Members' Blog

Curt Archambault of People & Performance Strategies recently attended the CHART 98 Hospitality Training Conference in Nashville. He gives his summary of the conference, topics and the value of professional development.

The Washington Hospitality Association's Marianne Scholl recently interviewed me about what the tight labor market means for the hospitality industry. We talked about everything from the no-call, no-show interview to advice on how to recruit. I hope you find a nugget of information in the conversation that helps you deal with this challenge as well.

Most of us in the hospitality training or operations support business have performed store evaluations at one time or another. We gathered our clipboard and pens, loaded up our ten-page checklist, and then lurked through one of our hotels or restaurants to rate a million different items on a scale of 1 to 5.

In January, I once again had the opportunity to attend TDn2K’s Global Best Practices Conference. The timing allowed reflection and alignment for our team’s work in 2019. During the conference, I was invited to a breakfast where Gallup provided invaluable insight into their work within our industry, GM Connect. The Gallup research is very insightful in regards to General Manager (GM) engagement, retention, and links to overall top quartile performance for the industry. My conference notes highlighted these three key aspects of engagement.

An economic downturn will be coming eventually (with predictions ranging from “very soon” to “within the next few years”), and for those of you who weren’t yet working in the industry during the last one a decade ago, there were some pretty brutal headcount and budget cuts in hospitality training departments. What can you do to help protect your career as a trainer before the next recession hits?

Countless sexual harassment allegations have surfaced in the entertainment industry, which has prompted outrage throughout many other industries. Sexual harassment is, unfortunately, not limited to any segment, and the hospitality industry is no stranger to sexual misconduct. According by a report by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, restaurant workers file more sexual harassment claims than any other industry.

How can you improve your odds of becoming the next potential winning candidate in your future career path? In this brief CHART Talks video, Kate shares some valuable, and sometimes forgotten, tips on what she believes are important to-dos in your current position and how to get recognized over others. Don't ever throw away your next shot at being the next perfect candidate.

Often, we hear about what the younger generations can't do. But Band Camp shows us exactly what they are capable of! TJ Schier takes us to high school Band Camp and shares the successes of creating the perfect marching band performance. Listen to TJ as he shares the critical steps needed for millennials to WOW their audience. How can we bring Band Camp into OUR organizations?

There is a lot of talk about mindfulness these days! It is a nice word, and maybe just a new catchphrase, but it is hard not to wonder what it really means and how we can be more mindful? And, how being mindful can help us de-stress and be more effective in our jobs.

Over the past few years, I started approaching my attendance at CHART conferences differently. I realized that while the content of speakers was helping in my development, if I also paid attention to the logistics of the conference and unique features that engage attendees, I benefited in a key aspect of my position at work – planning training workshops and my brand leadership conference.

Having recently undertaken a corporate rebranding exercise, I am very aware of the importance of tying in company culture and values to team members’ every day work experiences. Incentive-based recognition strategies are tangible ways to bring the company’s culture to life and improve employee satisfaction and performance.

To help create your goals for 2019, I believe the best place to start is CHART’s guiding principles. So, grab a piece of paper, your phone, wherever you prefer to write down your notes and begin your journey to achieving your 2019 resolutions and goals!