Are you giving 100% each and everyday your at work? Do you show it to your guests? Are they getting your winning smile and shining personality? When your overworked and unappreciated, going to work daily doesn't really bring a smile to your face now does it?
As a leader, are you really focused on your colleagues or are you mainly focused on your workload? Switching your daily routine to include some one on one time with your colleagues is truly imperative. Everyone learns, interacts and lives differently. Some are needing the extra push, some just want to be recognized, no parade.....no party and streamers but merely an acknowledgment that their leaders see what they can and have accomplished. Are you doing this? Does the daily day to day workload get noticed? Are you interacting and keeping your colleagues engaged?
If you have been lacking in that department, don't despair, you can always change, it IS possible if your willing to put in the time. Just saying hello and then walking into your office and locking it tight doesn't focus on your team now does it? Your probably reading this and thinking, WHAT DOES SHE KNOW?
I have been in a multitude of locations and that gives me an edge. It means I have been with different leaders, have BEEN the leader and I have made a plethora of mistakes and have learnt from them. I also know what makes myself and my fellow colleagues happy.
Recently I was unemployed, giving me the opportunity to really look at my strengths, weaknesses and what I wanted and things I wouldn't want once I started working again. I did research, went back to schooling myself by enrolling in some excellent classes online, reading and generally getting information. I realized my passion for hospitality continues to grow and assisting others to become better makes me very happy and I feel as though my thoughts are extremely useful. Having wonderful role models is always key as well. My leaders at Disney when I was privileged enough to be invited to work in a Cultural International Program also make me love going to work daily. Now, I would NEVER, EVER say that everyone is perfect, Disney isn't PERFECT either but the ones around me, taught me very well, my experiences were incredible and I continue to be in extremely close contact with my Disney leaders and they continue to inspire me today.
I was one who always admired the way leaders made me feel part of a TEAM. I was asked nothing more than my very best each and everyday and was given the tools to preform my daily tasks to the very best of my ability. Not only that but was offer the chance to be empowered. To many times we have all heard horror stories of leaders who are micro-managers. These people are more afraid of loosing their own positions, for fear that you yourself would be better than they were and that you had the ability to take their high powered, high paying position away from them. So, in order to ensure that wasn't going to happen, they would keep an extremely close eye on you and your every move. Telling you what to do and exactly how to do it. Where is the opportunity to shine there? And when you didn't preform to the very best of your ability, who exactly gets the blame?
Knowing that your leaders are encouraging you, creating an empowering environment and allowing you to SHINE and also to make mistakes and to LEARN from them. These are the future, gone are the micro-managers or at least, we hope that this is the way of the future. Hospitality is about personality, about giving to your guests and receiving back so much more. It is more than a tip, more than a job, it is a way of life. And for those of us that are allowed to grow, flourish and soar.....the everyday tasks become extra ordinary and becomes a passion. Are you nurturing this in your colleagues? Become a leader that you yourself want to have. In the end, you will provide so much more than you may even realize.
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