When considering restructuring hotel landscape models worldwide, there are “three major models” that consistently co-exist. These cover “a specific strategy that is part of the hotel industry’s recent history.”

Georges Panayotis of MKG Group uncovers the new landscape by looking at and exploring these different schemes. Highlighting real estate, investors, and local markets, Georges explains the evolution of the Middle East, China, and Western climates. He asks “Can cohabitation continue without resultingin a confrontation between the different strategies, ambitions, economic models?

With the constantly evolving market, clientele, network size, and brand promotion, those able to adapt and deliver will be successful.

Read the article here.

FIU’s School of Hospitality & Tourism Management has released a white paper emphasizing the opportunity for growth in Asia Pacific. Authored by Simone Champagnie, this white paper includes “ideas on what can be done to address the challenges to stay relevant, competitive, and profitable” regarding the hospitality industry. Topics include Driving Growth through Better Customer Insight and Analytics, Direct Distribution vs. Third-Party Options, and Optimizing Profits from Total Revenue Management. These insights, ideas, and pertinent questions were a product of an intellectual exhange that took place at the Visionary Leaders Roundtable at Pan Pacific Singapore last November.

Read the original post here.
Download the free white paper here.

Much attention has been placed by training departments of luxury hotels and resorts on bringing new hires up to the required standard of superior service. This is no small challenge in some areas, given the lack of familiarity of the new hires with high-end lifestyles, the expectations of those who live them, and the general state of education and society in general.

This article delves a bit deeper into one fundamental in such service: staffs who really are full of joy and passion for their work, which is partly a matter of motivation and partly a matter of EQ skills.

We have always taught that there are four levels of motivation: money motivation and then personal gain at the lower end, neither of which are acceptable because these people are just interested in me-me-me, “What is in it for me?” whenever they are asked to do anything—while the interests and needs of teammates and guests are inexplicably nowhere to be found on the radar. These kinds of individuals need to be weeded out during the hiring process because they drag down the morale of the good staff if allowed to join the team.

Above these two bottom feeders of motivation lie personal conviction—being passionate about the work and doing it for the love of it— and above that, duty: being passionate, for sure, but beyond that, willing to make sacrifices for the sake of the guest or teammates0  because they are counting on the person to deliver, come rain or snow.

But above these four levels could be said to be a level of service motivation that is World Class—resulting in moments so memorable that they become legendary.

Take a recent example at Per AQUUM‘s Niyama resort in the Maldives. One of the new hires realized during training how many opportunities he had to create special moments for his guests, and the importance of doing so. Soon after, he serviced one family so well that they wanted to show their appreciation. The butler declined a tip, so the guests had him take them in a speedboat to his local island, where they donated just under US$250,000 to the school and hospital and pledged a further million for 2015.

It is easy to train those who are passionate about service: all one has to do is show them the path to follow. This is not simply a matter of teaching mechanical actions and procedures, however, but expanding their understanding of their spiritual nature and how to interact with guests, and colleagues, from this perspective. One might say teaching them to love their guests (and colleagues), because this fundamental of fundamentals is perforce the next advance in luxury hospitality standards.

Spiritual nature in our hard-boiled, mechanistic world? Love? Sounds like some airy fairy, LOL piece of new-age hippiness. But hospitality is all about being hospitable, not hard-nosed, programmed robots. The difference between being alive and being mechanistic is the element of life that is in each of us: ourselves. Anyone who has seen a dead body knows that there is something missing. What is it? The individual himself, the spirit, the life force, élan vital, whatever we call it; the person himself—that which animates and motivates, emanates emotions and communications…all things that humans do, and robots or robot-by-nature individuals cannot or do not.

The individual being is our main resource because it is the individual who displays intelligence and passion in dealing with guests and colleagues. In such interactions, either they can smile because it is required by company policy, or because they really feel there is something to smile about—and continue to do so come rain or shine. And there is the rub.

So how does one bring about such a mindset shift, a deep-seated happiness that radiates out and touches those around?

While training butlers on a large project in the Bahamas recently, one student lent the author a dog-eared and well-used book entitled The Secret by Rhonda Byrne for the simple reason that the classes he was attending paralleled the book, which considers as a given, and reinforces, the spiritual side of living life.

People in the luxury hospitality industry as a whole are among the more able and upbeat individuals in society, and it seems many of them have gravitated towards this book in an effort to improve their performance at work and in life in general.

Ms. Byrne has accomplished an incredible feat in identifying the understandings and abilities of those through the centuries who have lived charmed and successful lives; and in doing so, helped reinforce the spiritual dynamic of life at a time when the proponents of materialism loudly proclaim that life is a collection of chemicals, might is right, and Machiavellian or amoral role models permeate every sphere, public and private. The book contains much truth, but also, unfortunately, sufficient curveballs to present a problem for anyone trying to apply the information as written. How come so few people can re-assert themselves into a winning frame of mind and have life follow suit? How come those who have this skill are also liable to lose it over time, to start to feel negative emotions or hostile feelings, not be able all the time to radiate happiness and joy?

Unfortunately, the word limit for this article precludes pointing out the strengths and the weaknesses of The Secret, but there is one fundamental barrier to applying this wisdom of the ages: we cannot continue to assert greater ability without finding the cause for having lost it in the first place. Just as we can lift ourselves up by our bootstraps in an emergency and rise above our limitations, so too, inevitably, will those same limitations suck us back down again when the emergency is over, no matter how much we may repudiate these limitations by “royal decree.”

What to do?

That’ll have to be the subject of the next article if sufficient interest is expressed.

First published by the International Luxury Hotel Association and reprinted with permission of the author.

View the Hospitality Net article here.

If you want your team to perform more effectively in 2016 then, the chances are, you’re teaching and training methods need to change. If not, you can start to gift wrap your best employees for your competitors. I’m talking Millennials.

What’s a Millennial?
The Millennials, also known as Generation Y, were born in the early 1980’s. Before them, there’s Generation X and before that, Baby Boomers who are currently the majority of the workforce.

Why Are They Different?
They were the first generation born into technology. Put simply, for them, technology has always been there. Google, Skype, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn were just“always there, weren’t they?”

This influence, which made communication cheap, fast and global, has altered their thinking, their concentration and how they acquire knowledge. If you are stuck (as many are) using ‘Baby Boomer’ methodology, then, quite simply, you are wasting your time, ask a Millennial.

The Need for Change – What Do They Want?
Millennials like to work in teams and with technology. They want to achieve and, more importantly, they want to do good socially. They have a conscience unlike some Baby Boomers who were gluttonous in the free over spending days of excess. ‘Giving back’ really matters to them.

They want and welcome feedback but if you’re dispensing that annually through a Baby Boomer authoritative style, you’re already losing them. They need frequent contact to help them do better. That feedback needs to be now, unambiguous, apolitical and clear.

Of course there are many more characteristics that define the difference between the Millennials and the rest of the workforce and that’s homework you need to do.

The question is, ‘How does this effect their learning (and your teaching) in the New Year and beyond? The simple answer is – ‘hugely’.

I Am Me
Often, managers are managers because they have been in an organisation long enough to have climbed into middle management. This ‘safe place’ can also be a burning platform. Many middle managers are Baby Boomers who have been taught differently. The approach taken in ‘their day’ is out of date for the Millennial. Quite simply, one size does not fit all for them, or their ambition. Sometimes, it’s easier to repeat rather than re-imagine.

Two things must happen.

The manager must learn about the Millennials and then tailor teaching and learning to the individual – not the group. In other words, the company can manage training, learning and development on a macro level but the individual must be micro managed.

The Gap
When a Baby Boomer manager begins any instruction with “That’s how we have always done things around here” you can be sure that the Millennial is already texting his friends about his imminent departure (the same tablet will produce their CV)

They want and embrace creativity. They question everything, including authority, because of a huge desire to ‘understand’ as well as learn.

Their structures are flat and lateral, not horizontal and spiked.

They like challenges and like to be stretched. Unfortunately, many middle managers don’t.

They are impatient and hungry for fast information. They can check you and your materials out instantly and they do.

They like to know where they stand and that feedback needs to be clear and completely aligned to the expectations that were agreed at the outset. Human nature and politics often muddy these clear waters.

The Need for Change – What Has to Happen?
Companies need to accept generation gaps exist. Emotive Clarion calls of “We are all the same” cut little ice with Millennials. Quite the opposite.

A significant challenge will be to create training that recognises all of these dynamics and influences, for example, using technology versus classroom style teaching. Using classrooms to accelerate a group but combining that with short attention spans and even more technology.

How you manage an individual’s performance really matters. If your appraisal form and format is universal, you’re not engaging.

Creating training that’s up to date, challenging, engaging and rewarding is hugely significant. Without those ingredients, they are gone. If your presentation is dated, so are you.

Your reputation matters. Before they’ll accept an offer of employment from you, they will have already done their homework. Are you socially responsible? What is the career path? What’s the proof? How’s your reputation as an employer? What’s different about how you teach, train, engage and recruit?

How will your training benefit them? How will they enjoy it? What is the reward, is it tangible?

How creative is your training? Does it change frequently? Is it authoritative or collaborative? Is it a lecture or a workshop? Can I speak and question or will you just tell me “It’s our way or the highway”?

Will you ask me to respect you because you’re the manager or will you earn it? Will you respect me and prove it?

Finally, You’ll Really Annoy Them If…..
I started by saying Millennials are different. They are. To finish on a light (but serious lessons beneath) note, think about these simple thoughts.

Teacher/Boss – “The arrogance of that young girl using her iPhone while I was talking”

Student/Colleague – “I was taking notes, lots of them”

-::-

Teacher/Boss – “Every brand has a product”

Student/Colleague – “Does that apply to every App I use Sir?”

-::-
Teacher/Boss – “Meeting in person is so important for morale”

Student/Colleague – “It’s also a waste of time because technology can get us together anyway”

-::-
Teacher/Boss – “That’s not information I can share with you. That’s for shareholders and senior people only”

Student/Employee – “So why are we always being told ‘it’s our company’?”

If you think ‘the old way will do’, think again.

If you don’t they will.

View the original article here.