the initial directions lacked clarity. The teacher may have expected a certain type of paper, but there is no room to complain when the directions were not clear enough to dictate certain results.

Unfortunately, this is often what happens in hotels. Managers will share vague business plans, which often sound great but rarely provide clear guidance as to what comes next. For example, telling employees to improve relationships with customers sounds great. However, such an order can be interpreted in many different ways. Some employees may engage in more chitchat; others may provide more hands on services. Others still may pay extra attention to cleaning and response time. These disparities can lead to confusion, stagnation and hurt feelings.

To avoid these problems, it is important to provide clarity to employees. Instead of vague goals like improving relationships with guests, try to create actual goals about increased feedback on travel websites or better guest retention. These palpable goals give everyone a clear sense of focus. Be sure every employee hears, reads and remembers these goals to attain success.

2. Individual direction. Once a general goal is clearly established, it is important to give each person their individual goal. This is the entire purpose of a team. Every person should be working toward the same goal by doing something unique. It is not enough to assume that every person will fall into their role. These roles should be assigned based on the experience, skills and knowledge of each employee.

Just think about what would happen without such clear delegation. Two employees might focus on the same task, leaving other important tasks entirely neglected. Everyone should know exactly what is expected of them and how that expectation fits into the bigger picture. Essentially, every employee should know what to do and why it is important.

To do this, be sure every employee receives an individualized sheet of objectives, including deliverable goals for the short and long-term. Employees should know what they are supposed to do, how they are supposed to do it and when they are supposed to get things done. This gives employees the power they need to do their job, which helps ensure that the overall goals are being met.

3. Measurements of success. Imagine shooting a bow and arrow. If you want to see how accurate your shots are, you need to have a target. Without a target, there is no way to measure your success. If you cannot measure your success, you cannot be sure if you have succeeded or not.

This is even more true for hotels. Every employee, just like every business, needs to have measurable goals to attain. Employees should know the measures by which they will be judged. Managers should know the standards by which they will gauge overall success of the hotel. Even when a clear goal is established, if there is no way to measure it, then it is almost impossible to complete.

For employees, measurable goals may be increased sales, better reviews from guests, improved turnaround time and more. For the hotel, goals might include a certain number of guests, a total sales projection or improved online feedback.

Clear standards are not only the best way to guarantee that a hotel succeeds, they are also great ways to keep employees honest and motivated. It is like shooting an arrow at a target. If you can see how close you are to hitting the center, then you are more motivated to keep shooting straight.

4. Transparency. Simon and Garfunkel had a hit song called “I Am a Rock.” The chorus was a resounding ode to self-reliance, ultimately concluding that it is better to be alone because a rock feels no pain.

Rocks may feel no pain, but they also never get very far. No one should be an isolated rock in the hotel business. The entire idea of the hospitality industry relies on working with other people! This is not just true between employees and customers but amongst employees themselves.

While it is essential for every player to know their part and know it well, it is equally important that they know what everyone else is doing as well. There should be complete transparency in a team. This not only reduces redundancy and improves efficiency, but it can help eliminate conflict, confusion and hurt feelings. After all, when employees do not have a strong sense of what everyone else is doing, they are left to speculate and gossip. It is too easy for such mystery to create resentment and cliques. It is important to remember that each individual player ultimately needs to feel like a team in order to operate like a team.

5. Open communication. There is a game called telephone. In the game, one person whispers something to another person. This person whispers what they heard to another person. This process continues down the line of people. At the end, the last person says what they heard. Usually, the end result is nothing like the start.

This type of communication is amusing in a game, but it is problematic when running a hotel. Every employee needs to be included in the line of communication. However, more importantly, the lines of communication should always be open and run in two directions. Every employee should listen; every employee should have a voice. The more people talk about what they are doing and why, the more likely the team is to stay on track and remain cooperative.

Communication can prevent mistakes and conflicts. It can improve productivity and morale. This means a manager should always be talking to his or her staff. On top of that, a manager should always be listening. In fact, great managers take it a step further and invite feedback. Some may even set up situations in which communication is structured, encouraged and validated.

With these five tips, it is possible for any manager to transform their team and their hotel. It may seem like a lot, but managers should always remember that they are responsible for the quality of their team. Put in the effort, and you will undoubtedly reap the benefits.

The 31 Essential Hotel Management Resources

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As a hotel manager, you know the cardinal rule: your guests come first.

The upside of this philosophy is that your hospitality is legendary. The downside is that you have little time to brush up on the latest news and practices in your industry.
Great for your guests, but not so much for you if you want to grow as a hotelier.
In fact, this leaves you at a major disadvantage. New trends and management practices are popping up left and right, giving the attentive an edge when it comes to satisfying guests and ensuring future returns. Not to mention, they make use of the array of hotel software and social tools that are transforming your management landscape.
So how do you stay on top of all things hotel management while you’re busy managing your guest experience?
I’ve got you covered.
Below are the most essential hotel management resources out there, ranging from blogs to podcasts, and even educational resources so you can learn more tools of the trade.
Let’s get started.

Blogs

Hospitality Lawyer’s Converge Blog
No one wants a legal disaster on their hands, particularly in hospitality, where guest experience and reputation is integral to survival. But with Converge, you can stay a step ahead of the curve by learning from others’ mistakes as well as how seemingly irrelevant laws, like Texas’ open carry law, are actually applicable to the industry.
Hospitality Net
This blog is excellent at providing a daily feed of the latest in hospitality, covering the industry at your new preferences, whether you’re more global or regional. Hospitality Net also advertises product features, industry events, webinars, and schools, making this blog any hotelier’s go-to stop for updates and information.
Little Hotelier
Sometimes owning a smaller hotel or BnB in an industry full of hospitality giants can seem daunting, but Little Hotelier provides these petite players tips and tricks to maximize proficiency and make your little hotel the next big thing. Aside from advice like how to craft the perfect website or how to master social media, Little Hotelier gives marketing advice on Millennial outreach and cashing in on weddings.
Social Hospitality
We live in a connected world and this site understands that social media and hospitality go hand in hand. From covering emerging hotel tech trends to what social media changes mean for hotel marketing, this site should be any hotelier’s premier destination for insights into the intersection between social outreach and hotels.
Hotels
Hotels offers a refreshing perspective in the world of hospitality blogs, posting everything from industry career advice to hotel site selection and writing persuasive hotel business plans. This site also hosts a free revenue management book as well as a revenue management glossary so you can understand new hotelier lingo and terminology in this evolving industry.

Publications

Boutique Hotel News
Boutique Hotel News caters to the more pint-sized portion of the industry, covering the boom in boutique hotels and the challenges of their unique design plans. Boutique Hotel News also posts features with movers and shakers in the boutique industry, proving that something small can mean big business.
Condé Nast Traveler
This site’s streamlined appeal is matched only by its crisp writing. As one of the largest mass media companies in the world, you shouldn’t expect any less from Condé Nast Traveler, which posts both trends and opinion pieces, in additional to thoughtful analysis on industry news. You can subscribe to the site’s print or tablet format for a steal at $6 for sixth months.
Hospitality Technology Magazine
Staying up to date on technology can be overwhelming, especially when you’re unsure what it means for your hotel. This is where Hospitality Technology comes in. Apart from covering emerging tech trends, this publication also tells you how things like mobile tech can alter and improve your management proficiency, not to mention your guest experience.
Hospitality Trends
The news is great, but sometimes you need to stay on top of the latest trends to give your hotel that cutting edge. From the impact of social (if any, according to one of their latest articles) to your guest’s hotel booking behaviors, Hospitality Trends’ name suggests exactly what it does: focused analysis of hotel trends and forecasting what the future holds for hospitality.
Hotel Management
If you want something more managerial-specific, Hotel Management provides insight into everything from hotel investment and operations, to tech and sales/marketing. Hotel Management also hosts its own research, including whitepapers and webinars, but also offers something more with videos of roundtable discussions and original surveys published throughout the year on industry segments.
Hotelier Magazine
Published eight times a year, this magazine began in 1989 and has since become one of the most authoritative sources in the industry. Aside from publishing bread-and-butter industry news and interviews, Hotelier also delves into hotel interior design as well as hotel equipment and technology. This publication is available in print, online, and through their new iPad App for a subscription between $25.00–$60.00 depending on the length and your location.
HOTELS
Where else to go for all things hotel than the very magazine that proclaims it in all capital letters?
Established in 1966, this monthly publication (and its online counterpart) have a current reach of 90,000 hotel professionals in more than 160 countries. Online access to their site requires a subscription, but it’s a fair tradeoff for access to posts from leaders in the hotel industry.
Lodging
For over 40 years, the official publication of the American Hotel and Lodging Association offers something beyond topical news and trends in the hotel industry. In addition to its interviews and features, Lodging also delves into business management and strategies. Lodging also provides special reports on industry-specific topics like hotel security, so you can understand what these industry changes mean for your hotel.

Conferences/Events

Boutique and Lifestyle Hotel Summit 2015
Conferences and events seem to indulge the larger players in the industry, but the Boutique and Lifestyle Hotel Summit caters to the smaller side. This summit attracts more than 250 delegates and influential speakers, including Alejandro Garcia Andrade of Luxury Hotels Group, Catherine Martin of Sleeper, and Cheryl Rosner of Stayful. The 2015 agenda explored sustainability for boutique hotels, the rise of trendy and social communal spaces, as well as the role of general managers.
The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC)
Technology is becoming an essential tool for any successful hotel, and this conference is a must for any manager looking to learn the importance of tech in hospitality. The 2016 schedule hasn’t been posted yet, but sessions from 2015’s conference examined the industry’s relationship to big data marketing, mobile technology, and physical security.
The Lodging Conference
Forty thousand hotels are represented at the Lodging Conference, a hotel networking extravaganza that’s been around for more than 20 years. Aside from sessions that cover topics like how leading companies are changing the field, to the evolution of the extended stay, past attendees have raved about the connections they’ve made and insight they’ve gained from panelists. Speakers from the 2015 conference included executives from TripAdvisor, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, and Marriott International.
NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference
From NYU’s Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, this multi-day conference includes every event’s bare bones of sessions, workshops, and networking events, but it’s this conference’s focus on finance and strategy that sets it apart. Past workshops have included discussions on demographic shifts in hospitality, how design gives a hotel competitive edge, and the future of hotel loyalty programs. Speakers for the 2016 conference have yet to be announced, though keynotes from 2015 included Jonathan M. Tisch of Loews Corporation and Dorothy Jennings, executive vice president of HVS.
PINNACLE Luxury Hospitality Summit
Constant education is a necessity in the industry, and this summit enables you to choose from four hospitality tracks (luxury, HR, digital, and wellness) for a more tailored experience. While the 2016 summit is still light years away, scheduled sessions are already available for viewing, and include how to service affluent millennial travelers and the impact of virtual reality on travel. Past speakers include John T.A. Vanderslice of Hilton Worldwide and Allison Sitch of The Ritz Carlton Company.
World Research Summit for Tourism and Hospitality
If you want a taste of how other hotels around the world operate, this is a great conference to network in person with international hotel professionals. Sessions for this year focus on performance practices in Dutch hotel management schools and linking the concepts of service experiences and service expectations. Lee Kitchen (Global Creativity & Innovation Manager, The Walt Disney Company) and Luis del Olmo (Chairman, Idiso Hotel Distribution, Spain) are just a few of the keynotes scheduled for this year’s event.

Associations

American Hotel and Lodging Association
This national association has been serving the hospitality industry for over a century, providing focused advocacy in Washington, D.C., communications support, and education for its more than 1.9 million members. Membership for AH&LA is available for just $2 per room, but is also available for hospitality students for $45 per year.
Green Hotels Association
Going green is great for your wallet, your reputation, and the environment, of course. But the process of becoming sustainable can be challenging to start, not to mention the upkeep it takes to stay on top of the newest green technologies. However, upon joining the Green Hotels Association, members receive a 157 page packet chock full of ideas, options, and techniques so you can reduce both your carbon footprint and your bill. And if that isn’t incentive enough, this association’s towel and sheet changing cards (which ask guests to use their linens more than once) have saved hotels 5% on utilities with a staggering 70% guest participation. Memberships cost $1 per guestroom and $200 per year for partners. Non-U.S. member also have to pay an additional $25.
Institute of Hospitality
This U.K.-based membership body was first established in 1938 and has since gone on to help 10,000 hospitality professionals in more than 100 countries. Members are privy to a variety of services like a free online library catalog with access to educational eBooks, their ‘BusinessHR’ helpline, job vacancy advertising, and networking opportunities organized by the Institute.
International Luxury Hotel Association
As a global, non-profit professional association, ILHA connects 200,000 hotel and travel professionals around the world. In addition to its certifications, whitepapers, and webcasts, membership also grants you exclusive access to ILHA’s job search. Membership is open to luxury hospitality students ($75/year), professionals ($150/year), and vendors ($450/year) worldwide.
Network of Executive Women in Hospitality
With 23 chapters in the United States and Canada, NEWH should be any female hotel manager’s homebase for connecting and networking with other female leaders. From an expansive career network to an array of association events, NEWH goes beyond the regular offerings of an association, giving away a variety of scholarships to further the education of young female hospitaliers. NEWH also has a special sustainability committee dedicated to promoting sustainability education in the hospitality space. Membership cost varies by chapter.

Education

American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute
Serving hospitality professionals since 1953, the American Hotel & Lodging Institute is a globally recognized educational resource, offering certification review sessions and workshops as well as recertification and maintenance programs. AHLEI programs include Courseline (a customizable mix of online training products), CyberCinema (access to AHLEI’s video library), and Guest Service Gold, a program designed to teach employees how to engage with their guests to and provide memorable guest service.
Hotel Management: Distribution, Revenue & Demand Management Specialization via Coursera
This three course (plus capstone) specialization is essential for hotel managers wishing to reinforce their industry knowledge and brush up on current trends. In addition to learning the fundamental of hotel distribution, you can also expect to learn how to market hospitality services effectively while maximizing business revenue. No beginner specialization required. Total cost for the full certificate is $336, though you can also take the specific classes within the specialization for $79 each.
Listening to the Customer via MIT OpenCourseware
While non-specialized, this graduate-level course enables you to go at your own pace as you conduct research on how customers use and purchase a product. MIT’s OpenCourseware allows you to follow along with six lectures, complete with lecture notes, assignments, and recommended texts. No certificate or credit earned at the end of this course, but it’s free of charge.

Podcasts

Hotel Interactive Radio Show, “This Week in Hospitality”
This weekly radio program features both analysis of industry news and trends as well as interview spots with industry leaders and players. From exploring new methods of revenue management to the leadership gap in the hotel business, This Week in Hospitality is a great on-the-go resource to catch up on what you’ve missed in the news or for a new perspective on management styles to help craft a reputation of excellence.
The Lodging Leaders Podcast
Every week, LodgingMetrics founder Jon Albano interviews leaders and professionals in the hotel industry, who offer inspiring advice and insight into hospitality service. Previous guests have included Walter Isenberg, co-founder of Sage Hospitality, and Sterling Stoudenmire, who discusses life and business ethics, mentorship, and appreciating your associates. You can subscribe on iTunes, Android, Stitcher, or via RSS.

Tools

Capterra’s Hospitality Property Management Software Infographic
Looking for the most popular hospitality property management software? Check out Capterra’s infographic on the top 20 hospitality property management software solutions to quickly find the biggest players in the industry and the right product for your business.
Capterra’s Reservations Software Directory
This Capterra directory offers more than 200 reservations software options so you can find the right fit for your hotel. From third-party booking to revenue management, you can tailor your search to explore options based on your hotel’s specific needs and browse through user reviews to see what works for you.

More?

Did I miss a few? Let me know some of your favorite hotel management resources in the comments below.
Header by Rachel Wille
Looking for Hospitality Property Management software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Hospitality Property Management software solutions.

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Tags: BnB boutique hotels green technology guest experience hospitality hospitality property management hospitality technology hotel associations hotel blogs hotel conferences hotel management hotelier hotels lodging luxury hotels resources revenue management software sustainable hospitality sustainable hotels