Training Articles (formerly Member Blog)

An important function of L&D is designing training that not only results in effective, confident team members, but also helps with retention. Today's workforce wants to know how they fit into the team and why their role is important. To improve consistency in training and integrate our Values, Mission, and Vision, we developed the "ATE" framework: educATE, elevATE, motivATE, integrATE, celebrATE, and inculcATE.

February is Black History Month. Let's take this opportunity to recognize and appreciate the pioneering contributions made by African Americans in the hotel and restaurant industry. These individuals, along with many others, planted the trees in whose shade all of us working in the hospitality industry stand today.

Hope-centered leadership is the three-part combination of goals, pathways, and agency. As stress and overwhelm have elevated in hospitality, we can turn them around by applying simple strategies to set expectations and encourage belief in achieving our collective goals. Here are strategies you can use to produce positive and rapid results by harnessing hope.

Tumultuous upsets to the hospitality industry's labor pool have caused lost institutional knowledge, holes in succession, and significant skill gaps in new people who have not “come up” through the industry. Here is how we used training to upskill promising Assistant General Managers, resulting in a 91% retention rate of the program’s promotion-ready graduates.

There is no better time than January to revisit the "Word of the Year" tradition, and how it can positively impact your team and your own mindset. Having a word of the year over the last two years has helped my team find direction, humor, purpose, and helped bring us closer together.

You have a few qualified applicants for your open positions- so far so good! But how do you convert these fresh faces from candidates to new hires? Here are 8 ways you can increase the odds that they will say "yes" to your job offer.

Whether you’re a youth sports coach, instructional designer, or someone who creates training for your organization, the same key principles can improve learning and retention. Here are my top tips for engaging and coaching learners of all ages, skill levels, and training objectives.

As I went through the process of drafting my fantasy football team this year, I couldn’t help but think about how this applies to “drafting” and managing the teams in our restaurants and hotels. By applying some of the principles from fantasy sports to our "real world" hospitality teams, we can engage players with a diverse skillset to align on goals, drive results, and ultimately bring home the “W” for our teams and guests.

If you can only go to one CHART conference per year, should it be winter or summer? The age-old debate has flared up again. Here is my perspective, advocating for the winter conference, while Gabe Hosler counters that the summer event would prove more valuable for attendees.

Icebreakers are an underutilized tool, yet are so valuable to defeat social anxiety, warm up the group, and get everyone connected and engaged. Here are 7 of my go-to icebreakers that work every time.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th through October 15th), Denise Morales reflects on the true meaning of familia, and suggests hosting a fiesta featuring Latin American food and music. Recognize the contributions of Latinos and Hispanics to our American culture, and celebrate Hispanic traditions and values this Hispanic Heritage Month!

The panel discussion, Train the Future: Attracting and Upskilling Your Top Talent, presented at CHART Austin, focused on best practices for creating career growth opportunities for hourly team members in hotels and restaurants. Here are 5 tips to create a structure of upskilling and promoting team members from within, along with developing the culture to support attraction and retention of talent in the hospitality industry.