How has the role of the hotel general manager changed in the past 10 to 20 years?
In the past, hoteliers generally worked their way up to the top through apprenticeships or training in the kitchen, restaurant service or front-desk. Honing their skills in supervision this system produced a surplus of ambitious hoteliers who left their home country for opportunities internationally. Constantly fluctuating economies, increased competition, an onslaught of technology/social media and a rapidly developing workforce with higher expectations have contributed to transforming the role a General Manager plays today. To be successful, in addition to the traditional technical hotel skills, a General Manager today must be an entrepreneur, an effective communicator, an empowering leader and a superior salesperson.
What are the key skills required of a general manager nowadays?
Entrepreneur: Today?s General Manager can no longer be a figurehead; the role has transformed into that of a visionary; someone who is the driving force of new ideas for business in the face of intense competition. The current economy necessitates that the General Manager is a bold leader who holds themselves accountable for the performance and outcome of the hotel.
Effective communicator: General Managers can no longer be an inaccessible Chief of Staff leading his staff remotely. Cultures around the world are demanding that leaders lead their teams by connecting directly with their employees and customers. Effective General Managers clearly communicate the company?s vision and the values so that they are imprinted in the hearts of their teams. They are also good listeners, listening to the intentions and concerns beyond the words.
Salesperson: General Managers must be sales leaders who can demonstrate their ability and passion in sales to their team. As the General Managers are being held more accountable to owners and management companies, they must participate in sales and revenue meetings, know who their top clients are and personally maintain good relationship with their clients proactively.
What are the key challenges for a general manager nowadays?
Attracting, managing and retaining human capital: Independent research conducted by HVS shows that that there are over 8,000 hotels in the pipeline for the next five years in China alone. Let?s say 200 people will be required to staff one hotel, that means the hotel industry in China will need 1,600,000 people educated and trained in hotel operations by 2016. Not considering competition from other service industry jobs that offer better pay and sexier perks, the hotel industry alone has found itself back in the war for talent.
Once a hotel is able to secure the talent, the greater challenge is to keep them motivated. The industry needs to ensure an empowering working environment, meaningful and rewarding jobs, work life balance and a real commitment to developing the workforce.? Old traditions of the hotel industry pull in the opposite direction and are resistant to change. A General Manager can challenge this status quo by proving himself as a change agent, truly invested in changing the old ways of the industry to attract the younger generations joining the workforce.
Customer loyalty: Never before has the industry seen such intense competition, not only from other hotels but also independent restaurants, private clubs and leisure centres. In Hong Kong alone travellers have over 170 hotels to choose from. Brand and product differentiation is of utmost importance and the quality of service has become a key issue for hotels to consider.
Managing information technology:
Every single industry today is exploding with technological innovations. There is no doubt that technology today plays a very important role in the success of any business. At a recent discussion forum on social media, Waking Up to Social Media: The Hotel Industry Response, organised by HVS Executive Search and ESSEC Business School Paris, panellists were unanimous in their opinion that the hotel industry is still too conservative to effectively tap the potential of technology, especially social media channels. Technology continues to play an increasingly important role in this new medium of marketing, especially with regards to ROI and metrics.
Finally, what makes the difference between a good general manager and a great general manager?
A good general manager manages by DOING all the things right.? A great general manager LEADS by who they are being; being empowering, inspiring, passionate, being the source and model of how the hotel occurs to staff and guests.
Source: http://hma.hotelworldasia.com/
