Teach as You Lead

Leaders, or managers, are teachers. I always wanted to get as much accomplished as possible with as little effort as possible. So, as general manager of my hotels, I would empower my department heads to take on more responsibilities and I would encourage them to teach the employees under their guidance how to take care of and monitor progress of these extra responsibilities. They loved the fact that I trusted them to handle these assignments, they enjoyed learning, and they felt more like a part of the overall team. I would spend the required quality time with them to make sure they understood the steps or processes in the projects, and when they had it I would leave it to them. If they had any questions I was quick to be there and help them through. Eventually, my hotel was running with heightened efficiency and my personal workload was less than it was before. This gave me more time to focus on other areas of a general manager’s responsibilities.

Understand that leadership is more of a purpose to guide and teach others and not some lofty position for other to praise. If you lead your people, the praise will come automatically and, more importantly, it will be from their hearts. They will want to do more for you and they will want to complete assignments with the best quality work they can, because they respect you. Since your employees represent you, and every manager is judged by his/her staff, it is far better that they see you as a true leader. Become the purpose, not the position.

Gen X Like Family and Unusual Trips

Studies show that currently Florida seems to be the destination of choice for Generation X, most likely Orlando, while the Baby Boomers are going to Las Vegas. This has a lot to do with the dedication Xers feel toward family. From the latch key kid background, they feel that many of the joys and pleasures of being in a close knit family is some thing they missed out on. Family is very high priority to Xers. The days of the two week road trip once a year for the family vacation are over. Generation X is much more likely to take multiple weekend trips throughout the year instead of one long trip once a year. As a result, this means more hotel stays. Instead of staying one night at a hotel each night of the family vacation, about 12 nights total, we see X families spending two or three nights in one hotel for a weekend trip and taking five, six, or more of these trips throughout the year. And it is good to know that on average Xers spend more money per trip then the previous generation.

One report I read said that Gen Xers like to take unusual vacations. They actually pride themselves on their ingenuity for planning some of the more unusual trips to the exotic or different locations. Something they can brag about to their friends when they get home after the trip. The Ice Hotel in Quebec-Canada is only open about four months out of the year, the rest of the year the hotel melts. They sell out practically every night, every year and the vast majority of guests are all Gen Xers. Taking the kind of tip their parents never dreamed of is the goal. The more unusual the better.

Bad Service, Again

Just the other day I had lunch at a major brand name restaurant chain. Every city I have been to has had one of these restaurants. They are everywhere.

This particular one had some major problems with the service staff, and especially my server. She did fine with the welcome, she took the drink orders, and she took the meal orders just fine and go the orders right. The problem came when the meal was delivered. We sat there for a few minutes without and cutlery or napkins. My friend had a burger and started eating right away. I had a salad as my side dish and didn’t feel like eating it with my fingers. I probably would have if I had a napkin to clean the salad dressing off my fingers.

I finally flagged down another server, not the one assigned to our station; she was very energetic and promised to get us the cutlery. A moment later a third server appeared in the area sort of looking around in a daze like she was searching for something. Just as she reached our table she turned toward the front and literally hollered to ask “where?” After she got the reply she looked at us and said “Oh.” Then she set don one set of cutlery. My friend was more than half way through his meal so I went ahead and used the cutlery and ate my meal. When we finished we had to share the one napkin. I used one end and he used the other end.

The problems were: (1) our server did not come back to the table and check on us after the meal was served, (2) there was a lack of effective communication among the staff, and (3) there was no pride in doing a good job (this was apparent when the empty able next to us was never cleaned the entire time we were there).

This is one of the very few times I have left a tip under 10%. So many things were so bad I just couldn’t justify my normal 18-20%.

It is so easy for servers to increase their tips by implementing some basic, common sense to there routine. One of the best ways is to imagine yourself as the customer. Think of what you would like and do that for your customers.

There is an eBook that I would recommend to restaurant servers. It is one of the best resources I have ever read for tips on increasing tips.

http://www.gratuity-ingenuity.com/

Thank You -

“Every time we remember to say ‘thank you,’ we experience nothing less than heaven on earth.”

Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance

Saying ‘Thank You’ really says a great deal. Not only does it demonstrate appreciation for the particular activity it is directed toward, it also is an affirmation of faith that an unseen, or potential, activity will be successfully accomplished.

When asking a friend, relative, acquaintance, or service provider to engage in a particular activity, I don’t say ‘thank you’ until the project is complete, OR if I am absolutely positive, and have total faith, that the project will be completed.

‘Thank Yous’ are sometimes not used when they should be. Showing gratitude for an action or statement is always appreciated by the receiver. Being acknowledged for your efforts is always a nice thing. But, sadly, I don’t see very many people saying ‘thank you’ or sending formal notes of ‘thanks’ for material, spiritual, or physical involvement gifts to another person. When was the last time you received a Thank You note from a friend or business associate?

In hospitality it should be common practice to express appreciation for a guest choosing your hotel or restaurant for their visit. When the guest feels appreciation, they feel good about their choice and will want to feel good again in the future. Make sure you and everybody else at your property always say ‘Thank You’ to your guests at every opportunity.

A ‘thank you’ means you appreciate the efforts, service, or gifts you received fro another person. It also demonstrates a clear faith that an activity will (or already did) take place.

I love you.

I’m sorry.

Please, forgive me.

Thank you.

Please, Forgive Me

“How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself.”
Publilius Syrus (~100 BC)

Forgiveness begins within you. You can’t be forgiving of others unless you can forgive yourself. Being able to take a problem or situation that may not turn out as well as we would like, and to put that behind you and keep moving forward is one of the biggest elements to personal healing. Once you can heal you, then you can heal your relationship with others involved. Forgiving is healing.

I often think of what people say when using the word ‘forgive.’ Many times you hear them talk about ‘forgive and forget.’ That is the main key to forgiveness, in my opinion, to actually forget about it. This mean to never let it bother you again, never bring the subject up in future conversations, to move forward in a manner that does not dredge up the forgiven matter. I think the forget part of forgiving is the part that releases negative emotions and actually heals the spirit.

If you truly forgive, then you need to forget. Do this for yourself before you can effectively do it for others.

In Ho’oponopono the ‘please, for give me’ is a statement directed to yourself. This allows you to forgive yourself, opening up your memories for the Divine to transmute them and giving you the ability to live on with that memory forgotten. Once forgotten your mind is at zero. Your body, and emotions, will not be affected by that memory any longer.

To forgive means also to forget.

I love you.

I’m sorry.

Please, forgive me…

I'm sorry -

“The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.”

Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC)

To say “I’m sorry” is to begin healing. What ever the situation, no matter who is at fault, the fact you are aware it the problem means that you have a responsibility. You need to make things right. A simple apology can make the difference when dealing with an upset guest or any unpleasant situation.

When I worked for Promus (later bought by Hilton Hotels) they taught us to use the service LEAP with angry guests. L- Listen, E- Empathize, A- Apologize, P- Problem solve. They told us that when you apologize you are not accepting blame; you are not saying it is your personal fault, but you are taking responsibility for the problem and you are sorry that it happened in the first place.

Saying that you are sorry and taking responsibility will let the guest know that you care about them, about your hotel, about your service and about yourself. It shows pride in your abilities and your determination to fix it. As another phrase we hear in training says “Don’t fight, make it right.”

So, take responsibility for everything that comes to your attention, the fact you are aware of it automatically makes it your responsibility. Feel the remorse or repentance, say you are sorry this thing has happened then you begin to make it right. Often no further action is required. Just feel it, say it (mostly to yourself). Let that energy flow and watch how your world changes.

I love you.

I’m sorry…

I Love You -

To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.
Karen Sunde, playwright and screenwriter

I am learning, or re-learning, just how powerful love can be. Just to express love can change everything around you. Love can take a tense situation and make it pleasant, love can turn things from bad to good. And, love can heal many pains.

The book by Joe Vitale, ‘zero limits,’ says that saying “I love you” will make the connection between you and the Divine. That connection alone can help make you feel better; it can change things dramatically around you. I am saying this phrase more and more every day. In my mind I repeat “I love you” as I go for my daily walks, as I browse and search the internet, as I write in my blog, as I prepare dinner, as I read. I am finding so many things improving because of it.

You should try this. If you work in the service industries you will come across a customer (or a guest, for hospitality) that is a bit unhappy with a certain situation. The next time you are facing an upset customer or guest, just repeat in your mind “I love you.” It won’t hurt anything, you don’t need to say it out loud (unless you think it will help), and you will be the only person who knows you are doing it. Just try it. See what happens within you and see what happens in the situation. I know everything will be better.

Let me know what happens.

zero limits

I got a copy of Joe Vitale’s new book, “zero limits.” The best way I can describe this book is WoW. Mr. Vitale has discovered something absolutely amazing. What he talks about in this book is an updated version of an ancient Hawaiian teaching called Ho’oponopono; it is a secret system for health, wealth, happiness and peace. There is no end to the possibilities one can achieve, zero limits.

Joe Vitale tells of his search for a Hawaiian psychologist Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len who cured a ward of criminal mentally ill patients at the Hawaii State Hospital. These were dangerous people with very little, mostly no, chance of release from either the hospital or their condition. Yet, Dr. Hew Len was able to heal these people, and he did it without any patient office visits, without seeing the patients professionally. He read their files and practiced Ho’oponopono on them.

What I found most interesting about the system is how simple it is. I thought that something so simple could not work. I have been following the system and I have noticed changes in my life. Things that used to annoy me don’t bother me now, I feel better physically, some of my common aches and pains are gone, and, most importantly, some memories from my past that used to cause me intense emotional pain don’t bother me any more.

The biggest proof that this works for me happened the other day. My sister lives on three acres of mountain property she developed herself with her partner and she raised her daughter there. A few months ago the water pump on their well gave out. It served them well for over 20 years. My sister did not have the money she needed to purchase a new pump. She has been hauling water from town, up the mountain, to her home so she could take a bath and have water to drink. Well, after reading about Ho’oponopono in “zero limits” I tried the system on my sister’s water pump problem. I spoke with her on the phone last night and a workmate, who is saving money for a house, offered to loan the money needed. My sister will get her new pump. She also told me of other factors that seem to be falling in place and she will be paying the loan back within the next month.

These facts have proven to me that Ho’oponopono really does work. As I continue to practice the system as Joe Vitale describes, I look forward to even bigger changes to manifest in my life.

I highly recommend to anyone, buy this book. Read it through (I read it cover to cover in a little over one day, which is amazing for a slow reader like me) and read the appendix C, “Who’s In Charge,” two times. Then go back and read the whole book again. Some of the profound and mind bending concepts didn’t sink in for me the first time through. The second time I read through the book made everything very clear.

It is safe to say I will be commenting on this book and Ho’oponopono on this blog more.

Zero Limits, Ho’oponopono, it works.

Mr. Vitale and Dr. Hew Len, I love you, Thank you.

Wiley books are available at your local bookstore or by calling 1-800-225-5945. In Canada, call 1-800-567-4797

New Set of Wheels

Picked up a new set of wheels today.

Found a used car in pretty good shape at an excellent price. It was on 07/07/07 that we found it and made a deposit on it. We were able to make the rest of the payment today and brought it home. 1991 Plymouth Sundance, maroon outside and in. Drives very nicely.

For what we could afford, this car was a perfect fit. The need was there and we attracted the car at just the right time, on the right day, and at the right price. I love the way the energies of the universe bring things together for us so wonderfully.

Service Inclludes Safety

There was a garage fire down the street last night and it reminded me that safety is something every hospitality professional should be constantly aware of. Part of my three rules for every situation talks about the image of the hotel. Making sure your hotel is as safe as it can be will go a long way in the image your hotel has with your guests as well as the local fire marshal.

If an incident should occur, having the proper safety procedures and practices in place will not only help keep guests and staff safe, but it will also help with insurance claims and the official fire investigation. Keep records of all safety procedures, have your emergency manual updated, perform regular fires drills and document them.

Keeping your hotel safe should be common sense. It is the ultimate service you can provide for your guests.

Some of the causes of hotel fires I have heard about are lint in the dryers in laundry, HVAC units not properly cleaned or maintained, and improper electrical wiring (don't let maintenance use household extension cords).

The fire down the street took out the detached garage, storage room, and travel trailer. The owner is a lawyer and stored his files in the storage room. Yesterday he was getting his trailer ready for a family vacation. Nobody was hurt, even his dogs got out ok. The house suffered exterior damage with the siding melting off.

Unconscious Motives

Recently I read a quote from Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychologist, where he said “It frequently happens that unconscious motives overrule our conscious decisions, especially in matters of vital importance. Indeed, the fate of the individual is largely dependent on unconscious factors.”

I find this very interesting. He basically says that what we call fate is actually our unconscious motives. Fate is not some outer power directing our lives. Fate is not some uncontrollable list of predetermined events that dictate what will happen in our lives. Fate is actually the motives from within our selves, from our unconscious mind, or they are subconscious thoughts, subconscious desires. Even the things we don’t want in our lives, the negative events, are among the things we think about. If we think, worry, about them enough they become part of our unconscious thinking.

Carl Jung said that these unconscious motives overrule our conscious decisions, especially in matters of vital importance. We consciously tell ourselves what we don’t want to happen to us, what we don’t want in our lives. By dwelling on what we don’t want, our unconscious mind is collecting these thoughts and they will overrule our conscious decisions. This is why some people continue to have money problems, or relationship troubles, or issues at work, or…, or…, what ever the reoccurring problems in their life are.

Dr. Jung says that what we call fate is largely dependent on these unconscious factors. Well then, since they are caused by the subconscious we can change things for the better in our life. Focus your mind on the positives, dwell on the good things in your life and on the good things you want in your life. Doing this regularly will slowly replace the negatives in your unconscious with the positives. Make your unconscious a positive mind and the riches in life will come to you.

I am on a personal mission to do this for myself. I am working to build positives in my mind, to focus my thinking on the good things I want to happen to me, to dwell on what I want to become. I am doing my best to put the Law of Attraction to work in my favor. The universe is answering my thoughts, I want to make sure the thoughts the universe is hearing, from both my conscious and my unconscious mind, are in line with my desires.

Happy Independence Day!!

Since it is the Fourth of July I thought I would post with a quote from George Washington.

“It's wonderful what we can do if we're always doing.”
George Washington

To me this quote is telling us we need to keep doing, keep working at being more than we are, keep bettering ourselves. Constantly improve everything you do.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to improve, just pick one thing in your life and make it better by 1%, that’s all, just 1%. If you can improve yourself by 1% every week, by the end of the year you have made yourself 52% better. In less than two years you will be 100% better than you are now in that one thing.

I once heard a speaker give this advice: imagine you are at a funeral five years from now. Actually, it is your funeral. Four people are going to speak about you, one from your family (not spouse, children or parents), one from your work, one from your church (or any place of worship), and one from a civic organization you belong to (Rotary club, volunteer work, etc…). Now, write down what you would like these four people to say about you. After writing it out you have in front of you a description of the kind of person you want to be. Start becoming that person now; you have five years to complete your goals.

Become just a little better each day.

Offer to Fill ALL the Drinks

I joined a friend for lunch today and we ate at Montana's Steak House. Good place with great food. My favorites are the brisket and the roasted chicken. They have a very good country rice side dish.

Anyway, for our drinks I ordered an ice water with lemon (the lemon usually cuts the chlorine taste in city water) and my friend had a beer. Normally he has coffee, which is what made me think of this post. When we have eaten out before the server always checks back to see if he needed more coffee. This is normal practice, keep the coffee cup full as often as possible.

Today our server asked me if I wanted a refill of my ice water. It struck me then that I usually have to ask for more water. It doesn't seem to be automatic for servers to offer water refills as much as they do for coffee, cola, lemonade, or a drink from the bar. They always offer refills for every drink except for those drinking water. The fact she offered made me want to give her a slightly larger than average tip.

So, servers, when you offer to refill drinks remember that the people who choose to drink water will also want a refill. They may decide to have water because they can not drink the other beverages that are available. Keep in mind that water is a drink too. Plus, if you keep up on the water as well as the other beverages, you can increase your tips. Since there is no charge for water, you are making free money if you impress the water drinkers.