Insights – Page 12 – Aethos Consulting Group

Insights

Hospitality & Technology – Innovation is Being Stifled By Lack Of Leadership

Technology-enabled interaction has become a “must,” not a “nice to have,” and guests expect to be engaged and recognized at an ever more personalized level—it is no longer just a marketing gimmick. However, sitting down for a conversation with Klaus Kohlmayr, chief evangelist at IDeaS Revenue Solutions, he confirmed that the sector is playing catch-up. We agreed, gutsy leadership is needed to bring the technology departments at hotel organizations worldwide into the 21st century. More importantly, we agreed that the root of the problem lies in out-of-date software, systems and infrastructure. Too many hotel operators are running on archaic platforms and trying to compete with a horse-drawn carriage in a Formula 1 race.

Hospitality Leadership Series On ‘Professional Visibility’: The 3 Cs of Executive Presence

Last month, we investigated what it takes to be visible in the professional market place and concluded with the suggestion that “visibility” is only worth something if it is tied to “relatability”. In this article, we stipulate that the former and the latter should be complemented by “executive presence”. Google “executive presence” and you’ll be “inundated” with 163 million hits. You’re bound to learn useful tips if you can somehow sift through this avalanche of material to find the tried and true nuggets of wisdom. Or, you could take the Dale Carnegie’s course on public speaking or immerse yourself in leadership books that aim to describe and nurture executive presence reportedly from academic perspectives.

Hospitality Leadership Solutions Series: Is Self-Confidence Friend Or Foe?

Self-confidence can be a friend and foe to emerging leaders and seasoned executives alike. In many cases, leaders must think and act against popular wisdom, and thus must exhibit confidence and grit in the face of severe—and even very public—opposition. Of course, self-confidence can also lead one down a very dark path of narcissism, nepotism and grandiosity if untampered, much less uncontrolled. As Herbert Joly, CEO of Best Buy told us, arrogance is the foe of self-confidence, not its equal. A healthy ego comprised of a sense of self-competence and self-esteem is important, but it is invariably dangerous if it lacks a corresponding sense of introspection.

Are Your Supervisors Focused on the Right Customers?

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Shane Green for more than a decade. Over the course of his career, Shane has held leading operational positions at some of the most luxurious hotels and hotel companies around the world. Recently, he has re-focused his efforts with his training solutions company, SGEi. As President and Founder of SGEi, Shane leads a team of professionals who inspire iconic brands ranging from NBA to Net Jets Inc. and BMW to MGM Resorts International to “reprogram” their employees’ experiences, mindsets, and service habits to create loyal customers and raving fans.

Hospitality Leadership Series On ‘Professional Visibility’: Relatability

Following our announcement last month, as part of a new “pulse” leadership mini-series, Aethos™ is taking a closer look at ‘executive presence’. The purpose – to draw each and every reader’s attention to its own level of self-awareness and for everyone to critically ask themselves: “What are the competency sets which help me stand out from the crowd?” and “Which attitudes and personal habits should I hone to elevate my profile in the industry?” To kick-off this series, Aethos™ investigates what it takes to be visible in the professional market place and suggests that ‘visibility’ is only worth something if it is tied to ‘relatability.’ If people cannot connect with you, or have difficulty in ‘reading you,’ you will not be able to leverage any professional visibility that you might have.

A Leadership Exercise For Diagnosing And Easing Organizational Pain Point

All companies have pain points during growth or stabilization phases, so leaders face two critical questions: Where are they, and how can we ease them? There is now an evidence-based model to help business leaders confront these issues more efficiently and effectively. It starts with understanding the “joints” in a company’s anatomy — joints being areas where strategic and tactical components in an organization intersect and are thereby particularly vulnerable to friction or bottlenecks.

How Bonuses Can Help Independent Hotels Fight the Brands

If you have attended any hotel sector related conference this year, or kept up to date with industry press, you will have been unable to ignore the dialogue taking place around brands and the argument posited by some that we are reaching a point of brand oversaturation in the market. Are the lines of differentiation between brands, often within the same company, becoming blurrier; is the brand proposition to the consumer and to the hotel owner being diluted; is too much choice overwhelming? The big chains of course counter that they have to compete with the OTAs; their earnings are nowadays based on management fee growth rather than real estate appreciation; and the value of their loyalty programme drives the need to provide greater consumer choice. This scenario gives independent hotels an opportunity to be differentiators, to stand out from the crowd and to offer something more unique that captures the consumer not looking to follow the crowd. The reality nonetheless is that, commercially, independent properties are having to compete against an increasing number of 800lb gorillas who are getting bigger by the day.

Hospitality Leadership Solutions Series: Reducing Unnecessary Workplace Stress

This era of disruption, innovation and increased global competition means that businesses arguably endure more demands on their time, budget and human resources than ever. Some of the stress in organizations is inherent to today’s market conditions and customer expectations; however, leaders must constantly be wary of self-inflicted wounds. Here, we mean the kind of sustained but avoidable workplace stress that demotivates teams, causes unwanted turnover, reduces productivity and decreases profitability. Here are six strategies that can help guard against self-inflicted stress in a team or entire organization.

The Strong L&D Impact of Employee Bilingualism: A Case Study with Erin Janklow, CEO Entrada

“Learning and Development (L&D)” is HR speak for “ongoing education” – i.e., building or refining one’s skill set to enhance personal job security and broader marketability. These initiatives take many forms, such as traditional classroom or seminar presentations; personal coaching or mentoring; structured job-shadowing and cross-training; and “on demand” technology-driven methods like the eCornell platform, LinkedIn learning tutorials or Khan Academy videos. Naturally, companies should select the specific solutions or platforms that are best for them based on the competencies or domain knowledge to be cultivated, the learning styles of the intended audience, and the available financial or time resources to invest in solutions.

Hospitality Leadership Series On ‘Professional Visibility’: Introduction

Welcome to the ‘urban, global jungle’ better known as ‘today’s job market’. Whether you’re new to the workforce or a developing leader eager to climb the corporate ladder, you’ve probably been told or read somewhere that ‘survival of the fittest’ in this jungle means being career-focused and fixated on gaining an edge, discovering your metaphorical hedgehog, carving a competitive advantage, or establishing a personal brand.