Conflict and the Hotel Manager

Most Hotel Managers and Hotel Supervisors prefer to avoid conflict and potentially stressful situations – this is our natural human nature.

Many Hotel Managers and Hotel Supervisors often find it easier to avoid communicating something that they think is going to be controversial or bad, putting off the communication until later on during their shift or even career.

There are two distinct types of difficult conversation, planned and unplanned:

Planned difficult conversations occur when the subject has been given thought, they are planned as to their time, place and all other circumstances have been considered or chosen for a reason.

Unplanned difficult conversations take place incidentally; these often happen due to anger which can, in extreme cases, lead to aggression.

For Hotel Managers to handle difficult communication professionally, certain skills are required; as we must show empathy, have tact, be discrete and be clear through-out. 

There needs to be a balance between communicating something difficult and being as sensitive as possible to those concerned. The skill set you need to show may seem somewhat contradictory as you may need to be both firm and gentle in your approach. 

Recommended skills include:

Information Gathering Make sure you have your facts straight before you begin, know what you are going to say and why you are going to say it.  Try to anticipate any questions or concerns Hotel Managers may have and think carefully about how you will answer questions.

Being Assertive Once you are sure that something needs to be communicated then do so in an assertive way. Do not find yourself backing down or changing your mind mid-conversation, unless of course there is very good reason to do so.

Being Empathetic Put yourself in the Hotel Managers’ situation and think about how they will feel about what you are telling them; how would you feel if the roles were reversed? Give others time to ask questions and make comments.

Being Prepared to Negotiate Often a difficult situation requires a certain amount of negotiation, be prepared for this. When negotiating, aim for a win - win outcome – that is, some way in which everyone can benefit.

Speak clearly and avoid any words that other people may not understand, give eye contact and try to sit or stand in a relaxed way. Do not use confrontational language or body language.

Listen to the views, opinions and feelings of the other person or people.  Stay Calm and Focused. Difficult communication becomes easier when we are calm, take some deep breaths and try to maintain an air of calmness, others are more likely to remain calm if you do. 

Planned Conversations would clearly be a Hotel Managers’ preference.

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My posts are intended for hotel workers, supervisors and managers around the world, who are (or want to become) actively engaged in learning and development.