Member Blog

Choosing a word for the year has always seemed like a social media fad, but last year changed my mind on the practice. My team and I embraced our chosen word, and doing so changed our mindset, brought us closer together, and inspired us to think differently about our entire approach to the year. Here's how our word of the year became my team's rallying cry.

In an environment of high volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), effective teamwork is more important than ever. Here are some of the barriers to effective teamwork, and tips on how to create and manage high-performing teams.

Hospitality training continues to evolve as employers confront staffing challenges, ever-changing compliance requirements, and an increased demand for training efficiency. Here are 5 trends that we expect to see at the forefront of hospitality training in 2022.

Learning and honoring a person's preferred gender pronouns is an important part of showing respect. So what are gender pronouns, how do you learn the appropriate pronouns to use, and what should you do if you make a mistake? Here are a few clarifying definitions, helpful tips, and further resources.

Empathy is more than "being nice," it's an understanding of what motivates your employees and how they find meaning in their work. Empathy is at the heart of the employee experience. Employee experience drives engagement, which leads to increased performance, so it literally pays to build empathy in your organization.

The principles of how people learn, engage with their environment, define success, keep score, and try again are universal. Incorporating technology in training programs can provide a mechanism to tap into our natural curiosity to meet the training goals. Here are four potential ways to add tech into your training program along with some simple-to-implement resources to get your staff hyped about learning.

Supply chain disruptions are common right now, but there are steps you can take to minimize the impact on your organization. Prioritizing communication and being proactive with suppliers, employees, and guests can go a long way to smoothing the rough roads caused by unavoidable shortages of ingredients and supplies.

When confronted with the challenge of converting live, instructor-led training into virtual programs, the Best Western training team developed a six-step process that can enhance collaboration, deliver more focused and interactive content, and improve outcomes for learners.

For many restaurants, off-premises sales were only a minor part of their business prior to the coronavirus pandemic, but even though dining rooms are opening back up, many customers are still continuing to utilize takeout and delivery options, making off-premises sales a critical part of restaurants' business strategies going forward. Here are 10 steps to develop or refine your off-premises sales system.

June is Pride Month within the LGBTQ community. Even though many 2021 Pride events continue to be impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitality managers can still support their LGBTQ employees in the workplace with these 5 suggestions.

As restaurants and retail businesses across the nation and the world rush to re-open their stores, re-engage their customers, and re-invigorate their balance sheets, there is another challenge: the race to hire frontline talent. Most in the industry are all too familiar with the talent war, but recruiting isn't the only battle. Retaining top talent is crucial! Here are 5 tips to keep your team in the game.

Hospitality training experts gathered at a recent Regional Training Forum to share best practices around creating a workplace that supports mental wellness. These practical and powerful tips and resources will help you lead with care and confidence. You can also access the session recording to hear directly from the experts!