What A Vice President Of Hotel Operations At A Major Hotel Casino Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Hotel Industry

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I've learned and have been shown two different angles, and I want to share them with you. The first angle is from my own experience, working my way up from the bottom.

This means starting in an entry-level position and eventually moving into a high-level role. You achieve this through movement and promotion within the company. It can be challenging, and you'll face difficult situations.

While working your way up, you're constantly learning and improving yourself. It's easy to get stuck in the "static," thinking, "This isn't bad. I'm a front desk agent, I get good tips and commission. I'm making good money, and it's improving my life."

Even if the income isn't guaranteed, relying on arrivals or commissions, it can still feel like a good life. You might ask yourself, "Why do I need to go any higher? I just want more money."

This comfort can become your whole life, especially in a city with a strong tourist destination. There are many frontline positions, and a lot of cash changes hands, which adds up.

If you're young, even with a plan, you can get caught up in this. By "caught up," I mean you become comfortable and used to it. This can inhibit your desire to move into something different because you're already making the money you expected to make as a manager.

What I learned and wish someone had told me is not to get lost in that static. Stay focused on the task at hand. Understand that if you're working your way up from the bottom, you're doing it to learn and understand from the employees' and guests' perspectives at that level.

At some point, you'll be managing these people and guests. By doing the work yourself, you gain an insight that no one else can get without actually doing it. Take that experience at face value, make the best of it, and stay the course as you move up.

The other angle is from an academic perspective. Let's say you get a degree from a university and enter the company through an internship. You have your education, perhaps some experience, but you're entering a large operation of people.

These individuals will likely view you as someone who doesn't know their departments or their work. You'll eventually be empowered to make decisions that affect them.

From this perspective, which I deal with now, looking at things with a certain level of academic understanding can make you see things differently. This is often encountered when dealing with consultants.

You're dealing with people who are trying to add value, and you need to understand that while you're looking at things from an academic or business perspective, people are involved. In any situation with people, there's a human element, especially in hospitality, which requires extra sensitivity.

This sensitivity spans from spas to the front desk to housekeeping. I've seen many people from academic backgrounds approach things in a very statistical, black-and-white way. In hospitality, there's a lot of gray area.

Even if you know you're right, you need to work towards convincing others. Those who can "sell" their ideas typically succeed more than those who come in like a bulldozer, simply dictating because they have a degree.

This approach creates conflict and doesn't lead to success. At the end of the day, without the workers, there's nothing. I've seen situations go very wrong when this type of approach was used.

For those coming from an academic perspective and entering management in hospitality, humility is the best thing. I wish someone had told me how to best understand and get things done, especially if you lack hands-on experience in that industry.