Management trends: Lessons learned—and used—throughout a career

Valuable lessons can be learned in a number of ways. Of course, I’m a fan of great workshops. I’m also a “bookaholic,” as my filled office shelves can attest to. And then there’s the education gained from paying attention to people we work with. This column is a tribute to those who taught me priceless lessons throughout my career. They continue to serve me well.

Stay positive under stress … get more of what you want
Early in my career, I worked as assistant to the Convention Services Managers of a busy urban hotel. Our world was filled with constant problem solving. Every day, it was either an association going under a complete agenda overhaul a week before arrival, a reunion with six different people “in charge” or a conference requiring several Secret Service sweeps. One of these CSMs seemed to pull all the most “interesting” situations, yet never let the stress of her job cause her to behave badly. Her positive attitude was inspirational to everyone who worked around her. I watched as she gently explained the third total room setup change to our set-up crew. Her tone and demeanor flowed over the hardworking team. The rooms were always changed without any push-back.

Support your team and receive its best
I thank the person who recognized the inner training professional in me (even before I did). From her I learned to appreciate talents in non-traditional places (allowing me to hire great people in department stores and dental offices). I also learned how to create an environment for the talents to flourish.

As a new Regional Training Manager, I was the recipient of the “sandwich method” when it came to correcting an occasional newbie gaffe. The technique of beginning a coaching session with positive reinforcement paved the way for my open mind to the needed correction. Making sure I left the discussion confident and ready to put improvements to work completed the sandwich. These conversations came throughout the year so that I looked forward to the annual performance appraisals.

People believe what they see
If your company has a mission statement or culture phrase, you need to model those behaviors every day. At a couple of organizations I’ve been involved with, creative slogans were everywhere, but leadership did not live them. The result was that they became jokes. If your company has a Circle of Excellence, you must show your team exactly what that looks and sounds like. People believe behaviors, not mottos.

Details, details
As I began to develop results-oriented workshops, I learned from a dear associate to pay attention to the details. He would fret over every aspect of each class he wrote. Now, whether it’s one of my own seminars, a marketing piece or even an e-mail, I try to make sure that even what may seem like a minor point is correct and fits the audience. The philosophy of details also applies to every person in the service-profit chain. When one associate misses the mark, that is the experience your guest remembers. Also, what may seem like a trivial issue to us may just be the deciding factor to our client.

Learning moments are around us each day. Stay aware and appreciate them. They’ll serve you well in a successful career.