Leadership Lounge

As the new year is upon us and many look to make resolutions for the coming year, I recommend instituting, or improving a Department Head Retreat. RCS Hospitality Group recently hosted a webinar on the importance and value associated with creating a strong governance culture with the correct use of board and committee orientations. In that webinar, I touched briefly on a similar orientation for senior leaders/department heads--Let's dig a little deeper into this exercise, If

The holiday season is a great time to reflect on the spirit of hospitality and the role that those of us in the industry play in creating memories, a sense of community, and bringing heartfelt joy to others. It is this spirit of hospitality that brings us joy in serving others. This time of year – when there are fourteen religious holidays , the warmth, community and feeling of family is stronger than any other time of the year for many. But, for some, the holidays can be a s

We get it. It’s the end of the busiest season of the year and though cooler weather is right around the corner, you may be feeling the burn(out) from some of your employees. There may be some difficult conversations on the horizon, some employees may have had a long summer and are ready to throw in the towel, both literally and figuratively. Here are some tips to make the “end of summer letdown” go more smoothly: Offer Opportunities to Grow: Many times employees feel burnt ou

This is part two of a two-part series. To read part one, click here A Forbes.com article in May 2018 about turnover outlines 18 tips from human resource pros regarding their best defense against turnover. Looking through them, it is clear that the biggest impact one can make on their employee turnover rate is to invest in the leaders and managers. Two weeks ago we covered ways that managers can develop their employees, and this week we have compiled a list of questions manage

A Forbes.com article in May 2018 about turnover outlines 18 tips from human resource pros regarding their best defense against turnover. Looking through them, it is clear that the biggest impact one can make on their employee turnover rate is to invest in the leaders and managers. Here are some ways that managers can develop their employees and reduce turnover: Use the Three G’s: Growth, Gratitude and Goodwill- If the work environment is conducive to development, employees ar

Recently, in our travels to clubs we have noticed a common topic of conversation that managers can’t seem to wrap their heads around: the fact that employee cell phone usage is a major distraction, and what to do about it. According to the Pew Research Center, over 95% of Americans now own a cell phone of some kind or another; which means that your chances of hiring an employee who does not use a cell phone is about as likely as hiring a Mensa member, or in other words highly

“Our brains are not wired for routine and repetition at work. Disengagement isn’t a motivation problem; it’s a biological one.” -Daniel M Cable, Author Do you find yourself dreading going to work? Is it because you truly dislike what it is you are doing, or is it because you are simply just bored? Fast Company’s Secrets of the Most Productive People offers a lesson in brain-training when it comes to combatting boredom at work, and shifting your mindset is easier than you may

A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying. - B. F. Skinner Earlier this week, Inc Magazine posted an article lauding Google’s process of learning from failure; calling it brilliant and we can’t help but agree. Here’s how we think you can make learning from failures apply to hospitality in a club setting: Identify the most important problems Failures or mistakes provide valuable learning

Have you ever taken a personality test? These tools are becoming more and more popular with employers as we strive to hire workers with specific qualities, rather than skills. After all, skills can be taught--but inherent qualities cannot. This is particularly important in the hospitality industry. We can train you to be a good server or hostess for example, but if you aren't naturally hospitable, friendly, and helpful, then all the skills in the world still won't be able t

The Practice of Mise en Place “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail”, attributed to Benjamin Franklin, is an admonition keenly appropriate to foodservice operations. Lacking preparation in mindset and method in the kitchen and in the dining room can create a chaos that is painful to experience and uncomfortable to witness. The old military training adage--Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance--also has tremendous relevance in food and beverage, and failing t