The hospitality industry is a fast-growing sector, but this does not by any means mean that competition is non-existent. Rather, it is quite the opposite. Competition for hospitality management positions is intense, with limited job openings and those that are applying are highly trained individuals.
Hospitality management involves overseeing a variety of departments within a hotel or resort. This often includes the front desk, housekeeping, concierges, spa services, restaurant and room service, conferences, maintenance, budgeting and finance, and guest experience. Not only do hospitality managers need to oversee all of these departments, but they must also be able to organize and flawlessly integrate these departments with any other services that are being offered at the hotel. Due to this, great hospitality managers tend to acquire these traits and strengths.
Communication
It is imperative that hospitality managers have excellent communication skills. They need to be able to actively speak to staff and have the staff open up in return. Failure to communicate results in someone dropping the ball, and the customer is going to be the one to pick it up. This is often accompanied by a complaint or a bad review, which is not what anyone wants.
Problem-Solver
When problems arise, guests and staff will be looking toward the manager to offer a solution. This requires the hospitality manager to be able to think on their feet, make decisive decisions, and respond to customers and employees questions and concerns in a sensitive, polite manner. It is also vital for managers to be prepared and anticipate any issues that could arise and have a backup plan in place, especially because this happens almost daily.
Time Management
Since hospitality management involves overseeing so many different departments and requires the ability to integrate them efficiently, hospitality managers require excellent time management skills. Managers need to be organized and abide by a punctual schedule. There are often times when work requires managers to put their personal lives on the back burner and deal with an immediate crisis at any moment, so they must also be flexible and able to adapt to a fast-paced work environment.
Motivation
Working in the hospitality industry is all about making sure the guest feels special and putting them first. This is a team effort, so the hospitality manager must have motivation themselves, but also be an effective team motivator. These individuals need to lead by example and know when they need to roll up their sleeves to help get the job done.
This article was originally published at SteveFarzam.org