Long hours, sacrificed weekends and a constant battle to remain current with an incredibly dynamic, evolving industry are just some of the challenges facing today’s independent hotelier.

If you’re in that position, then it’s also easy to forget that you’re a boss, too. Your staff looks to you to be the leader, so your role also includes rallying the troops if the business isn’t doing well – or deliver the praise they deserve when they knock it outside the park.

If you’re an independent hotelier, then you’re probably in this industry because you love it. No amount of passion, however, makes you superhuman; you still must rely on tried-and-tested leadership strategies to remain at the top of your game.

Here’s our favorite ways to be a productive, independent hotelier and a fantastic boss.

Employ people who are better than you at certain tasks

Just because you’re at the top of the company totem pole doesn’t mean you must be an expert in all areas of your business.

Instead, you should concentrate on employing people who are better than you at certain tasks. Reception staff, sales execs and food and beverage managers should be able to perform their tasks without your input and to a much higher standard than you could.

You might need to swallow some pride, but if you employ those who are clearly stars in the making, then you’ll free much more of your time to invest in the strategic efforts of running a hotel. Plus, they’ll help you learn, too!

Don’t dismiss team-building activities

The mere mention of “team building” is enough to send most people into meltdown, but if you do it right, then it’s the best way to improve communications and boost morale.

Team-building activities don’t have to be elaborate or expensive, either. A simple, 30-minute break during a quiet day, so staff can spend time together having a coffee and donuts, sharing a delivered pizza or maybe even engaging in some form of team activity, such as ping-pong, kickball or volleyball, might be enough to raise spirits and demonstrate you’re a “fantastic” boss.

Make training a constant objective

Hospitality training should never be a fire-and-forget routine. As with most industries, changes in the hospitality sector occur fast, and it’s important both your staff and their boss remain current with the latest regulations, guest-engagement techniques and technology.

The hotel PMS is a classic example. How do you know if you and your entire staff is benefiting the most from it? Are there features you’re not using, which could save you a substantial amount of time? Are their integrations that are not being utilized that can impact hotel performance?

A quick call to the vendor could result in a training session or discovery discussion that reveals hidden benefits within one of your most used tools.

Contact us today to discover what InnQuest can help you improve: Contact!

Try job rotation – and be more involved!

One of the greatest benefits of working in a hotel environment is the sheer number of roles and responsibilities available. Who says you should just be the boss?

Job rotation is becoming more common in the hotel sector, and for good reason. It boosts morale among team members, encourages personal development and might even reduce staff turnover.

What’s more, you can – and should – be involved yourself. By dipping your toes into all aspects of the business, you’ll understand where improvements can be made and take the adage, “My door is always open,” to a whole new level!

Manage By Being Visible

Have you ever been told you shouldn’t sit in your office all day? Manage by Being Visible or MBBV, can benefit almost any business, but for a hotel it is crucial.

MBBV gives you the opportunity to see operations, customer engagement etc., which is virtually impossible behind your closed office door. You have the opportunity to interact with your team to learn what affects their day and performance. Probably, the most important benefit, however, is guest interaction.

Meeting and interacting with your guests on a daily basis will have a tremendous impact on your online review scores.

Final tip: work from a to-do list

It’s amazing how many independent hoteliers launch themselves into each working day without a plan.

Sure, it’s a dynamic industry and every day is different, but you still need some form of to-do list. Whether it’s digital or traditional pen and paper, combine it with our tips above to become more productive than you ever thought possible.

___

InnQuest Software is a leading technology provider for the hospitality industry. For over 25 years, innQuest has combined hotelier experience with innovative technology to deliver an all-in-one solution that empowers hotels to attract guests, drive customer loyalty, and increase profits. Our flagship property management software, roomMaster, helps manage over 5,500 properties across 100 countries. InnQuest develops scalable solutions ranging from a Hotel PMS, Cloud PMS, Channel Manager, Hotel CRM and helps properties enable guests to Book Direct. We believe that everyone deserves a great guest experience, whether they’re staying at a small B&B, a thousand-room resort, or anywhere in between.

Call us today at 1.813.288.4900, or email us at sales@innquest.com. We will be happy to walk you through innQuest’s solutions.