Are You Herding Cats?

I have to admit that I’m more of a dog person, but the fact remains that leadership can sometimes mirror an image of herding cats. 

You’ve seen the examples.  Each group member is pursuing his/her own agenda or goal.  Associates are competing with each other instead of working as a team. Team members aren’t communicating. Morale is not great and turnover is higher than it should be.   What to do?

Cast a clear vision.  Paint a picture of your desired outcome and the benefits of its successful achievement to inspire and engage an enthusiastic team. 

Next, bring everyone to the same page and direct all efforts to the vision by aligning goals and objectives.  Allow team members to give input to secure their buy-in.  Participants achieve a sense of ownership when they are given a voice and allowed to provide ideas and strategies.

Finally, guard against the possibility of vision leakage.  Use a variety of methods to keep the team focused and motivated.  Restate and reinforce the vision frequently to keep it relevant, fresh and top of mind.

Lead on!

Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone

Make a Difference!

Growing up in Boston as a boy, my parents were divorced when I was five years old. I lived with my mother, but my grandfather served as an important mentor. He taught me the importance of having a good work ethic and that people mattered more than material things. He encouraged me to make a difference in life and to use my career choice as a means to impact people. Although he worked as a janitor of an elementary school, he taught me that my work is as important as I would allow it to be.
When I founded Hotel Equities in 1989, I made it a point to heed his advice and make his legacy a part of our defining culture statement: A legendary lodging company making a distinct difference in people’s lives.
At our hotels, we greet weary travelers and provide crisp, clean accommodations in a friendly and safe environment every day. 
However, we should never underestimate the impact our work or our smile can make. I believe that opportunities to impact others abound in our lives.  And remember, when you make a difference in the life of someone else, it can’t help but make a difference in your life, too!

Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone