Biggest Challenges Faced By A Vice President Of Hotel Operations At A Large Hotel And Casino Brand
Tommy's biggest challenges as Vice President of Hotel Operations stem from navigating interpersonal dynamics, "understanding that person and understanding what's going to be the most effective way" to influence colleagues and drive business objectives. A further challenge is motivating team members to learn from mistakes and avoid complacency, especially when faced with individuals lacking passion for the work and exhibiting a "status quo" mentality.
Executive/Leadership, Communication, Problem-Solving, Teamwork, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Tommy Harris
Vice President of Hotel Operations
Large Hotel & Casino Brand
University of Nevada Las Vegas / 2022
UCLA / MBA - Expected graduation June 2024
Psychology
Hospitality, Restaurants & Events
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Effective communication at different levels (e.g., frontline employees vs. executives) is crucial and requires adapting communication styles.
2. Learning from mistakes and preventing their repetition is vital; this involves resource allocation and emotional intelligence to support teams.
3. Passion for the job can create challenges when collaborating with colleagues who lack similar drive and motivation; aligning goals becomes crucial for success.
Transcript
What are some of your biggest challenges in your current role?
Challenges in hospitality, or specific to my role, often have to do with people. You're in the c-suite, dealing with counterparts of similar intelligence, experience, and influence. You need to navigate these relationships to get things done and drive the business forward.
Communication differs significantly when speaking with a frontline employee versus a fellow vice president or someone higher up. The challenge lies in understanding each person and finding the most effective way to convey your message or achieve your goals. This becomes more complex as you move higher in an organization, as prior communication strategies may not apply to new roles.
This was a challenge for me, especially after being promoted to the executive committee. Finding my place and addressing day-to-day challenges was a learning process.
Day-to-day challenges also arise when your teams or direct reports don't learn from their mistakes. My approach is to encourage sensible mistakes, as long as we learn from them and avoid repeating them. My role involves identifying what resources, equipment, or support are needed to prevent recurring issues.
It's a challenge when past problems resurface, negatively impacting employees, guests, or the bottom line. In these situations, I must be able to hold back, focus on emotional intelligence, and thoroughly investigate the situation to ensure a flawless experience for both guests and employees.
Lastly, a key aspect that makes me unique is my passion for what I do. I'm passionate about hospitality and my role as a vice president of hotel operations.
Not everyone shares this passion; some individuals are in their positions due to circumstance rather than deep commitment. This can create friction when a passionate person strives for improvement, while someone less invested is content with the status quo.
Navigating these differences is crucial to driving the business forward. My motivation stems from a desire to make the operation successful. When encountering individuals with little to no drive, it creates a confidence gap and presents a challenge, especially when their cooperation is needed to achieve objectives. These are my challenges.