Member Blog

Recently I had the opportunity to tour a winery in Napa, not far from the upcoming CHART 89th Hospitality Training conference. I couldn’t help but notice a similarity in all of the intricacies to wine making compared to training and developing employees. Wine makers will tell you there are endless ways of creating wine and all deliver product of varying degrees of quality.

For many CHART members, including myself, the highlight of our recent 88th Hospitality Training Conference was the release of the 2014 Trends in Hospitality Training & Development Study. The survey that provided the results for this study was conducted earlier this summer by data-reporting firm TDn2K, one of CHART’s Silver Sponsors, and it covered a wide variety of topics such as e-learning, employee orientations, and training budget distributions.

Someone yelling at you is actually a good thing. This is just one of the lessons I shared in Atlanta as part of my CHART Talks presentation. Watch my video (less than 10 minutes) for my 9 Lessons to Improve Life and Leadership. Some of these lessons include those I learned from my mom, fellow CHART members, and even Charlie Brown!

It's an understatement to say that the e-learning landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. When DiscoverLink first started in 2002, the number one barrier our clients faced in starting an e-learning program was the technology infrastructure. Most restaurants did not have computing platforms in-store, and even fewer had internet connectivity. In fact, in order to get our business going in the early days, we often had to set up our clients' stores with desktop computers and satellite connections!

For as long as I can remember I have despised structure. I think I’ve always been allergic to the word “structure”. It seems so confining and, I don’t know, very…structurey. I know that’s not a word but you know what I mean. For some people, structure can be exactly what they need….a specific set of guidelines and systems that allow things to work properly. It directs you to where you are supposed to be and no rules are broken

When I first signed up for Twitter a few years ago, I primarily used it as a communications tool to keep in touch with friends and colleagues who I hadn’t seen in a while and who didn’t have a Facebook account. Recently, however, I find that I use Twitter much more as an information-gathering service, checking my account several times a day to find out what’s happening in the world, especially with regards to hospitality and training & development.

In Atlanta, I shared with you (in 7 minutes) the importance of working with your team to find the ONE acronym to covey your training message throughout your company. For us at Ovation Brands, it's S.M.I.L.E. Watch this quick video to find out what SMILE is an acronym for and how we build upon it within all departments.

The Broadmoor duo of Danielle West and Melanie Shanks share in HM Magazine how hiring and training the right way will save you in the long run.

Training and development goes beyond just focusing on core job skills or teaching everyone how to implement the latest promotion. It is also about focusing on personal development - more specifically, a focus on health and wellness. At Marriott, we consider ways our training programs can make a personal impact! Here is a recent example from one of our senior leadership courses.

Everyone has a challenge. It's a matter of choice on how you will approach. My suggestion is to take what you have, keep moving and pedal on. In the video, I share how my diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease has been both a blessing and a calling.

I just returned from CHART’s 88th Hospitality Training Conference in Atlanta, and my initial post-conference to-do list is overflowing with exciting new items.

As I close out my time as CHART President, I would like to take a moment to reflect on not only the past 2 years as President-Elect and President, but the 4 years in total I have been blessed to be a part of the board.