Training Articles (formerly Member Blog)

Ivar’s recently when through a major renovation of its flagship location on Pier 54. As can be expected, this was a major challenge for the Ivar’s business. Bob Donegan, President of Ivar’s, and Patrick Yearout share how their team came together to work through this very challenging construction process, while keeping the team and culture of Ivar's intact.

Hear Jeff Drozdowski’s first installment of his “It’s About” video blogging series on world leadership. This two-part blog is about Richard Branson of Virgin Records and Virgin Airlines and his ten rules to being successful.

Job seekers are in the driver’s seat, so employers need to get creative in finding and retaining employees. This is especially true in the hospitality industry, and many restaurants and hotels are finding interesting ways of attracting and retaining employees to help them grow in their jobs.

It’s hard to believe sometimes, but the period we remember as the Great Recession officially started 10 years ago in December 2007. It doesn’t seem like it’s been a decade since I first started hearing about the mortgage crisis, plunging home values, bank failures, and business closures, mainly because it was one of the most impactful events of my adult life and I still think about it quite often.

A good product is now the price of entry, and the power of an engaged staff is undeniable. Winners, regardless of the chain scale, will differentiate through the service they provide. This is great news for those that train and develop people to provide that service experience. A smart investment for hotel companies is having a great product, but recognizing that the “service with a smile” your team provides is the ultimate differentiator.

Choosing the right words can make or break your desired intent. What is the message your words send to your customers? Are they achieving your desired results? Listen to Gabe Hosler as he shares examples of unintentional word usage that didn’t necessarily get the best message across. It’s the power of your words and your word selection that are critical to impactful results.

We all hate the "T" word - Turnover. Let's face it, we all have it, but how can we actually embrace turnover in order to achieve a more positive level of results? Let's consider shifting our mindset to get to where we are more open to turnover and are more comfortable in investing in people regardless of whether they are going to leave us or not.

Who would have thought the month of September would turn out to be such a trying time for many of our team members, families, and CHART friends. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria, as well as other natural disasters, have left a trail of destruction. And just weeks ago, a deadly earthquake rocked Mexico. I followed our CHART friends on social media checking to make sure those in the affected areas were safe.

We have all gotten those invitations – the ones where your presentation is lost in a string of lengthy presentations in a death by Powerpoint meeting. Let me introduce you to a disruptive new style of presentation – Ignite Presentation! Watch my 5-minute video and learn how to take 20 slides, for 15 seconds a piece, on auto advance for a powerful presentation. In only five minutes folks, that is it. Think about the amazing information you can have 10 presenters share in just one hour!

Do you realize how much pressure there is on the person who is writing the Law of Fun? You gotta bring your "A" Game if you are going to write about fun, but can we get real for a second? Training is not always fun. There it is. I said it. Most of the time in fact, training is a chore. It's often something you HAVE to do, not anything you WANT to do. If you have been reading this series, you know that the better and more compelling you make your training programs, the more people will have the desire to learn what you are teaching.

After managing through Hurricane Katrina as President and COO of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, I was asked by CHART to present the leadership lessons learned at a CHART conference. My presentation was entitled, “Lessons from the Eye of the Storm.” Given the events of the past few weeks, CHART once again asked if I could share those lessons with our amazing and giving CHART community. The leadership lessons from Katrina are still leadership lessons I use and teach in my consulting practice with teams today. The following are what I call the “High Cs of Crisis Leadership..."

We’ve all seen it happen. It’s a busy day at your hotel, and everything is running smoothly as the staff hustles to take care of the guests. But then, in the middle of this well-choreographed routine, you notice one employee pull out a cell phone and start talking or texting.