It is well known that the hospitality industry offers excellent career opportunities for young people to advance up the managerial ladder. However, whilst this is undoubtedly a positive factor, not all of them will have had the experience necessary to develop the leadership skills required of more senior positions.

For some time we have recognised that there has been a craft skill shortage within chefs and considerable effort has been expended to address this. However, employers are now beginning to focus on the people management qualities required for senior chefs to lead teams within the unique environment of a busy kitchen.

Martin explained to me that, whilst we have a good percentage of women in middle management positions, relative few make the transition to senior roles. Yet research has proved that having more women on company boards can result in improved financial performance. Improving the gender balance within hospitality organisations is a challenge being addressed by our industry, not least by the Women 1^st initiative.

Finally, it is paradoxical that, whilst the hospitality industry spends more on staff training than any other sector across the British economy, we do not see sufficient return from this investment. Part of the reason is that, as we have relatively high staff turnover rates, much of the training is directed towards new starters. However, when it is applied to existing staff, few companies can demonstrate a resulting impact on the bottom line. Whilst it is recognised that people generally perform better immediately after training, unless the organisation has a culture that embraces staff development from the chief executive downwards, it will not enjoy the full operational and financial benefits that can, and should, accrue.

Sue Davies, the group’s Head of Human Resources, explained to me that a two-year market research project with both those customer groups had identified some interesting facts – not least that around ninety five per-cent of them live in urban areas and visit the parks, either to take a holiday or use their own caravans, to enjoy the fresh, sea air.  Yet, over recent years some felt that the parks could do better at offering a sufficiently different product and service from what they experience in their home towns and cities.

Hence the launch of a new initiative, ‘A Breath of Fresh Air’, designed to enhance the service offered on the caravan parks. All team, including general managers, are currently undergoing induction training, largely delivered by experienced permanent members of the team called Pioneers, based upon five new core values conceived by the Caravan Park’s senior leadership team: 

• Dare to Care
• Yes, I can
• Keep it Simple
• Make it Fun
• Do the Right Thing

Sue describes it as the start of the journey to breathe fresh air into the service offered to those that visit the parks principally to enjoy …………….the seaside and fresh air!

His study measured motivation by two factors: employee work attitudes and job performance; and he found, within his sample of respondents, that motivational leadership did, indeed, enhance both. More specifically, he found that motivational leaders, those that articulate a vision, clarify goals and encourage employees to work towards those goals, were particularly effective in motivating staff to give extra effort in providing exceptional customer service.

The most powerful causal relationship that emerged was the effect that empowerment had on the positive attitude of employees. In fact, Steven found that employees feeling that they have higher levels of influence at work (eg can make decisions without having to seek higher authority in every case) had the greatest impact on them having a positive attitude towards their job which, in turn, significantly impacted on their job performance.

These are surely findings that can, and should, be embraced at all levels within our industry. In my view, leadership is not as mysterious a concept as is sometimes portrayed. Essentially, if leaders displayed the qualities they look for in their own leaders, for example trusting them to make appropriate decisions, they would enjoy the rewards that Steven has identified as achievable.

One way is to recognise hotel departments that deliver exceptional results as ‘Centres of Excellence’. All departments from their 21 hotels can submit a proposal to be recognised as such, and five housekeeping teams have been successful so far. The proposals include evidence ranging from cleaning audits, through customer satisfaction scores, to team turnover levels. Those who the judging panel assess as excellent are presented with a plaque by the company’s MD, as well as a team bonus payment for them to spend as they see fit. One can imagine how proud those team members must feel.

Moreover, the heads of successful departments are then used as champions for other hotels, as well as mentors for housekeeping managers who have just joined the company. They are also encouraged to submit ideas to improve working practices, such as translating the housekeeping operations manual into over ten languages to meet the needs of a multi-cultural workforce.

Housekeepers, working alone and not always fully integrated into a hotel’s complement of staff, pose special challenges to their leaders. Hence, companies need to find effective ways of recognising the crucial impact they can have on guests and the likelihood of their return to the hotel again.

Brookwood operates in the school catering sector; perhaps not one that automatically springs to mind when one thinks about inspirational leadership. Indeed, as Kate explained, one of her greatest challenges is actually to get her chef-managers to realise that they have a leadership responsibility.  These are typically people, often middle aged who started as a kitchen assistant or are in their first managerial position, who provide around 400 lunches a day in an independent school. They have team of perhaps ten part-time staff who may have returned to work to supplement their family income, rather than having any career aspirations. Albeit being a manager in school catering poses real challenges, far too often they do not recognise themselves as leaders. Yet, motivating their team to provide a service that fully contributes to the school socially, academically and financially calls for real leadership skills.

To address this perception, Brookwood take their site managers out of the kitchen and encourage them to see their responsibilities from a different perspective. By posing work-based scenarios and asking them how they would react; how they would set an example; how they would achieve their vision, they address the leadership aspects of their roles. Kate says that the most rewarding results of this approach are the ‘light bulb moments’ when managers suddenly appreciate that they actually do apply leadership skills and how crucially important they are.

Many people believe that leaders are only found at the top of a company structure, hence those lower on the managerial scale often do not see themselves as having a leadership role. It is therefore incumbent on organisations to reinforce the fact that inspirational leadership is required at all levels; not least by those leading customer-facing teams.

I asked Ciarán Fahy, its Managing Director, how he uses the survey to develop his staff and, hence, his business. The hotel already had a well-earned reputation within the hospitality industry but three years ago Ciarán decided to benchmark it against companies from across all sectors and, thus, entered the Sunday Times competition.

Since then he has used the eight categories as a framework upon which to identify what his managers should be held accountable for. He finds that this structured approach offers the management team a set of objectives that are both comprehensive and tangible. Great leaders make things happen – but they need clear objectives upon which their leadership can be measured; and in this survey they are measured exclusively by their staff!

If Ciarán wanted proof that his leadership approach is bearing fruit, The Cavendish London was ranked 35^th    with 3 star accreditation  out of the 567 companies that entered the 2011 Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies To Work For survey – scoring an impressive 86% positive score for strong leadership.

 What makes this application of empowerment unusual is the process that underpins it. Each employee is given their own personal WOW Card to record the actions they have taken to delight the customer, which are then inputted into a staff database as a means of sharing ideas and encouraging wider participation. Moreover, staff are formally recognised and rewarded for participating: when their card has five Wows on it they are offered a drink at the bar; ten Wows gets them a free meal in the restaurant; and all cards are entered into an annual draw with a chance to win a luxury trip to New York.

 Hence, employees are actively encouraged to use their authority to find new ways to develop brand loyalty – not only in response to customer complaints, but also by proactively seeking opportunities to exceed guests’ expectations. Like, for example, offering complimentary nibbles to accompany a bottle of champagne; or like the member of the maintenance team who noticed a guest’s expensive suitcase had a wheel missing and, without prompting, sourced and fitted a replacement wheel.

 Unlike some other companies’ empowerment schemes, this one imposes no financial parameters on actions taken by staff. However, each entry on a WOW card has to be posted to a cost code and signed off by the unit’s Deputy General Manager, who may wish to discuss the appropriateness of the action and resulting cost with the member of staff.

 Is there a net cost-benefit of schemes that demonstrate that a company values and trusts its staff?  Certainly, in this particular case the board and investors of Malmaison and Hotel du Vin believe so and would point to the fact that their labour turnover is reducing seven per-cent a year – contributing over £100,000 to the profitability of the company.

The business is growing, which means that its managers could be responsible for forty per-cent more staff in restaurants offering customers a broader menu than ever before. Moreover, they increasingly have to be conscious of the needs of a wide range of other interested parties including: the local community; government at local and national levels; those having environmental concerns; other pressure groups; the media; as well as the ever-rising expectations of restaurant customers.  All this in addition to the manager’s delegated responsibility to manage the P&L account!

Company training strategy must now enable managers to deal with these multi-dimensional set of challenges on a daily basis, often without delay. Hence, they are now given the skills to build trust, not only with their workforce, but also with the community at a local level. They must be ambassadors: representing their business to all its varied stakeholders. The old days when the operational manual held all the answers are long gone: leaders now need a broader set of skills and thinking that can determine and deliver solutions at a speed required of the modern communication age.

He believes that, in a growing industry like hospitality, too few of its leaders are grasping the opportunity to change its image for the benefit of their own organisations. They should spend more time looking outside their businesses and appreciate the impact that they can play in the wider society – as, topically, Steve Jobs did so effectively with Apple.

This requires leaders to consider how they can contribute to national issues such as unemployment, social mobility and the development of women in the workplace. It is particularly disappointing that, with women making up 70% of our workforce at entry level, too few rise to senior leadership positions. Hospitality is crying out for more female role models.

Whilst there are notable examples of large companies recognising national issues: such as Sodexo addressing diversity in employment; and McDonalds’s educational programmes, too few organisations are enjoying the benefits that can accrue by connecting their organisations to issues people care about in the wider society.

Not only does doing so raise the profile of their business and its people, it can also significantly reinforce brand identity in a market place where hospitality is not always seen as a respected employer. Moreover, similar benefits can be realised by smaller companies that engage with their local community by, for example, adopting a local charity or working with their Chamber of Commerce.

Brian concluded by suggesting that, in his experience, great leaders have an intellectual curiosity – they take an interest in the world around their organisations and actively seek ways of making a connection between the two.

Firstly from the CV, and subsequently during the interview, an applicant’s personality and character should shine through. Do they display charisma – that natural charm that is so important for those working at the customer interface, such as the reception area?

Their communication skills are also critical. Llewellyn has found that some candidates talk a lot, but say nothing; whilst others do not have a lot to say, but still impart quality information.

Moreover, the required leadership skills differ according to the star rating of the establishment. Those suitable to work in a mid-range property may not have the skills required for a luxury hotel. At the top end of the market, team leaders need to present themselves accordingly and project a confident, credible image. They will be leading quality staff and, hence, need to be able to lead and motivate them by their own example.