I possess a unique talent like a fortune-teller. I can discern whether resolutions will flourish or fade away into the mysterious abyss. I also have the foresight to observe long-term trends unfolding. While trends may be elusive, but resolutions offer a different story. They thrive when we infuse them with specificity. This is not, because I have a special talent or so. I simply have a a long list of observations, I made over the years in my personal career, but also in my personal life.
Let’s investigate an incident involving a restaurant manager at one of my hotels. Picture this: disagreements and tensions between the manager and his deputy seeped into the fabric of the 240-seat restaurant, impacting its efficiency and morale. I knew they had to resolve these issues harmoniously.
The manager made lofty promises of initiating a conversation within the week, but it soon became a web of excuses. However, when they stood before me a week later, progress had to be made.
Amidst my bustling schedule as the Food and Beverage Director at the iconic El San Juan Hotel & Casino in Puerto Rico—with its five restaurants, eleven bars, a dazzling casino showroom and a gorgeous ballroom, which I needed to fill —this issue wasn’t my top priority. But I felt the manager’s frustration in his inability to tackle the problem head-on.
Over the following weeks, I unraveled the core reason for their failure—a lack of clarity in their goal. Sure, he vowed to seek the conversation during the week, but what did “during the week” mean? Did it encompass Monday through Friday or stretch into the weekend? Was it the morning, afternoon, or evening? Their goal lacked tangibility, resembling a phantom adrift in time. It could materialize anywhere or vanish without a trace.
This dangerous pitfall awaits us when we set goals without unwavering clarity on time and place. Instead of uttering, “I’ll hit the gym twice this week,” dare to be specific and declare, “After my Tuesday evening meeting concludes at 6:00 pm, I’ll hit the gym. And on Thursday, after wrapping up my team meeting around 7:00 pm, I’ll dedicate two hours to my workout, finishing by 9:00 pm.”
The odds of turning dreams into reality skyrocket by crafting a specific blueprint. Countless studies confirm that a clear intention, and a steadfast vision, ignite the flames of action.
This approach worked wonders for the manager. When I urged him to schedule the crucial conversation with his deputy in concrete terms, he did not waste time. Without hesitation, he sent an invitation, born during our meeting, for the following morning at eight-fifteen. A modest meeting room became the stage for transformative dialogue. The quandary of timing catapulted him from mere planning to resolute action.
And now, my young fellow hotelier, I present you with a challenge—an invitation to transform your ambiguous career resolutions into well-defined objectives. Instead of murmuring, “I yearn to become a successful manager in a hotel,” dare to be specific and concrete. Declare:
“This coming Sunday, at precisely 11:00 am, I shall begin crafting my comprehensive career plan. I will explore my career goals, delve into the why behind my aspirations, determine the critical timeline, and even define the category of hotels and locations that resonate with me.
Every Sunday at the same time for the next four weeks, I will review and refine my plan, ensuring it guides me towards my goals over the next few years.”
Embrace this method, and witness how it ignites the fire within you. I know you possess the ambition and determination to achieve your objectives. After all, you would only read this if you were driven to succeed. If you aspire to be a leader in our industry, whether in housekeeping, the F&B department, Rooms Division, Sales, Marketing, or HR, specificity and concreteness and of course taking action are paramount. Your career development demands a well-defined roadmap as the work revolves around schedules, appointments, meetings, and specific tasks.
You must apply concrete routines to your career to ensure your progress and improve your journey. So, commit to being specific and craft a plan to guide you toward your desired destination. And remember this: most of these steps you are already practicing in your daily work anyway. All you have to do is to practice this in your personal life too.
If you’re starting from scratch, embrace the power of specificity and set sail on a transformative journey of self-discovery and strategic planning.
Do it for yourself. Think about it and take a moment to reflect: How much time do I actually dedicate to improve my career? Just doing a good job is not enough to be on a success trajectory. You need to continue fine-tuning and modify not only your plan, you have to create certain working routines and habits as well. Seeking constructive and lasting engagement with your superior or better even your superior’s superior. Learn about the tactics you can deploy. Reading the right books goes a long way. Waiting for the annual review is simply not enough. Is your resume updated and ready to be sent at any given time? Are you mastering the most important interview questions and do you keep track of your successes at work. If yes, how do you measure them? Remember, being specific and concrete about your achievements for the company you are working for will only increase as you progress, so it is good to practice this from early on. It is those concrete numbers, future employers will be looking for in your resume, and having them handy in your head will make you stand out in every interview you will encounter.
I have no doubt that you possess the courage and determination to seize the day, unravel your full potential, and reveal the most authentic version of yourself.
Have a great week, over and out.
Helmut