Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

Manage a friendly hotel.
Tactic 36:
Use employee recognition programs.
Tactic 37:
Build a great team and praise it often.
Tactic 38:
Write a personal letter to parents of teenage employees.
Tactic 39:
Share scheduling responsibilities with employees.
Tactic 40:
Reward employees who work on nonscheduled days.
Tactic 41:
Invite family members of new employees to visit the hotel.
Tactic 42:
Make the hotel a fun place to work.
FIGURE 13
Common sense tactics to motivate front office employees.
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OVERVIEW OF THE FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
Strategy 8:
Help your employees succeed.
Tactic 43:
Identify state-approved (licensed) child-care options.
Tactic 44:
Reward success in each employee.
Tactic 45:
Recognize your employees’ elder-care responsibilities.
Tactic 46:
Don’t punish your best for being good.
Tactic 47:
Go to lunch.
Tactic 48:
Help employees learn about public transportation systems.
Adapted from Hayes, D., and J. Ninemeier. 2001. 
Fifty One-Minute Tips for Retaining Employees. Building a
Win–Win Environment, Menlo Park, CA: Crisp Publications.
FIGURE 13
(continued)
FOMs must be good leaders, but what is a good leader? Entire books and book-
shelves are devoted to this question. Nevertheless, a short list of effective leadership
traits can be developed. An effective FOM must meet the following challenges:
•
Have a good understanding of the hotel’s values and be able to translate these
values into practice. In other words, the FOM must be able to implement the
front office’s share of the property’s mission statement.
•
Have an objective and measurable vision of the future for the hotel
•
Help others develop the knowledge and skills needed to attain the hotel’s
vision. This is done, in part, through orientation, training, and follow-up coach-
ing activities.
•
Use the empowerment process to help others move toward the vision by
enabling them to use discretion in addressing guests’ needs
•
Develop a team of staff members who are committed to the hotel’s success
•
Achieve a reputation for quality meets or exceeds guests’ expectations
Effective FOMs vary their leadership styles according to the specific employee
and the situation. Figure 14 introduces four basic leadership styles. Let’s look at each
of these leadership styles more carefully and review how and when they can be used
to manage employees in common front office positions.