Chapter 1

1:1 MVV: Mission - Vision - Values

Managing a Values based culture allows the team to utilize the company's mission, vision, and values to act as a guide to decision making. Always ask: "Does this align with the values?"

Mission: What we offer.

Values: How we will achieve the mission.

Vision: Why we do what we do.

At The JL Bar Ranch Resort & Spa, we say just ''In CASE, refer back to the values.'' Values being: Integrity, Collaboration, Accommodating, Spirit, and Excellence. These values were created by our CEO/President and Founder, Mr. James B. Archer and are consistently shared across each of his companies. Incredible!

The Mission, Vision, and Values are powerful principles applicable both to the professional work environment as well as personal life. When you are visiting the resort, you will notice the values hand painted on the walls, proudly displaying the way we operate.

What values do you live and operate by?

1:2 Positive Perspective

Opportunities versus Problems

Definitions as per Oxford Languages:

Opportunity: a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

Problem: a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome. 

Whether it be a guest, colleague, friend or family. We all have opinions and expectations. When things don't go as expected, it is helpful to receive the shared feedback as an opportunity vs. problem or complaint. Framing the feedback with a positive perspective removes negative mindset barriers and brings forth better outcomes.

Which brings me to the next topic...

1.3: Feedback is the breakfast of champions

Mr. Archer always says, "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." Did anyone else think bacon was the breakfast of champions?! (just kidding) The lesson here is not the emphasis of breakfast; more so to be open for feedback. Identify areas of improvement as well as finding reasons to celebrate successes and give recognition. A well balanced breakfast fuels your day :)

When your leadership team is open to receive feedback, your team is more willing to share feedback and report issues in a timely fashion.

Create an environment where feedback is welcomed.

1:4 Attention to Detail

Once the environment is established with values, positive perspective and open to feedback, the next lesson is invite initiative and attention to detail.

To provide the best service, you must be able to notice the little things. Just like providing preventative maintenance on machines and technology, the ability to proactively anticipate the needs of others is essential to reducing opportunities.

Realistically though, no matter how much you anticipate, pay attention, and plan, things will sometimes not go as planned.

Real life example #1: The printer ink cartridge needed replaced but no one replaced it. Menus were printed from that printer and distributed for use throughout dinner service.

Real life example #2: The basketball was used so much it became flat.

If things are not up to standard or are not needed: report it, remove it or resolve/repair it immediately.

Play the I Spy at work game: Do a walkthrough with your team and ask them to see things that they think you would see. Piece of napkin on the floor? Light bulb needing replaced? The game is to find things before guests find them. Fix things before guests and other team members notice them. It makes it fun to solve problems and make decisions!

1:5 DO NOT ASSUME

Do not assume someone else is aware of what is wrong. Do not assume it will fix itself. Do not assume someone already reported. Do not assume, because it makes an A&& out of U and ME. (DO NOTE ASSUME: A funny lesson learned from my mom when I was younger; then reminded again throughout this journey as GM).

1.6: "One of anything is a bad thing"

You may find a lot of the lessons learned throughout these articles are observed from Mr. Archer, including this quote: "one of anything is a bad thing."

Taking Real life example #2 from above: one basketball that becomes flat or broken requires being replaced. It is simple when you have a back up on hand.

Another example, is having one SME: Subject Matter Expert, who falls ill, goes on vacation, or promotes to other opportunities. Cross-training will eliminate a potential gap in the service and staffing. It will also allow room for delegating and support team learning and development.

1.7: Right/Right

Cross-training the team supports the value of integrity: Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. It also allows for teamwork and collaboration; provides more support to accommodating requests, improves the spirit of the team and drives excellence in our results.

Right right is what Mr. Archer calls a win-win. When we have decisions to be made; doing the right thing for the total operation is taken into consideration.

Ask the right questions to come up with the right solution. In some cases, the solutions don't come instantly. When that happens, you can buy time to fully consider all scenarios around what is best by saying "let me sleep on it.”

1.8: Follow up, Follow up, Follow up

Once a decision is made and action is taken, I have learned follow up fuels the satisfaction of problem resolution and decision making. Asking the other person how they prefer to be reached for follow up sets a foundation of personalized service and trust.

Throughout my career in the luxury hospitality industry, I have discovered the key to follow up is making sure it is done.

Imagine: a guest reports their toilet is clogged. Service professional receives the call, sends someone to repair the toilet. The end. This experience could be classified as mediocre, right? A problem was reported, A problem was repaired.

Now, imagine: a guest reports an opportunity to unclog their toilet. Service professional receives the call, informs guest that Alex, our in-house maintenance team member, will be there within 15 minutes to repair the toilet. Alex is dispatched, immediately tends to the call, and follows up with Service professional to confirm it is resolved. Service professional calls guest back after 10 minutes of original call to confirm everything is resolved to their satisfaction, offers any further assistance and wishes the guest a wonderful rest of their day. Which experience would you prefer to receive if you were the guest?

Lesson learned: Follow up: Under promise, over deliver.

1.9: Priorities and Time Management

Have you ever felt like there is not enough time in the day to accomplish everything on your to-do list? How is it possible to balance a quality of work/life balance when you work in an industry that runs 24/7, you are in charge of overseeing everything at work, have friends and family who want to connect, maintaining personal routines and wellness habits, healthy sleep patterns, and building a brand/training program?

Sounds impossible, but it's not. This year, I took a deep dive into Priorities and Time Management.

General Manager can be viewed as an avid problem solver. Sometimes the need to solve problems can consume your time. The number of opportunities that are presented in a day can be larger than one can count.

I have learned to prioritize projects and identify what is the highest and best use of my time. (Confession of Kylie: This is still a work in progress). . .

Not personally tending to every call, but ensuring I am resourceful and properly leading the team to be responsive and take ownership of opportunities.

If I personally responded to the Real Life Example: clogged toilet call, that would pull me away from a bigger picture project deadline; it would also take away from the service our team is able to provide. Please don't get me wrong, in the case of an emergency, I will jump into action wherever is required. By assigning the appropriate team member to respond and resolve, it ignites their creativity and opportunity to engage with the guest.

This lesson is valuable because it empowers the team to make decision and resolve opportunities on the spot; expediting the time it takes to complete guest requests. More productivity and efficiency all around!

1.10: #gratitudeattitude

An attitude of gratitude will win the race.

Thank the individual who reports an area for improvement.

Thank the team members involved with resolving the opportunity.

Be thankful for the opportunity to serve others. Be thankful for the lessons learned throughout this journey, no matter how difficult it may seem, these lessons are blessings.

Thank YOU for reading this first portion of the 100 lessons I have learned as GM and invite you to continue to read the next posts to follow.