Learning Something New Can Be Scary; It Doesn’t Have To Be

We work with some hotel teams who have not prepared for or taken a test in more than a decade.  Preparing for a test on scientific material can be a daunting task. Still, it also can act as a crucible to gain new knowledge and confidence during this pandemic and into the new paradigm of safety that we’ve entered in the hospitality industry.  We kick off each ongoing CanaryCares program with a three-day course called the “Fundamentals of Hygiene.”  It’s a science class wrapped into three days with a written and a practical test at the end.  We’ve taught this content for nearly 20 years in hospitals; I’m quite surprised that this is new to hotels. After all, we sleep, breathe, eat, and bathe in the same hotel rooms that other wayward travelers do.  Don’t you think hotels should understand why Hygiene is so fundamentally crucial within hotels?  

The end goal is not to learn “what" products and processes to use to keep hotels clean and safe, but more importantly, it’s to understand “why” hotel teams need to do things the way they do them.  Understanding “why" we use these methods in hospitals concerning pathogens, surfaces, and disinfectants give your hotel teams the confidence to make hotels safe for guests.  This confidence, noticed by guests, helps drive occupancy and cut operational costs.

Pathogens can be pretty scary when you don’t understand how they transmit, how to kill them, and how to protect yourself and others when around them.  While all eyes and minds are on COVID-19 right now, there are other pathogens, like some spores that can linger in a bathroom for nearly half a year without proper attention.  When our instructors teach our courses, I’m amazed at how quickly the fear dissipates once teams understand the different pathogens.

 Many are so scared of COVID-19 and don’t realize that others in the rooms they clean, which are pretty nasty, as we teach them the types of pathogens and about the “The Chain of Infection,” they also learn how to break the infection chain.  When everyone knows the techniques to break the infection chain, I can feel a palpable sense of ease fill the room.  Being educated about these dangerous pathogens and protecting yourself and others is the first step to confidence.

Pathogens can live in the air, in liquid, and on surfaces for various lengths of time.  Understanding the mode of transmission of pathogens and how to protect yourself and others with proper PPE is one of the many topics covered in our three-day “Fundamentals of Hygiene” kickoff in CanaryCares.  Some pathogens can live for hours on a surface, and some can live for months on surfaces.    When our teams understand the types of pathogens, how long they live for, and how to kill them, more often than not, they realize they already have all the PPE, disinfectants, and materials to kill them.  Missing was the knowledge of how to use each of these materials in harmony, depending on the surfaces requiring attention.

It’s critical to understand how the chemicals and materials will interact with each surface, from wood to metal, to fabric, stone, and every other pallet of textures that you may encounter.  Often, the rooms teams don’t know that they can call their local chemical representative and the manufacturers of their furniture, fixtures, and equipment to tailor their processes accordingly.  Many manufacturers have used standard “cleaning instructions” for their goods, which might need updating as people move beyond cleaning with a wet rag and move more into using more potent disinfectants in these new areas clean in hotels.  And remember, before disinfecting, it’s imperative to make sure that the surfaces are clean!  We’ve found that many properties have jumped straight to disinfection before they get the surfaces clean.

One thing I’ve found curious is that every property typically has the correct disinfectants in their supply closets.  However, there is a multicolored palate of these disinfectants and often, which can be a bit overwhelming if you’re uncertain "why” you might use each one in different instances.  I’ve even heard that some room attendants sneak their cleaning products from home because it helps them clean faster!  Understanding which disinfectants to use and why they work only helps bring and build confidence in your teams.

Now that we’ve helped build a new knowledge-base and understanding, how do you keep it fresh in everyone’s minds?  That’s where the beauty and power of continuous coaching come into play.  We’ve found great success engaging and empowering hotel teams frequently to keep the knowledge fresh, hear what challenges they are facing, and then adapt our learning to address those needs.  Learning something new can be scary, but with experience on-site, and continuous coaching onsite, you can make your hotels measurably safer, cut operating costs, reduce liability, and drive occupancy.

This article originally appeared on Blue Canary's blog.