Six Lines Your Manager Should Never Cross

               In the hospitality business there is so much that goes unsaid. This has to do with many things. Most of it boils down to improper management, plain and simple. Managers can make things very difficult for themselves and when they do, it often filters down to their staff.
               How many of you in the industry have faced just that: A manager that was not professional, unfair, or perhaps just upset at the world. Maybe personal issues were driving this behavior. People aren't perfect, however without the proper management training, you will find those that simply do not have the skills to manage properly, even at a general manager level. You also have the other side of the coin where the manager feels that they are infallible and the ego that accompanies it. Egos close ears.
               More importantly, managers by definition should be professionals. They are who you look up to as a line employee or an assistant. Your manager should be a role model and a good example of what you should aspire to become. If you can not approach your manager, or you witness negative aspects of what they do or say, then you lose respect for your manager and that could affect a lot.

               Either way, it's not a good situation from a morale standpoint and can seriously affect the quality of service the staff provides. Although the list could go on forever, this is a great starter on what managers should not do.


Six Lines Your Boss Should Never Cross.

Your First Position as Manager: Assistant

                       Making the move from line employee to management is a great one. Often we have a vision of what we will accomplish. Sometimes we are worried whether we will perform correctly or wonder whether our staff will like and respect us. There is a lot happening moving forward. This is designed to make your transition smoother.

• Get together with your manager or department head. Hopefully they will have an outline of what they would like you to handle. You may be taking over a certain shift. If it's swing shift, they will not be there for all of it. Only a few hours to provide handover information. A lot of properties will have you shadow the department head for anywhere from a few days to a week. A good department head will bring tasks relevant to his position to your attention.

•  Regardless of shift, always be early. If you are working the a.m. shift, arrive before they do. You can have all relevant printouts ready for the meeting.

• Always look professional. Eyes are on you a lot more because you are a new manager. You do not want any negative commentary, much less something as simple as appearance standards to find it's way to your department head. Appearance is easy! This is a no brainer. Keep an eye on yourself throughout the day.

• Provide shift reports. Detail what has happened during your shift, a.m. or p.m. Write down things you notice in your area. Faulty equipment, safety hazards, employee disciplinary or gratification needs, and any possible improvements as far as procedures are concerned. This shows that you are doing your job. That job is to notice, to learn, to see how the department operates. This also demonstrates your understanding of the department, and that you are the kind of manager that notices minor details. Also, record keeping is very important in cases of challenges with employees.

• Don't be afraid to ask! Asking questions shows you are interested. It shows that it is important to you, that you have a complete understanding of the department. It also shows that you want to keep in step with what the department head's plan for the department may be.

• Ask to attend department meetings. You may already be asked to do this. If not, ask. This shows that you are interested in the decision making process of the department. It shows upper management that you are a part of the team and wish to be included in such meetings where the assistant may generally be asked to cover the department. It also says something about you as a manager.

• Ask about handling payroll or scheduling. Chances are you may be asked to do this as part of your shift. It not, ask. This shows you are interested in learning every facet of the department. It also shows your desire for added responsibility and that you are eager and up to the challenge. This will also better you as a manager. When the department head goes on vacation, you will have the skills required to handle the department in his absence. If the opportunity occurs that the department head resigns or transfers to a different department, you will be primed to take over the position and prove that a promotion to department head for yourself is warranted, rather than a new hire taking your place.

• Introduce yourself to other department heads and managers of the property. If you work a separate shift it is a good thing to have those personal relationships. Those people will feel comfortable to bring ideas and issues to you directly, allowing you to achieve on your own without anyone elses guide.

• Have a positive attitude. Remember, you are the assistant! You want to be relied on. Regardless of time of day, or day of the week, be available. Your sacrifices will not go unnoticed and this will develop your perception from others as one that is dependable. Those are the people others want to keep, and to hire.

• Schedule a lunch or dinner with your department head at least once a week. A personal relationship is a great thing to have with your manager. Removing yourself from the business area gives both of you a chance to relax and speak on a more personal level and that creates a better team.

• Develop personal relationships with the staff. If you run your own shift, you will have to do this anyway. If you share a shift, it is still a great thing to do. You are a manager there and you need the trust and respect of your team even when the department head is there. If you fade into the background with them, chances are the same has happened with everyone else at the property. Don't be a shadow just because you work with a department head, be your own person.

                   These are some ideas for your ascent into management stardom. Keeping these items in mind will help propel you to good things in the department.

Guests Not Receiving Their Profile Requests? Maybe It's Your Morning Meeting.

               The morning management meeting is a major piece of organization which has a ripple effect on a daily, weekly and even quarterly basis. Let's talk about how your morning meeting should run.

• Make sure you have a large circular or oval table. It is important that everyone be able to make eye contact with everyone else for proper communication. Make sure there are enough chairs. This sounds silly, but you won't believe how many times people have to go hunting for chairs. People that have desks nearby don't like other people taking and sitting in their chairs. If you want to keep staff relations at a positive note, trust me and have enough separate chairs for everyone.

• Meetings are never in guest areas. Do not have this during business hours in the restaurant or front lobby. You don't want distractions and a restaurant in full service will create just that, especially if it is making people hungry. Also, you may unknowingly take up space a large group may have taken for their breakfast or meeting. It also sets a bad precedent if the meeting takes place in full view of guests in the front lobby. Information about hotel guests and operations is proprietary. Again, seems redundant, it happens.

• Encourage a breakfast drink. Most people brought in a coffee, the resident manager had an espresso that always smelled great. People are tired in the morning. Everyone has seen someone doze off.

• Have daily arrivals reports printed for everyone. Having them done by each manager can create late arrivals as some are half asleep and can't work the computer. Go ahead and laugh, but it's never fun to be the one who shows up late to a meeting in progress. Notice I did not say a V.I.P. report. You may very well have V.I.P.'s however, that report will exclude guests not rated as such. Non V.I.P.'s will never become V.I.P.'s if their requests are not met, so it is important to cover everyone. You can easily discern a V.I.P. on the standard arrivals sheet.

• Have someone funny or personable read the arrivals report. At that time of the morning, monotone reading causes sleepiness and boredom, and that is not conducive to paying attention to your arrival report. Managers that have a good time and experience levity are more apt to be relaxed when they return to their departments and that translates to the staff encouraging productivity.

Here's where the biggest difference in success occurs.

• Read Every Name. If you do not have a GRM or concierge that reviews every arrival searching for V.I.P.'s, as in celebrities, business figures etc...then this is very important to implement. Your staff comes from many different walks of life. You never know what name one person may recognize where no one else will. This of course will change everything from the arrival experience to amenity placement and so on.

• As the designated person reads each arrival profile, the department head for each department will read his own specific guest requirements. This means that everyone will have to be reading their reports. This guarantees a portion of accountability. They have read it, everyone saw and heard them read it. This requirement is then circled by the department head so they can find them again easily in the stack. This completes your accountability for the said requirement. Accountability is key here. Now there is no excuse, and no reason why this beginning portion of the overall service ethic should be missed.

• When all is said and done, all service challenges will be brought up with the right department. This brings more accountability as the item is discussed with the departments involved and the resident manager, general manager, or whichever senior department head is there. More accountability. This paints a picture of success and at the end of the day, if we are successful, we keep our guests, and a positive attitude moving forward as we have the tools for success.