In tackling GDPR Do Not Overlook Your Employer Responsibilities
GDPR. Four letters of the alphabet that are proving to represent one of the biggest challenges facing businesses in 2018. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on 25th May across the European Union (including the UK) and impacts any organisation that operates within the EU and/or that processes data of EU citizens wherever they may be in the world. How organisations hold, store and process personal data will now be subject to higher, and more consistent, scrutiny with the potential penalty for non-compliance being significant.
Read moreHospitality Leadership Solutions Series: Personal Motivators
If you want to improve employee performance, think about your daily (or “rolling”) conversations with employees. No better opportunity exists to reinforce and help refine excellent employee performance. You have the chance to discuss new projects, talk about overdue assignments, give updates about completed tasks, and more. Unfortunately, many managers miss these opportunities and instead try to influence or control teams with the counterproductive “FUD” method, i.e., using explicit or implicit threats of Fear, Uncertainty or Doubt. Leaders instead should use rolling conversations to reinforce the importance of meeting or exceeding goals by linking an employee’s performance to a specific workplace result. How? Read below for some in-depth guidance.
Read moreCruise Ships and Their Ports of Registration: Should Human Resources be Worried About Perception?
The hospitality industry is one of the world’s largest employers; the cruise sector is arguably one of the sub-segments which records one of the strongest growth rates (note: The Cruise Line Industry Association, CLIA, predicts 27 million passengers by the end of 2018). With that in mind, it is no surprise that everyone wants a piece of the pie. Although the market is dominated by just a few big players, new competition is muscling in. Aethos™ recently assessed what it takes for one of those new competitors, the traditional lodging operator, to move into the cruise sector – looking predominantly, at human resources and talent management. One key decision that we have not yet discussed is the relevance of the country where a cruise ship is registered – does or does it not impact the ability to attract and retain talent? Could it have an adverse impact on employer branding?
Read moreSeatrade Sound Bites: The State of The Global Cruise Industry
Optimism and energy were on display at this year’s Seatrade Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where industry insiders proclaimed that the ‘cruise business is strong’ and ‘the future continues to look promising.’ As usual the conference’s annual keynote address did not disappoint, as executives from major cruise companies provided attendees with their candid and insightful opinion on the overall state of the cruise business and where it is heading. During the keynote we heard from strategic executives at Norwegian, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages and the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. As we were in attendance this past week, Aethos™ took note of a handful of major sound bites.
Read moreHospitality Leadership Solutions Series: Presentation Skills
The rights words spoken at the right time can move mountains. Public speaking is an art and skill that can determine business success or failure. However, many studies show that it is often one of people’s greatest fears and sources of anxiety. Executive coaches and seminars can help leaders become more effective public speakers, but much of the anxiety can be reduced by simply being more organized and prepared. The four tactics below will make you feel more in control and better positioned to make a positive and lasting impact on your audience.
Read moreThe CEO Merry-Go-Round Continues: Recent Trends in CEO Compensation
Being a CEO in the restaurant industry is tough work; and short lived for many. Nearly 20% of the CEOs in our annual study of pay-for-performance resigned, retired or were pushed out. It would stand to reason that deficient performance would precipitate a CEO’s ouster, but was that really the case?
Read moreProfile of Women in Leadership: A Tale of Two ‘Unicorns’ at Preferred Hotels & Resorts
A “leap year” happens every four years -- an extra day is added to the calendar to align it with the solar year. And in the span of just four years, it could be said that Preferred Hotels & Resorts has achieved many big leaps due to the strategic and cultural vision of its relatively new CEO, Lindsey Ueberroth. Since joining the company in 2004, Lindsey has helped solidify the position of Preferred Hotels & Resorts as an iconic global hospitality brand, a preferred partner for independent hotels and resorts, and a trusted resource for travellers seeking an authentic, independent luxury hotel experience. Today, Preferred Hotels & Resorts represents more than 650 independent hotels, resorts, residences, and small hotel groups across 85 countries.
Read moreHospitality Leadership Solutions Series: Communication
Communication in the 21st century – personal or professional – involves less conversation and more electronic sharing of information. Written communication, therefore, is often the norm. Sadly, many good business people are very poor writers. Poor writing in any context leaves a lasting impression, which can be especially detrimental in today’s workplace of enduring email, texts, digital documents and social media. The six tactics below will make you a better writer.
Read moreGaming’s top boardrooms of 2017
The gaming industry is one of the most regulated businesses in the world. With a colourful past, the industry has gone to great lengths to earn a reputation as “squeaky clean.” But has that translated to the boardroom and corporate governance in general? We think so. Casino Journal and Aethos Consulting Group™ have been analysing board practices for more than a decade; rating gaming companies on how well they are organized, managed, communicate with shareholders and pay themselves and executives.
Read moreNIMBYism: The Most Significant Cultural Threat for our Industry in 2018
In a meeting with the CEO of a student housing owner-operator just before the holidays, our conversation steered from ‘anticipated challenges for 2018’ to local politics and frustrations caused by difficulty in getting through planning permission for new-build developments. The conversation reminded me of others that I have had with hotel companies and developers as well as restaurant operators in the recent past – they all referenced the rise of ‘NIMBYism’ as something that has caused a lot of frustration to them and their companies.
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