In the hospitality industry accommodating people is an art, one that requires many skills, the right attitude and innovative management. Perhaps the most important quality a hospitality employee can possess is a positive attitude. If you don’t enjoy going the extra mile, handling last minute requests, and doing whatever it takes to make the customer satisfied, you are more than likely in the wrong career. In a business where changes are rapid and constant as the norm, flexibility, problem-solving and the creative use of all available resources (equipment, people, technology) are a must for success. Further, since people are involved on both the back-end and front-end of the business, an appreciation and understanding of diverse cultures, backgrounds and social status are also critical for successful management.
There are many leadership and management qualities that the successful hospitality manager will possess. Leadership in today’s fast paced, consumer oriented hospitality industry requires leaders with vision who are able to add value to their operation through pro-active strategic action and planning. The biggest factor in management failure in the hospitality industry is a failure to plan properly. There are many boundaries and parameters dictated to a hospitality manager because of the diverse nature of the customers and employees in the services industries like the hospitality industry. Continuous learning, promoting operation concepts, building team cohesion, accountability, credibility, reliability and responsibility are all management abilities a successful manager will possess. Changing consumer tastes, diversity among customers and the transitory nature of many hospitality guests create challenges a manager must be prepared to meet if they are to be successful at the name of the hospitality game-accommodating people.
...