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The hospitality business is like show business.

When you are casting, it is important to place people in suitable roles. The costs involved with hiring an individual should be a strong deterrent to rushing into decisions you may regret in 1 weeks time. Remember, once the casting decision has been made, your entire productions’ reviews are going to depend on the various people you have chosen for the performance.

Don’t be fooled by first appearances and beware of being overly impressed by what appears to be an excellent Resume. Although these can provide a valuable insight, neither may be truly indicative of whether an individual is suitable for the role you wish to fill.

Obviously the show must go on, but it is important to invest the time and effort needed to get the right person- A well planned approach can go a long way in accomplishing this.

Here are a few casting tips to get you started.

1. Treat every vacancy like an open role in a play. Define the role you are auditioning people for in terms of the part the new cast members must play and how they will have to relate to the other members in the cast. Make people skills and technical knowledge of equal importance in your hiring.

2. Identify the skills needed for the role. Once the interview begins, it’s too late to start thinking about what you want to learn. Based on the job description and your knowledge of the role you are casting, what traits or personal attributes do you want new cast members to possess? Friendliness? Courtesy? Optimism? Creativity? How will you judge the presence or absence of those traits to your satisfaction? Focus the various stages of the selection process on the real-world skills demanded by the part you’re trying to fill.

3. “Screen test” your applicants. Consider the way applicants treat your staff, which may be a good indication of how they will treat your customers and their co-workers if hired. Try role-playing difficult customer situations with applicants, or posing “what would you do if” questions based on the kinds of situations likely to occur on the job. You don’t want to listen just for “right” or “wrong” answers. You can train them to use the right words later. Listen for orientation and attitude.

4. Use multiple selection methods. Remember test anxiety in school? Job applicants get it too. Instead of sifting all applicants through one coarse screen, use a succession of fine ones to help you differentiate.

5. Ask the right questions. There are questions that can be very effective in determining the general suitability of an individual applying for a role in your show. Following are several that can be adapted to your particular requirements
-What does “great service” mean to you?
-When was the last time you experienced great service and how did it make you feel?
-In visiting the restaurant today, did you feel welcome- did you notice things we could improve on?
-The restaurant business is a people orientated business- What
-Characteristics do you have that you feel are well suited for this role?
-How would you handle a difficult customer?
-What do you like most about being in the hospitality business?

6. Emphasize mutual selection. Applicants need to make as good a selection decision as you do. Just as you want to pick the right person, you gain by helping them pick the right position and organization. If they make a poorly informed decision and discover it only after being on board for a while, you will end up with a competent but unhappy camper.

7. Recruit actively. Good people may not always find you. Sometimes, you have to find them. Where have your best people been coming from? Reward your people for introducing new candidates by paying a bounty for bringing in friends, former colleagues, even relatives who are capable of filling roles in your production.

8. Hire people that are right for the role they need to play. Customer focused organizations have whatever kind of people it takes to dazzle the customer and bring them back again. It’s very human to overlay personal beliefs, values, likes, and dislikes on the selection process, but it’s seldom in the best interest of the customer to do so.

The next article ‘Directing the performance’ will help you prepare for the show.

For previous articles please visit the Archives section on our website.

My company, Lexington Interactive, provides eLearning courses specifically for the Restaurant & Hotel Industry. For a free trial of our wait staff eLearning course, visit http://www.lexingtoninteractive.com.

Are you new to the world of live presentations? Perhaps you
finally got that Big Dog position in management or someone
tapped you as a subject matter expert in your chosen field.
Whatever the case, welcome to the glamorous world that we
call “Business Theater!”

Presenting in a large space — the ballrooms and convention
centers of the world — is a big step up in intensity from the
conference room and whiteboard setting you’re comfortable
with. Standing in front of six people is always easier than six
hundred, but you can do it with a little help.

As any veteran presenter will tell you there are certain things
that will race through your mind before getting a few big
shows under your belt — “Do I really know my material?”
“How do I look?” and the one make-or-break question you
may not think of until walking onstage… “Who has my
PowerPoint file?”

Your file is most likely in the capable hands of your
professional graphics operator. Affectionately referred to as
“punch monkeys,” they’re the ones backstage, behind the
curtain or in the control room cleaning up and advancing
your slides while you concentrate on dynamic speaking!
More often than not a beginning presenter does not realize
the support system he or she has hidden behind drapes.
On larger shows there may be a hundred people or more
running around the room right up until the audience enters.
As showtime nears they scatter away to their operating
stations and get “on headset” for “doors.”

Before the doors open, there’s a good chance your operator
knows
your slides as well or better than you do. If your presentation
is part of a daylong or weeklong conference, he or she went
through it a dozen times looking at formatting, spacing,
colors and readability. They might have transferred it into a
show template sharing a common background or color
scheme to match printed show materials. They also
arrange content if needed - usually splitting up long slides
into two or three pieces to increase font size — and that’s not
something you want to be surprised with onstage! So what
should you do? Get to know your operator!

Before the audience shuffles in for the big event, take a few
minutes to meet your crew and discuss your presentation.
Any football team relies on well-practiced play calling to
succeed on the field. Like them, you should go over some
basics so the operator can get in step with your style and
you can get in step with any adjustments to your file.

Every presenter is different in his or her timing and vocal
style but some aspects of a presentation are
pre-determined. For example, how will you advance the
slides? Here are the options you should always discuss
with your crew before addressing your audience.

In a perfect world, our actions would be scripted! With a little
preparation (i.e., time) your operator can mark cue points or
highlight keywords for slide transitions and bullet point
readers. Even if you stray from your lines here and there,
this is the most solid method of keeping your slides on
track.

Some scripts are elaborate text documents with specific
graphics and camera shots called out in the left column.
Another type of script is a simple copy of your Notes pages.
Many presenters include possible ad-libs or expound upon
items mentioned in their notes that may not appear as
material on the slide above.

If you don’t use a script, most production companies will
offer a cue signal. Typically one signaling device is
hard-wired and attached to the podium, and the other is a
loose wireless version in case you like to walk the stage.
You simply press the button, and move to the next slide in
your sequence. This device doesn’t actually advance the
slide, but it tells your operator to advance by triggering a
small light or an audible tone every time you hit the button.
It’s a time-tested and trusted Pavlovian system.

Some presenters find using cue switches awkward; and
non-signals or double-signals are commonplace with
inexperience. A good operator will compensate 99% percent
of the time, but a non-signal can create an awkward pause
while the speaker waits for something to happen!

The other two ways of advancing through your presentation
are a little more of an adrenaline rush backstage. Let’s call
them the “next slide,” and the “big breath.”

The “next slide” is very conversational or informal
and simply leaves you as a presenter to call upon your
transition. In front of large audiences, this may be too casual
— and can be obnoxiously repetitious combined with a large
deck of slides. On smaller shows or in unusual situations
where you may be a “guest speaker” within a presentation
with five or six minutes in the spotlight, this may work just
fine.

One tip if you like using this method is to switch up your
cues verbally. Rather than saying “next slide” for the 100th
time, feel free to say something like “continuing on,” or
“when we advance.” Some speakers can do this so
seamlessly that it works as well or better than a cue light
when a sharp puncher is tuned into the style.

The “big breath” is the ultimate in seat-of-the-pants
presenting, and not for the weak. A solid speaker with an
experienced graphics operator can turn this into a winner,
with a little luck. Here’s why…

Because you know your material, you have internalized and
memorized the points on each slide. As you slip and slide
through your page of bullets or cover each chart, you will
take a natural longer pause and deep breath when it is time
to go to the next slide. For this to work, a rehearsal or two
with your crew comes highly recommended — particularly for
any ad-libbers!

In the end, it’s up to you to create the “wow factor” onstage.
By working together and performing in sync with your
graphics operator, you can do great things! Review your
deck, let them know what you plan under the lights, and rest
assured they’ll be watching, listening and on your side.

Take a minute and get to know them. Then put on a great
show!

Gary Lewis is a graphic designer with over twenty years of
experience in television production, post production and
presentation design.

For creative, Royalty-Free backgrounds and stock photos
(and plenty of free samples!) visit Pro Background
Art today!

So exactly what do wolves have to do with CEO Strategist and leadership? The wolf is a very social animal. They travel together, eat together, hunt together and play together. There are referred to as a pack. The pack is generally a larger family group. Wolves within the pack are related by blood line. Being accepted, respected and cared for by their siblings and parents is important to the wolf. Isn’t being cared about, trusted and respected important to every employee of every successful organization in the country?

Just as management hierarchies vary in size, wolf packs vary in size but average six to seven members. Does that sound like an executive team? Each pack member plays a specific role with a very specific rank. Some young wolfs go off on their own (Lone Wolves), in search of their status. Generally speaking, the older wolves in the pack tend to be the leaders and they command the respect of the pack. They make the decisions for the group. The pack protects itself and it protects one another.
The lead wolf plays the role just as it sounds. He leads the pack. In fact, they generally will travel in single file with the lead wolf blazing the trail and setting the pace. Sounds like the role of the CEO doesn’t it? The lead wolf however, is not afraid to share his roll. He will at times step aside to allow another up and coming wolf to take the lead. Make no mistake; each wolf in the pack has specific responsibilities. Each know in their own right that even if they don’t aspire to be lead wolves, they must be prepared to step up to that responsibility if called upon. Does this have any relationship to bench strength and succession?

Dominant wolves in the pack that do aspire to be leaders establish them selves in various ways. They might be larger, stronger or simply have a more aggressive personality. Captive wolves have been studied for years indicating complex behavior with regard to governance within the pack. Their communication with one another is also more elaborated than most of the other animal species.

Wolves are very patient of themselves and of one another. They are very focused on their objective whatever it may be at the time. They respect each others role and depend that each wolf in the pack will live up to their individual responsibility. This in itself promotes group unity. Wolves are very careful that they do not enter into redundant duplicate efforts. Each wolf can be heard by the pack; a form of individual respect. Could we actually write a corporate mission statement from this paragraph?
Wolves have a sense of urgency. They depend on one another. They are very focused hard workers when it comes to feeding themselves. They are one of the wilds most effective hunters and yet in spite of that they hunt to live. They do not live to hunt. They live by an unwritten code that says the good of the pack comes first. How often do we uncover unsuccessful companies that are unsuccessful because the CEO or ownership put personal needs ahead of business needs?

Lastly, one of the most common characteristics of the most successful leaders in wholesale distribution today is the extreme sense of curiosity. Wolves share this incessant curiosity about the world around them. They investigate everything, taking nothing for granted. They seek out opportunity. They have established specific priorities. Isn’t that what successful leaders in business do today starting with the development of a strategic plan?

CEO Strategist LLC definitely believes that wolves demonstrate a distinctive relationship to successful leadership in the world of business today. That is why we have chosen the Wolf as part of our logo. The first in a series of book publications explaining this relationship in business terms relative to leadership is being published in November 2005; Lone Wolf - Lead Wolf “The Evolution of Sales”. Look for a specific announcement on our website. A follow-up book publication; Lone Wolf - Lead Wolf “The Evolution of Leadership” is due to be published in January 2006.

Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership for wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.

Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He’s also a published book author with four titles to his credit: “The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Distribution,” the NWFA & NAFCD “Roadmap”, Lone Wolf-Lead WolfThe Evolution of Sales” and a fiction novel “Shattered Innocence.” Rick’s next book due in November is titled; Lone Wolf - LEad Wolf The Evolution of Leadership

In my previous article entitled: Implementing TQM, Who drives TQM initiatives piblished on [May 19, 2006 04:07:21 pm]. I mentioned on the role of the CEO of the company who implement TQM and CEO of Baldirge winners who are successful implementing TQM in their companies.

What is Malcom Baldrige and is there any similarity with TQM? Well, there are many common management principles between the two. To appreciate that, readers is encouraged to understand the core values and concepts, its Assessment Criteria and its assessment approach. I have worked with several companies who have adopted the Baldrige Criteria and assessment as a benchmark. For the purpose of this article, I will outline the Eleven Values and Concepts and the Seven Categories of Baldrige Criteria

Criteria for Performance Excellence Goals

Baldrige Criteria are designed to provide organizations an integrated approach in persuit of performance excellence that results in:-

• Delivery of ever-improving value to customers, contributing to marketplace success
• Improvement of overall organizational effectiveness and capabilities
• Organizational and personal learning

The Eleven Core Values and Concepts

The Malcolm Baldrige Criteria are built upon eleven sets of interrelated Values and Concepts. They are those embedded beliefs and behaviors found in high-performing organizations. They form the foundation for integrating key business requirements within a results-oriented framework that formed the basis for action and feedback. The Eleven Values and Concepts are listed below:-

1. Visionary Leadership
2. Customer-Driven Excellence
3. Organizational and Personal Learning
4. Valuing Employees and Partners
5. Agility
6. Focus on the Future
7. Managing for Innovation
8. Management by Fact
9. Public Responsibility and Citizenship
10. Focus on Results and Creating Value
11. Systems Perspective

These Core Values and Concepts are embodied in Detail Baldrige Criteria which are grouped into Seven Categories as follows:

1. Leadership
2. Strategic Planning
3. Customer and Market Focus
4. Information and Analysis
5. Human Resource Focus
6. Process Management
7. Business Results

In summary, having understood the Value and Concepts and Baldrige Criteria, leaders of company would have a better idea TQM success may be represented by Malcolm Baldrige Assessment. The assessment would report both Strengths and Area for Improvement. It is a value-added feedback for organization to move forward. My next article will share some case studies on Baldrige Assessment for several companies

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Disclaimer:

All rights reserved. This article is written by the author based on his practical application experience. All definitions and interpretation of terminology are his point of view and has it has no intention to conflict with experts in similar topic. The author holds no responsibility for the use of this article in any way.

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Free to reprint or re-publish:

All rights reserved. You are free to reprint or re-publish this article as long as you include my resource box at the end of this article. And ensure that the URL in the resource box remained intact and it is linked to the author’s website.

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To work smarter all you need is the consciousness of the present. This is possible only when you cast off your emotional bindings, this helps you relieve your prejudice. This is key to work smart. This combined with your “common-sense” completes the puzzle to work smart! I know it is hard to believe that these factors will help you work smart. Try for yourself, the next time you get angry over a shoddy work of your sub-ordinate.

Well, did it work out? Hope it did… if not just mail back, will share my 2 cents

Now you have started to orient yourself to work smart. Now you need to equip yourself to handle critical situations, which will be take the rest of my blog…

R u lost?
Well, this is the most critical problem. This means that you do not have a goal. You go along trails of the passing wind. “Any wave is good for a ship that does not know its destination” Take a break and fix this first!!! Set goals for your life, personal as well as professional. This will give you the drive to live your life. btw dont’ get too serious with your goal, just enjoy life as it comes. [another coffee-toffee argument ]

R u busy?
Everybody has 24 Hrs, all you can do is prioritize and perform your duties. It is an balancing act, which comes out of experience.

R u managing?
R u delegating?
R u fixing problems or in a rote?
R u negotiating?

It is pretty late, need to head out to work. More to come in the subsequent posts…

-Ramesh-

If you love what you do, then it is no longer work. The money you earn is secondary when you love your work. Money can never buy happiness, or peace of mind.

Those who continue to work at a job they hate for the money alone are more likely to be stressed, and very unhappy. They live for their vacations and weekends. Unfortunately, they are sadly missing out on the happiness of everyday life. It is better to receive less money and be happy with what you are doing, than to receive lots of money and hate what you are doing.

“Profit is a by-product of work; happiness is its chief product.” Henry Ford

When you love your work, you look forward to each day. Your attitude changes from one where you are counting the days to the weekend, to one where you enjoy your weekend, but look forward to your return of work.

Unfortunately, not many people have found this quality. Often, people stay in jobs that they despise rather than taking a risk by changing their work to an area that they love. Sometimes, we fall into the trap of thinking we are secure in our positions, and believe it is better to remain where we are rather than change jobs.

If you do not love what you do, I would encourage you to find an occupation that you would enjoy, and set your goals to help get you there. Although, I have heard numerous people wish for a different position, they take no concrete action to move them towards fulfilling their wishes. By setting goals, you can start to advance in the direction you want. It may take time, but rather than wishing, you are actually taking positive steps toward achieving your desire.

“The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

Many times I hear people say, “Loving what you do sounds great, but I’m not sure what I love to do.” Well, let me suggest that you make a list of the following:

1. What things have you done in your life that you really enjoyed doing. Don’t judge your thoughts, just write - it could be anything from playing a sport, to cooking a dinner.

2. What do you have a passion for? What has made you want to jump out of bed?

From these two lists, expand on the ideas. What type of career do you see by using one of your ideas. Your results may reveal several possibilities. You then have to decide which one you want to pursue.

After you have decided which career to pursue, set your goals and take the necessary action to attain them. This may mean taking courses to acquire your credentials, improving your current skills, or conducting research. Use the three principles in setting your goals:

WHAT = Goal

HOW = Action Plan

WHEN = Time Frames

Goals are like a map. They help us determine where we want to end up, and give us personal direction on which to focus our energy! To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.”

For more inspiration visit http://www.inspirationalquotes4u.com/ where you will find inspirational quotes to inspire and motive you. Sorted by subject and by author. Plus a quote for each day of your week.

Making a success of your own business doesn’t just require you to have the right personality, attitude and business idea you also need the skills or the ability to pick new ones up quickly. You also need to be able to distinguish what you can do for yourself and what you are better leaving to the professionals.

Assuming you don’t have an endless supply of money, when you start your own business you are suddenly responsible for a lot more than just doing your job. If you’ve always relied on other departments or people to take care of your marketing, IT, legal, finance or admin needs, it can come as quite a shock to realise it’s now all down to you. You don’t even have a post room to sort out your post.

So carrying out a skills audit is a key part of planning the launch of your own business. There are several important questions that you should be asking yourself:

• Which essential tasks do I feel able to fulfil now?

• Which tasks will I be able to learn how to do through online learning, by talking to friends, colleagues and business support organisations or by going on a course? and

• Which tasks will you always need paid professionals to help with?

Once you have established the above it’s a simple question of allocating the appropriate resources and money for the professionals and the time you will need for the task you are confident you can do.

SALES AND MARKETING.

Companies who do not fully understand the importance of Marketing will never be fully successful as the success of your enterprise hinges on whether your customers actually buy into your product, service or brand.

Marketers and sales people have a variety of tools and techniques at their disposal and are constantly seeking new and inventive ways of selling.

You should satisfy yourself that you have the skills and experience to:

• Identify your target market and judge how receptive your customers will be to your offering

• Listen to and understand your customers and be aware of what makes them tick and, in particular, what factors influence their purchasing decisions

• Acquire, handle the relationship with customers and engender and build loyalty

• Be an effective and persuasive salesperson

• Keep the exposure and recognition of your brand high

• Be able to negotiate and know how to close a deal

FINANCE.

Managing the financial side of your business can often prove to be a real challenge. There is little doubt that at some point you will need to use the services of a professional although doing some of the ground work yourself can greatly reduce your accountancy bills. Below are some of the tasks you may be able to carry out yourself.

• Secure start-up capital. You may have to put together a complex business plan and then negotiate with finance houses or venture capitalists to get a loan or an investment. To do this effectively and convincingly, you will need to have a proper grasp of finance issues.

• Budget and forecast. Planning ahead is a vital element in finance management and you must have the discipline to operate within a fixed and often limited budget and the sound judgement to correctly assess how the business and the market as a whole is moving.

• Maintain accounts, petty cash records, profit and loss figures, wages, VAT payments and receipts, tax returns and so on. Many firms do this themselves with easy to use computer-based bookkeeping packages such as clearlybookkeeping and Sage.

• Control credit and manage debt. You must consider how to control which customers you’re prepared to offer credit to and your credit terms to ensure that you don’t end up facing insurmountable cash flow problems. You also need to put in place and enforce a process for dealing with bad debtors and establish whether contracting out debt collection might be the best way forward.

• Control stock. You must be aware of fluctuations in the value of your stock, especially where depreciation/appreciation of value is likely over a period of time. This movement will impact on your annual profit and loss figures.

• Recruit and manage staff. The dedication and dynamism of your workforce will be important to the ultimate success of your enterprise and you will need to ask yourself whether you have the necessary skills at your disposal to:

• Recruit, retain and motivate staff. Do you know how to recruit the best staff and from where? Are you confident that you are aware of current market salaries and conditions of employment? Are you going to offer bonuses or other benefits?

• Oversee payroll
Will you be managing this in-house or do you plan to contract this out to a third party?

LEGAL.

Like finance, legal is an area that is likely to require professional advice at some point. Again, however, the more you can do for yourself, the less you’ll have to pay in the long run. Below are some of the tasks you may be able to carry out yourself.

• Contracts. When setting up any commercial relationship - whether it’s between partners, suppliers or customers - a legally binding and professionally drawn up agreement is advisable.

• Copyrights and patents. You may wish to protect your property, brands or ideas by taking out professional copyright.

• Protection against litigation. No matter what type of business you are in, you will need to protect yourself against the risk of legal action, such as litigation.

MISCELLANEOUS

Specific requirements will vary from business to business, but other areas you may wish to consider brushing up on your skills or contracting out to a third party are:

• IT - computers and accessories. Is your knowledge sufficient enough to know what computer systems to use and what equipment you need to run your business? Do you know which suppliers offer the most suitable deals and do you know what packages you will need in the beginning?

• Ecommerce. Do you intent to have a presence on the internet? Have you got the most suitable access package for your needs? Are you considering setting up a website and what will you offer on it? Who will design and maintain your site and how much will it cost?

• Business development. Have you got a coherent business strategy in place and are you imaginative and versatile enough to shift the focus of your business in line with movements in the market?

• Administration. In many businesses, keeping on top of the paperwork is a task that is overlooked, you must however, bear in mind that it is an essential part of the business and requires patience and tenacity more than anything. Bad housekeeping will hinder the smooth running of your business.

You are likely to have at least some but not all of the skills mentioned above. However, there is one vital skill you possess which will allow you to become proficient in all the necessaries, even if you have no prior knowledge in that area. That one skill is organisation.

Knowledge is the most powerful tool you can ever have. Take time to look into all of the regulations, laws and requirements that may affect your business - the more you know the stronger position you will be in. Make sure you make a note of where you found any useful information so you can easily find it again. It is a good idea to find documents or printouts detailing the relevant information and file it away somewhere you can easily access it again when necessary.

Preparing for the unexpected will minimise the element of panic and having access to at least the basic information will help you to prevent paying too much for equipment or services you don’t need.

Brainybusiness.com provides business and personal development resources to help small and growing businesses start, manage and expand their business. The site contains books, articles, free ebooks and resources. Visit: http://www.brainybusiness.com