‘YNWA’ One of the reasons I have been a Liverpool supporter for decades!

‘YNWA’

One of the reasons I have been a Liverpool supporter for decades!

By Stephen W. Ayers.

Take a minute to read the Liverpool anthem that is sung at every game they play by the tens and thousands of supporters at Anfield and at away games:

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm, there’s a golden sky
And the sweet, silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone

Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone

It was written by Oscar Hammerstein by released as a popular song by Jerry and the Pacemakers in 1963, and adopted by the world famous ‘Kop’ not long after that. It is written proudly at the top of the famous crest.

 It was a little after  this time that I spent four years at Shrewsbury School, a famous English boarding school about seventy miles from Liverpool. Many of the enduring friendships that I made were with guys that hailed from in and around Liverpool, and I joined the ranks of the Anfield faithful soon after.

But what I would like to underline here is that the song and words are sp pertinent today for all of us, especially those that are going through tough times, and that includes hospitality properties.

Perhaps it might be better if we added another word to the four famous letters: the letter ‘S’. It would now read YSNWA and mean: “You should never walk alone”.

Take a moment to think about this. If you have a problem, whether small or large, you need not face it alone. Help and solutions are near at hand, you just have to want to ask. Thankfully, early on in my career I learned a lifelong lesson from the founder of the Isrotel Hotel chain, Mr. David Lewis, who has sadly passed on. I wrote about the incident in my article http://www.stayaheadhospitality.com/a-very-valuable-lesson , and I invite you all to read it.

It became my guiding thought whenever I came up against a problem that I knew I needed help with.

The thought was and is still today “Who is the best, most familiar with and most experienced person to help me with the problem?”

NEVER be too ashamed to admit that a room attendant can help you with a housekeeping problem, or that a steward can give you his inner feelings about how dishwashing can be streamlined. Your attitude towards these small problems is indicative of what you will do when faced with significant challenges.

Of course today’s problems for the hospitality owner are much larger, and in some cases it may be a matter of survival. The huge companies are taking over, the OTA’s are eating up more of your occupancy and your costs are forever increasing. My answer is still the same. Seek out people that can, with their experience and knowledge, help you better understand how to face and overcome the challenges facing our industry today. There are many qualified firms out there today who can help in a meaningful way.

Sourcing outside help with your problems, whether operational or other, will cost you funds from perhaps limited resources, but will almost always be the right thing to do. It is an investment that invariably pays itself back quickly, and in some cases can be a life saver.

Now more than ever, with the fast evolving pace of the industry, it is important to be the best you possibly can be in order to thrive and grow. When you feel frustrated by the results, by the challenges facing your property, remember help is always at hand. You just need to want to reach out, and the first step is to admit that you need help.

If you are a football (soccer) lover and have not heard the Anfield faithful sing YNWA, I invite you to open the source link, it’s a hair raising love story!

Always remember……….YOU SHOULD NEVER WALK ALONE! 

Source: http://www.kopleft.com/youll-never-walk-alone-lyrics-and-history/