How can hospitality professionals make effective decisions under pressure?

For me those steps are very helpful: 1. Before taking care of issue - remove emotions. This is not happening to your personally - you are representing Brand / Company. 2. Prioritize 3. Listen / understand the issue as general picture 4. Find the route of the problem. Ask why behind what 5. Resolve the issue as most appropriate to customer

Identifying problems and their resolution is the obligation of every manager in order for history not to repeat or at least to greatly reduce its happening. It's important to prioritize what problems affect the results or teamwork the most, as resources are not infinite for the reality of most hospitality organizations, not to say all at some degree. The only problems that cannot be tolerated even if there is minimal impact on results is toxic behaviour, as it has the potential of spreading and affecting working culture in the long run. Develop a methodology to solve problems (SWOT, Marriotts LEARN, PEST, etc) and ask for feedback, there are always multiple sides of the story. Ask feedback in all directions also to anticipate problems.

In my culinary journey across diverse countries, rapid problem identification has been vital. During a hectic service, recognizing issues like equipment malfunctions or staffing gaps early on allowed for quick resolutions, ensuring smooth operations. For instance, a sudden breakdown in a key cooking appliance demanded swift troubleshooting to prevent service disruption

I believe that most problems can be solved in the first degree if the line staff are empowered to act like so. If someone is empowered to solve problems then more often than not they will either report and / or act on problems because they know an action can be taken, and this will give them confidence when engaging with guests and anticipating needs. If you are scared to learn the truth from a guest then you are not empowered. There needs to be a culture of accountability in the organization. The manager of the concerned department needs to show solutions up until the point of the realization that a company may need to commit more resources, and not simply point fingers. Otherwise history will repeat.

Amidst culinary challenges, my broad experience has taught me to swiftly assess multiple options. When faced with ingredient shortages or last-minute menu alterations, drawing on varied cuisines and techniques enabled me to adapt recipes, ensuring high-quality dishes despite constraints. This adaptability ensures the kitchen's continued functionality and customer satisfaction.

A good recovery plan should be in place before engaging with the guest. Learn about the guest profile in order to anticipate and reduce Recovery costs. Hesitation will give the guest the impression that the hotel is not ready to deal with failure, and the latter is inevitable, as mentioned, because resources are not unlimited. The guest needs to feel appreciated and heard, and more often than not that is the best solution without a financial impact. The problems and solutions should be discussed on a daily basis in order to find everlasting solutions that may affect several teams. The General Manager needs to be present to pressure teams in finding a solution across the board that no longer affects results and the bottom line.

From years spent crafting culinary delights, making informed decisions in high-pressure scenarios became second nature. For instance, when tasked with introducing a new dish, my background enabled a confident choice in selecting the most suitable ingredients, cooking methods, and presentation style to meet both customer expectations and operational efficiency.

There should be a platform where guests negative sentiment events are logged and the respective recovery actions. Pending cases need to be discussed daily and a plan of action in place. Guests need to be flagged and resources allocated for guests who had negative sentiment events. It is important that an easy and fast way of reporting these events are in place and the staff are rewarded for denouncing them, even if it concerns that person's team or her/himself. In a Learning & Growing culture and knowing the inevitability of failure since resources are not unlimited, a person should receive the understanding and support for recognizing the mistakes and allowing management to take steps to avoid them in the future.

Continuous vigilance is paramount. Throughout busy services, overseeing dish quality, presentation, and customer feedback allowed immediate adjustments. My experience taught me that real-time monitoring prevents issues from escalating, maintaining the kitchen's high standards even during peak hours.

By implementing a Learning and Growing culture you are nurturing all the staff to report and ultimately to allow every guest concern to be addressed and recovered. Not empowered employees will not report this information. More often than not, if problems are not reported, that doesn't mean they are not happening, it means that they are not being communicated. An empowered employee under pressure may not have the skill nor ability to solve the issue per se, but will have enough confidence when informing the guest to say the problem will be solved as management proves recurrently action is taken.

I agree. Anytime something doesn’t work or needs to be changed; it’s important to look at things as a learning opportunity/experience. If everyone thinks it’s not okay to learn from experiences then the decisions made are wrong. Must have a culture of learning and growth.

Over a decade in various kitchens, each challenge offered invaluable lessons. Handling situations like unexpected changes in customer preferences prompted a rethink in menu design and customer engagement strategies. Such experiences fostered adaptability, creativity, and a deeper understanding of clientele.

Navigating through culinary landscapes globally forged a resilient and proactive mindset. Adapting to different kitchen cultures honed the ability to make quick yet thoughtful decisions, ensuring operational efficiency and maintaining quality, even amidst chaos.