How to Be a Great Hotel Manager

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by Alex A. Kecskes

You've just been promoted to Hotel Manger. Staff and senior management will be looking to you to keep things running smoothly. Guests will be counting on you to make their stay memorable and enjoyable. The mantle of responsibility is now yours. Some tips to make sure you haven't bit off more than you can chew:

Don't Delegate Responsibility, Accept it. If a member of your staff is having a difficult time with their job, step in and offer to help. Show, train and lead them. If they see you're on their side, they will be eager to return the favor should you ever be in a tight spot.

Be Realistic. If an emergency pops up and you need a staffer to do something outside their job description, or if you need them to work overtime, ask but don't insist. Be prepared for such emergencies, if you can, through careful advance planning.

Know Your Staff's Strengths and Weaknesses. This is important and often neglected by many managers. Try to cross-train your staff so that everyone has at least a working knowledge and basic skill set for virtually every key hotel job. Once again, advance planning and anticipating problems and emergencies can save you a lot of grief.

Be Flexible. Have contingency plans in place to ensure things keep running smoothly in the event of sudden or unexpected changes. The last-minute booking of a huge party or convention shouldn't throw you off balance. Have a backup plan of staffing and resources available.

Motivate and Have Fun. Being a Hotel Manager is fraught with stress, disappointments, late night hours and crises. Roll with the punches. Organize staff parties, develop an esprit de corps among your staff, give out awards and motivational perks.

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Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.

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