Leadership: The New Normal is already old. The BETTER Normal is right in your lap. Please use it!

It appears the hospitality industry has a challenging time finding new hires for their establishments. Presently, they are not alone. But in restaurants and lodging, something is even more apparent.

Besides the nonexistence of any work/life balance (long hours, 6-day workweeks), ex-hospitality employees want to be treated better. As reported on NPR’s Marketplace, according to Jennifer Tierney of Tierney Recruiting Services, the persons in charge “… comes in and screams and yells at people, and people are just sick of it.”

Some owners and supervisors feel they have to be demanding, impatient, and rude to get what they want. This mentality may be left-over from the Great Depression, you-should-be-lucky-you-have-a-job attitude.

So, what is it that management wants? They want the appearance of a smooth-running operation that puts customers and guests first. But come on, your guests can see right through that smoke ‘n mirrors. No unhappy employee has the capacity or the desire to deliver an authentic, incredible Customer Experience. (CX).

Sometimes, the facilitator/trainer (me) gets the call to come in and fix them — please, teach the staff how to deliver an outstanding CX. Sure. My number one requirement; that the owner/manager be part of the workshop and that the owner/manager comes open to hear and learn something new. It’s simple. If they say no, I don’t go. It’s too frustrating for the staff.

Here’s the exciting part; when the boss participates, all kinds of magic happen. Attitudes change. When staff interacts with the “boss” and laughs and truths are shared, everyone gets to see each other in a new light. Glimpses of hope appear in this trusting environment, especially as barriers come down and humanness and vulnerability are exposed. The culture transforms, employees are glad to be at work, pass it down to the guest/customer, and an Audacious Outrageous CX becomes organic and, soon, Legendary.

Will this happen overnight? Usually not. Will it happen when respectful and generous communications are practiced consistently on both sides? Absolutely! Are you going to be perfect? No. Perfect is tedious and impossible. Are efforts being made to deepen collaborations and communications? That’s all anybody wants.

Now is an ideal time, as all our businesses begin roaring full speed ahead, for changing habits and ways of thinking that no longer serve you, your staff, or your customers/guests.

One last word to management, owners, supervisors — very simply, if you don’t find it fun coaching and inspiring other people, get out of that position — now. Or get a middle person who knows what a gift and honor it is to guide and lead other people to be their best.
​
Next week — When we consider employees as our internal guests/customers and make Employee Experience (EX) a top priority, everyone wins.