Why didn’t we think of that?

Stephen W. Ayers, CEO STAY Ahead Hospitality

What a powerful cartoon statement in the Toronto Star today!

If indeed the Canadian First Nations had had any say whatsoever about who came to live and stay on their lands the outlook may have been very different than today.

Being a hotel guy, it got me thinking about how relevant the cartoon is for our industry. You just have to replace ‘immigrant’ with ‘new employee’.

The costs of recruiting, training and integration of a new hire can run into thousands of dollars, with a very conservative estimate putting the figure at no less than $4,500. In many hotels the staff turnover is high, so why don’t we get it right the first time?

As a general manager I always wanted to know what we were doing WRONG. I knew what we were good at, I read about it in the comments, in the staff and guest surveys. We needed to continue doing what we did right, but more importantly we needed to correct what was wrong.

The largest single cost in a hotel is the cost of the human resources.  In a high staff turnover hotel those costs are considerably inflated by the costs of integration of new staff into many different departments.

Staff surveys, a critical yearly ‘check up’ on the ‘health’ of your employees in the workplace will tell you a lot about what can be improved.

Unfair treatment by peers or superiors, complaints about lower wages, staff cafeteria food offerings, uniforms, long hours, equipment, materials, travel, unnecessary grievances, they will all be in there, and more.

But surely they are indicative of the overall hotel culture? Does the hotel actually have a culture that nurtures the employees, that answers their expectations? The days of just paying a fair wage for fair work are over. Employees expect different, and so do the guests of today and tomorrow.

Admittedly, recruiting or even finding new staff these days can be very difficult in a market where demand outstrips supply. That makes good recruiting even more important. A good choice of employee, coupled with a great hotel culture will not only make for happy staff but for long term staff.

It has been proven time and again that salary is the second most important thing in an employee’s life at work. The first is happiness at the workplace, and only a great hotel culture can give him or her that.

Good recruiting is a first step in trying to ensure that the right person is considered for the position. Try not to run and take the first candidate just because of pressure. Check background and experience. Have an extended conversation to see what personal values the candidate may have, and whether they fit in with the hotel culture. How have they turned up for the interview? Personal hygiene and grooming are important. Try and get an insight into the personality sitting in front of you and whether there may be future room for self improvement.

There is nothing like a face to face interview. Sure, the candidate may bring letters of reference and praise, but did his ex employers give those out to get rid of them? It happens! They must be followed up, but the interview is the important part of the new hire.

So now you have decided on the new hire, and believe that given the right opportunities he or she will do a good job, assimilate well into the staff complement and stay for a long time.

That will not happen unless the hotel has a culture that takes care of the staff. Whether good food (an army marches on a full stomach), fair wages, appreciation, sufficient equipment and materials, clean and good fit uniforms, in hotel promotion, staff events and more, these are some of the things that make for a great workplace. Creating a hotel culture that understands and nurtures and takes care of our diversity is one of the major and most important factors in the success of today’s hotels.

Happy staff makes for happy guests who are looking for hotels with culture. In addition, think of the considerable costs savings to be had by lowering the turnover. As we said, at the minimum, each staff kept in your employ will save $4,500 in new hire integration and will eliminate quite a few operational headaches!

So, is it not worth the while to correctly interview candidates and invest in a great hotel culture to welcome them into?

The LLOD and The Mountain of work that goes into serving a meal

Stephen W. Ayers, CEO STAY Ahead Hospitality

Sometimes I wonder if a guest, or even the hotel manager, has thought of all the work and human interaction that it takes to serve a great meal in the restaurant. However, that certainly does not excuse bad service, less than perfect taste or horrible plate presentation. As I have written, the absolute last line of defense (LLOD) is the waiter, but there are many other stages in the production ‘line’ where mistakes can and should be caught before the meal is presented to the diner.

Diners reserve tables, march in, order drinks and food from beautiful menus and sit happily for an hour or more during their restaurant experience. They know that work goes into their meal production and service, but do they really realize what exactly went on behind the scenes to get that plate in front of them? Have you stopped to think about where it can all go wrong?

LOD1: It all starts with procurement. Here the meal either starts off well or not. Whether perishable or not, the best product must be bought for the best price. No compromise. The end game depends on the quality of ingredients, and if that is less than perfect the meal will be too. Here it is up to the Chef to ascertain on arrival that all the products are indeed what he ordered. Products must be bought so that turnover means that they are all fresh all of the time.

LOD 2: Now comes a very important part. Storage. We all know FIFO, but is it practiced in every kitchen? You all know the answer. All it takes is for a lazy kitchen attendant (Commis) to arrange the storage by just loading the new onto the old in the refrigerators. At some stage the older products will be used, but by then they will be far from their freshest. So make sure that all products are stored with availability of the first in first out.

LOD3: Preparation. It is hugely important that the Chef oversees the preparation of all the dishes he has planned and written recipes for. All too often the kitchen brigade will prepare food according to the recipes, but if a certain ingredient is missing….well, they don’t really care, just get the cooking done. Cooks cutting corners can be the death of a good meal!

LOD4: The taste test. Qualified cooks must taste ALL food before it is served to the diners. Sure, it has been produced according to the standard recipe, but that is not enough. Take a standard recipe from a cook book and give it to ten different cooks to make and there will be differences in taste. Guaranteed. The Executive Chef or Sous Chef must taste in order to give the thumbs up for the particular dish.

LOD5: The meal service. This stage is where all the careful work and production of the perfect meal can be undone in a second. A hot meal must be served on a hot plate, the food hot and the presentation perfect……don’t forget that we eat with our eyes first. All plates for the same table should be ready at the same time if all diners are to enjoy their meal together. The Chef that is on the issue line must take care to satisfy these rules.

LLOD: There is one and only one Last Line of Defense. The server. The restaurant manager must instill in the servers their inalienable right and confidence to return dishes that they suspect are less than perfect to the eye, not hot (or cold) enough, or look or smell strangely. A server who either could not care or is frightened (yes, frightened!) to return or question food that he/she must serve may mean at best a dissatisfied customer, at worst a case of food poisoning. Your server is your last Firewall!

There are of course many other events and interactions that go into a daily routine in the kitchens across the world. Training, friendly service, creativity, hygiene, cleanliness, good refrigeration and air conditioning, and so many more, but the LOD’s above illustrate what main points must be followed consistently to be able to keep diners satisfied and keep them coming back.

The LOD and LLOD rules are an open secret, but how many restaurants and dining establishments follow them consistently?

Do you?

A thought for Saturday!

Stephen W. Ayers

President and CEO at STAY Ahead Hospitality

Stephen W. Ayers, CEO STAY Ahead Hospitality

I always start my Saturday paper by looking at my favorite cartoons. It's a good thing to do with my first sips of a good cuppa tea, and always brings a smile to my face!

I had to laugh at the 'six-chix' cartoon today that I have attached above. But it also got me thinking about what I have always told my 'last line of defense' in the food facilities in the hotels I have managed. By 'last line of defense' I mean all the wonderful servers that work so hard every day to deliver good, tasty food to your tables.

While the Chefs are responsible for not only making the food perfect in taste, they must of course present it perfectly as we all know that we eat with our eyes first!

So, if the food looks cold, off, wrongly presented, or anything else but perfect, we must rely on our last line of defense to return it to the kitchens and give them our wholehearted backing when the cooks push back.

It is only by working together and having each others' backs that we will be able to deliver that perfect product!

So, have a laugh at the cartoon, and then reflect on whether your establishment delivers a great meal, great food served looking perfect!

Have a great weekend everyone!

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International Women’s Day..........my thoughts

International Women’s Day

Stephen W. Ayers, CEO, STAY Ahead Hospitality. My thoughts…………

I celebrate International Women’s Day along with all of you ladies all around the world.

I do not want to make any political statement about what I feel regarding the current status except to say that in a good, kind and real world all of us are equal in every aspect of the word. There is still a lot of work to do and ground to cover but I believe that real progress is being made, and much more will be made in the coming years, pushed by the core values of the millennial generation.

Today American women are ‘striking’ in the USA to illustrate what a day without women looks like. That may be wrong depending on your point of view, but take a minute to imagine what the atmosphere must be like in all the workplaces without the ladies today!

How dull and boring! Just guy talk and stories? Even more seriousness at work than normal? No smiles or creative advice and guidance? No ladies laughing to make you smile and enjoy the day more? No real balance to meetings, alternative points of view?

So take a ‘woman free’ minute to consider all that women across the world do to make it a much more enjoyable place to be. Take a minute to think of just how much women in your life accomplish each and every day, wherever they may be, the home or work or wherever. Think of the positive impact on family, work and politics. It is beyond awesome!

It has been said that if women ruled there would be no wars, well ….probably true.

So, as women celebrate International Women’s Day, we must work harder for total equality and remember to show appreciation for all they do for us day in and day out.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!

Oh The Shame of it!

Me, the Manager, ask for advice?! No way!

‘Noun’

‘Guidance or recommendations offered with regard to prudent action.’

Stephen W. Ayers, CEO, STAY Ahead Hospitality.

I am sitting in my office and wondering what the real and true amount of money that has been wasted by managers NOT asking for advice on a subject that they are not sufficiently informed about when making a decision.

Throughout my career I have learned how to become a better manager by learning from the examples of ‘how not to do it’ that I experienced under the various managers I worked for.

Since these uninformed decisions take place every minute of every workday across the globe in hotels, the total sum of ‘wastage’ must be mind boggling, into the millions and millions on a daily basis! Can you imagine the improved ROI on financials everywhere if managers just thought to ask for advice and guidance BEFORE they made these wrong decisions? Or perhaps how much more funding they could use for employees, or badly needed equipment?

So why do so many managers dismiss this fundamental opportunity to get it right by asking for informed opinions from people that know the answer?

The answer:  SHAME of being perceived as weak and lacking in knowledge.

In order to be a great manager you need to know, understand and admit that you do not know everything about your operations.  Sure, you are there to take the decisions that need taking, but you should do this only after collecting all the relevant facts about the dilemma. The answer to every problem cannot be found in books, it cannot be found on financial sheets or on Google.

So where can logical, sensible and creative answers be found? Take a look around you! Your hotel is full of experienced staff who knows so much about their specific tasks, from your management team right down to the amazing dishwashers, room attendants, the wonderful front line staff and the back of house people.

I was very lucky at the beginning of my management career by being taught a great lesson in learning by the owner of The King Solomon’s Palace which I helped open as Executive assistant and F&B Manager. I wrote an article about this:  http://www.stayaheadhospitality.com/a-very-valuable-lesson  which taught me early on that I had a goldmine of information and creative suggestions everywhere around me and all I had to do was tap into it. I encourage you to read it.

Your frontline staff is so much more important to your guests than you are, and you should make it known to them. I remember when starting out in the business how overjoyed I was when the manager spoke to me, said hi or asked me how I was doing. Can you imagine their sense of satisfaction and self worth if they are asked how they might solve a problem? Can you understand the example that gives to your staff, and the fact that it strengthens you as a leader?

So when you next have an operational problem, try going to the source. Ask the staff that work every day on the frontlines what they think, what they might do to solve the problem. More often than not they will come up with ideas that only someone who works in the specific area can come up with. More than that, you will be amazed at the money you can save, the good feelings you invest in your staff and the satisfaction you will get from asking their advice. You will gain respect and be seen in a different light.

So go on, throw shame out of the window and go ask your staff for advice next time you have a problem!

Settled in as the new GM? Some next steps tips……..

Part 2 of 2: Taking a new position as GM?......

Stephen W. Ayers, CEO STAY Ahead Hospitality

You’re settled in as the new General Manager at your hotel. You feel that you are on solid ground with your department heads and the staff is getting to know and respect you.  You have met each of your executives for an in depth discussion and you are getting to know their strengths and weaknesses. You are familiar with the financials, have ‘soaked up’ the prevailing atmosphere in the hotel and know the physical layout of the building well.

You are ‘up to speed’ as they say.

So what are next steps?

You have taken the time necessary to learn and settle in and show the staff, including your department heads, that you have ‘learned’ the hotel and have not been the ‘Bull in the china shop’ that many perhaps expected.

You have succeeded in building your ‘initial phase’ reputation.

It is time to start putting your own GM ‘stamp’ into the operation, time to get active and taking over the navigation of your establishment.

Here are some tips that may be helpful in going forward at this critical point in your stewardship:

1.      Have a second meeting and discussion with each head of department. This should be held in the more official surroundings of your office. Point out what you have seen, good and bad, in his/her department. Ask them to put down on paper what they believe is the current state of their department and what their plan is for the next year to improve, with ‘hard’ targets. Ask them to include what they might need in resources and what you can do to help them achieve the targets.

2.      Request an all encompassing plan for the treatment of the staff from your HR head. This plan must include all that is done for staff on a daily/monthly and yearly basis. If a staff satisfaction survey has been achieved then request a plan for improving the weaknesses. If a survey has not been done, ask to plan one. Either way you will have a benchmark on which to compare in the future.

The HR plan must also include ways of lowering grievances that are costly, and also exit interviews to learn from mistakes.

3.      Spend more time with your sales and marketing team. Ask for their strategy in attaining higher ADR’s and occupancy from the more valuable segments and sub segments. Look at future bookings for ‘holes’ and request action to fill them. Hold a weekly meeting for updating and minute the meetings.

4.      Request a monthly forecast by the 25^th of the month for the next month. The accounting department will create this with the full input of the department heads. This is no substitute for the yearly budget, but as the year gets older the budget is less effective and needs updating for effectiveness. This will allow all departments to rethink scheduling if necessary and be more compatible with current business demands.

5.      Make sure to try and keep significant presence in the building and not hunker down in your office. Staff likes to see an active GM who is present, asks them how they are doing and is seen as taking a keen interest in their work.

6.      Look into guest satisfaction parameters. Gather the information necessary on which to gauge the weaknesses that lead to complaints and plan action to correct them. I always knew the strengths of my hotels, but what I always wanted more than that was to know what was wrong. Instill in the staff a sense of competition to always better guest ratings whether on social media or within the brand.

7.      When drawing up the points for heads of department meetings, ask your executive team for their items for the agenda. Don’t forget that the best way to have your team adopt any plans of action is to have them involved in the decisions.

8.      Let your team know that you are their ‘support system’ and that you are there to advise them when they feel they need it. They must also know that, while they do have freedom to lead their department under your guidance, they will be judged by the yearly plan and targets you set together.

9.      Staff needs to feel appreciated, and that goes for your executive team as well. Don’t save on the ‘thank yous’ you dish out daily, and acknowledge good deeds and decisions made during the days’ hard work by all. You will feel good too.

I firmly believe that while you as General Manager make the final decisions, it is best to have a democratic system whereby all involved ‘stakeholders’ have their say and ideas. You may very well be surprised that there are many interesting ideas and suggestions worthy of adoption in your team.

I have always gone to the source to get my most valuable advice and it has paid off handsomely!

Taking a new position as GM? Here are some tips….

Stephen W. Ayers, CEO STAY Ahead Hospitality

Over the course of my career I have had the good fortune and privilege to open and manage hotels in city, resort and spa locations. While they are so different in terms of operation, they are all very similar in terms of their greatest asset, the team of staff under you. Of special importance are your cadre of executives that are so crucial to your and the hotels’ success.

Starting a new position as General Manager is a daunting task but one that can determine the future relationships with both your management team and the staff working so hard on the front lines and in the back of house. However, this does depend a great deal on how you act and behave during your initial period as GM.

So here are some tips that I have found invaluable when assuming a new GM position in the hotels I have managed:

1. Do not, at least initially, bring in staff that has been loyal to you in your past position without reviewing your management team and taking the time to get to know each of them. You may find the best team ever! Bringing in an outsider without reviewing the staff in current positions will engender distrust.
2. While you have to lead the crew from the first day, try to be ‘silent’ for at least one month, keeping your eyes and ears open but your mouth shut. Walk around, get a feeling for both the hotel and the different departments, how they operate and get to know some of the staff that work in them.
3. Take the time to eat in the staff dining room, invite staff randomly to eat with you and chat with them. You will learn a great deal about the atmosphere of the hotel.
4. Review the financials of the hotel and departments over the past year(s). Note down items to be discussed with each department head, whether good or disappointing.
5. Schedule meetings with each of your department heads to get to know them. Allow for at least half a day each to learn about them, what makes them tick, their beliefs, what they think about the strengths and weaknesses of the hotel. Discuss the points you noted in your financial review and discuss these. You may be surprised by the volume of data you learn and their drive to lead. You will learn what may be holding them back from a great performance! Perhaps the last GM stifled their freedom? Perhaps he gave them too much leeway? You will learn also how to lead your executives by getting to know each of them. We are all different but we ALL need direction. These meetings should be held in a relaxed atmosphere, and if possible in the executive lounge if there is one, or a ‘lounge’ atmosphere if possible.
6. Encourage different points of view in head of department meetings. It is important not only to let each member present his point of view, but for you to hear the ideas and advice before making a decision. Sometimes, as I have found, they may differ radically from your own, and you may decide to go with consensus given their arguments. It is no shame to admit that their way may be better, and a good leader will gain respect by this demonstration of trust in the team.
7. Take the time to learn what the hotel policies are towards the staff. How are they celebrated on birthdays, weddings? What are the bonus systems in place? Are long term staff appreciated and promoted first if suitable? Is staff encouraged to take courses that may be subsidized by the hotel and self better themselves? Are the different cultures represented in food served in the staff dining room, and what about the vegetarians and vegans? What is done to bond the executive team on a monthly/yearly basis? Once you have gathered this vital information you can then ask your HR Manager to express his/her opinion and plot a policy that will encompass all your staff.
8. Do not forget that each and every one of your staff is an integral part of your success as their GM and leader, and each one should command the same respect. In many ways they will define you as GM and may even decide your future. Treating your staff correctly is one sure way to get on the road to success.

Taking the time as you ease into your new position and not acting impulsively is not a sign of weakness. If you get to know your management team, get to know the staff, get to know the weaknesses and strengths of the financials, it will allow you to be on solid ground when you become more actively involved. You will have a wealth of knowledge about your hotel on which to base wise decisions.

More importantly, you will have a team backing you that are not afraid to give their honest advice!