Ms. Cooper

Human Resources, Recruitment & Training

Inspiring and Engaging Your Team: Five methods to getting the most from your employees

By Caroline Cooper, President, Zeal Coaching

People are often referred to as a business’s most valued asset and in the hotel industry more than any your team can make or break the customers’ experience. They are certainly also one of your biggest overheads. Are you unwittingly de-motivating them by treating them as just another disposable asset?

Keeping your team inspired and engaged can be challenging. But a demotivated team can lead to poor performance, poor customer service, poor attendance and ultimately to losing not only your best people, but also losing your valued guests.

Here are five ways to get the most from your employees.

1. Set your expectations

People need to know what is expected of them and how this will be measured, so they can keep track of their own performance and know how they are doing, and not be left in any doubt if they are pulling their weight. A lack of direction can be confusing and leads to uncertainty. Lead by example, so there are no mixed messages. Setting standards and having systems and processes in place gives a framework for consistency. This includes ensuring the same rules apply to everyone and that the rest of your management team are consistent with their expectations.

Focus on telling people what you want to achieve i.e. the end result, rather than dictating how to do it. This gives people flexibility to adopt their own style (you'll be surprised how often they end up improving the process) rather than living in fear of not being able to comply with strict processes. And once you've set your expectations make it possible for your team to reach these by providing the appropriate tools, resources and training to do the job effectively.

2. Look and Listen

Ensure you are approachable, so that if team members do have concerns you get to hear about them before they become a problem. Provide support when needed and be receptive to when this is required; not everyone will be confident enough to ask for help so don't assume that they will just come and ask you when they are unsure. Consult with staff and listen to their ideas; they may be able to offer better ways of doing things and will be far more brought in to doing something well if they have initiated it.

Listen to and act quickly on staff concerns; left to fester these can sometimes snowball into bigger problems, which have they been nipped in the bud would have been easy to resolve.

Taking time to talk to your staff to build relationships and show an interest in them as individuals will help build trust (both ways) which will mean your team are far more likely to go the extra mile for you when it's needed. Take the time to identify their values, interests and aspirations, and when you need to gain their buy in highlight how it will benefit them, tailoring towards what's important to them.

3. Recognize

No matter what, always be sure to say thank you to those who work for you. Yes, they work for pay, but it always helps to know that their work is recognized.

Recognize and reward good performance, achievements and a job well-done. For many, that is all they need to feel encouraged. If you are genuine in your appreciation, and choose it for the right moment, it can work wonders. A simple but honest appreciative remark can go a very long way.

Give feedback; what have they done well and how it has contributed; where they have fallen short and how this can be improved.

Celebrate and share successes. And if you are going to praise, don t just leave it till you are on your own with the employee. Find an opportunity when they are with their colleagues, and your praise will create a buzz! Make sure it’s genuine and specific for the task carried out, or the person might be seen by their colleagues as ‘teacher’s pet’.

Become aware of what hobbies and interests your employees have. Then when you are out and about and see something that has to do with that particular interest, pick it up for them. Coming into the hotel and saying “I really appreciate what you do, and I got this for you as a small token of my appreciation”, will make them feel they are recognized for a great job. It doesn’t have to cost the earth; just a token. But the thought it evokes will make a real difference.

Encourage and reward loyalty by conducting regular pay and benefit reviews. Think about incentives that are within reach of any team member who performs well. This might mean focusing on a different theme each month so that everyone has the opportunity to recognize their particular skills and strengths.

4. Communicate

Communication is a two-way process; not only do people need to know what's going on, they want to be heard. Daily briefings are a good way to ensure everyone knows what's going on that could affect the operation or the customer experience in any way, as well as providing an opportunity for feedback from your team on their observations or ideas.

Let your team know how the business is performing, and what this means to them. Communicate any changes that are happening in the business before they happen, and involve them in the process as much as possible. Whether the changes affect them directly or not, anything out of the norm will be unsettling and will have an impact on morale and subsequently productivity.

5. Development and growth

We so often think of development as being grooming somebody for promotion. This might be one intention or outcome but even when we know that a member of our team has probably reached their peak, that doesn't mean to say that we just let them stagnate.

Development should have the intention of making people the best they can be at their jobs. Identify and utilize people’s strengths, providing further development when needed to bring out the best in these areas. Delegate and give some control and ownership, such as making people champions for specific areas. This gives them pride in what they do and they will appreciate that you've recognized where they do a good job, providing of course you’re careful not to overburden or just dump these tasks on them.

Grow from within where possible, and give people the opportunity for career progression as well as enhancing skills to do their existing job. Think also about life skills; for example offering English lessons for migrant workers.

You may not be able to accommodate everyone's aspirations particularly if you're a small hotel, but having some kind of succession plan in place that gives people something to work towards. However, take time to discuss people's aspirations; don't just assume that if someone shows potential that they want more responsibility or to be groomed into a specific position. And be careful not to make promises on career moves that you're unable to keep.

So in summary, five ways to get the most from your team: let people know what you want, ask for their input, give them feedback on how they are doing, let them know what else is going on and give them development to be the best they can be at their jobs.

If your team are your most valuable asset, remember to treat them as such and hopefully it will stay that way.

Caroline Cooper is a business and leadership coach working with hospitality business leaders and owners to enhance business, personal and team performance and effectiveness, with a strong emphasis on the bottom line results. She founded Zeal Coaching in 2004, and now works with a cross section of hospitality businesses. She is a published author of the 'Hotel Success Handbook', on practical sales and marketing for small hotels. During her career Ms. Cooper has provided leadership development and consultancy to a broad range of industries, ranging from FTSE 100 corporate clients, charities, local government and small businesses. Ms. Cooper can be contacted at +44 (0)7887 540914 or caroline@zealcoaching.com Extended Bio...

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