"One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular." Anthony Robbins

We are entering the fifth year of activity following the 2008 global meltdown of economic upheaval. The American elections have been held and yet the US Congress again belatedly tried to address the symptoms of what has been called the fiscal cliff at the last minute. The consistently tardy action by Congress should be a red flag to businesses everywhere, signaling the need for us to take our own constructive corrective action and not rely on government.

2013 is the decisive time for hospitality business owners and managers to invest in their talent and team in order to make their hotels more profitable and successful. Rebuilding our centers of attention into planned and achievable business recovery over the next 12 to 18 months means that now is the time to pay attention to those professionals in our organizations that are the key components of why guests will stay in our hotels and restaurants.

I have initiated several LinkedIn group discussions recently on the topic of which is more important today: high tech or high touch? While most participants have responded that service and high touch is the heart of hospitality, their comments have also asked why there is such a focus on the yet to be measured social media. Their answers are never 100% decisive. While it is true that the industry must continue to evolve in design, product, the use of social media and exceeding guest expectations, addressing the fundamentals with as many of our team leaders and managers as possible is crucial to ongoing success.

I have commented in several columns in the past that it is occasionally a hardship for managers to leave their properties for professional development. It is also a reality that there is seldom dedicated time for meaningful on-the-job training any longer, which had habitually been in the past a strong element of the hospitality industry"s career advancement path. Even with the many issues facing today"s business owners and managers, professional development must not be shelved, delayed or abandoned.

As an individual who has been involved with well planned learning initiatives as both an academic and a corporate educator, I have come to recognize that delivering a balance of real-world business skills with core hospitality principles is essential.

An excellent and continuing example of this kind of structured learning is the annual program offered by the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association. The Association"s 68th Annual Short Course is scheduled in Houston, Texas from January 7th-11th, 2013 at the recently renovated University Hilton Hotel at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management. This is a one of a kind, all-in-one hospitality training event that has been awarded the best Educational Program in the nation by the International Society of Hotel Association Executives. The 2013 Short Course is a unique training and motivational opportunity to assist hospitality professionals with their career advancement.

Topics include:

  • Conflict Resolution
  • Customer Service
  • Employment Law for the Hotel Industry
  • Essence of Greatness
  • Food & Beverage Trends and Profitability
  • Hotel Law
  • Housekeeping/Engineering
    .
  • Interdepartmental Communications
  • Leading a Diverse Workforce.
  • Positive Management for Positive Performance
  • Revenue Management
  • Safety and Security as a Hotel Amenity
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Stand by Your Brand, Putting the WOW Back in Service!

There are also exceptional keynote presentations scheduled , including:

  1. Mel Kleiman, President, of Humetrics, Inc. in Houston who is offering How to Build a Front Line That Will Build Your Bottom Line that will include practical and proven techniques that can be immediately adapted to build TEAMs that can boost profitability, increase customer and associate satisfaction, while growing the business in more enjoyable ways and
  2. Dr. Stephen Barth, Professor, Conrad N. Hilton College of HRM, and CEO of HospitalityLawyer.com whowill share his insights on Controlling Alcohol Risks Effectively , which will trace the history of third party liability, dram shop laws, techniques for serving alcohol, and Texas alcoholic beverage law.

Additional areas of study I would recommend to hotel owners and managers in their 2013 training include:

  1. Capital Project Management
  2. eCommerce for Executives at all levels
  3. Ethics and Values in Hospitality
  4. Financial Accounting and Management for Executives at all levels
  5. Making Renovations zing with a WOW Return on Investment
  6. Marketing and Sales Management in the new global marketplace
  7. Ownership and management structures (especially critical in family businesses)
  8. Need and Value of Hospitality Associations as Business and Political Lobbying Resources
  9. Real Estate Development and Taxation
  10. Revenue Management
  11. Strategic Planning for 2013 and the next 5 years
  12. Understanding and Embracing Green Hotel Business Initiatives

Dr. John Hogan, Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), Certified Master Hotel Supplier (CMHS)

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events. He is CEO and Co-Founder of HospitalityEducators.com , which has more than 2000 resource pages and has become the #1 independent website for hotel owners and managers. He is also the Principal of HoganHospitality.com, which offers hospitality consulting and hotel expert witness services.

Contact us for assistance – [email protected] 602-799-5375 HoganHospitality.com : [email protected]

KEYS TO SUCCESS™ is the umbrella title for our programs, hospitality services and columns. This year"s writings focus on a variety of topics for hotel owners, managers and professionals including both my "HOW TO" articles, HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS™, Lessons from the Field™, Hotel Common Sense™, THE P-A-R PRINCIPLE™ and Principles for Success.

All rights reserved by John Hogan and this column may be included in an upcoming book on hotel management. This article may not be reproduced without the expressed permission of the author.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

John Hogan, CHA CHMS CHE CHO
602-799-5375
Dr. John Hogan CHA CMHS CHE CHO