What kills me is that you can catch  �Monkey Pox� from a Prairie Dog?

Recently business has been beset by the economy, 911, SARS, monkey pox, the continued war in Iraq, alarming new diseases, e-commerce discounting and even our old friend �Mad Cow� disease came back. (Who names these things?)  At every turn, there is something that we did not see coming. 

Some of life�s surprises are good and some are bad, but we seem to be constantly contending with more than we bargained for, or less than we think we need. 

The task of rebounding from these changes is becoming almost a full-time job. Never-ending change has exposed the hotel industry to a degree of vulnerability that is unique. 

The only thing we know for sure is that the way we are doing business today will soon change and then change again. The fact that the hospitality industry is at the top of the list of industries tied directly to the economy means that this vulnerability will have a more extreme effect on us than most industries.

Change is not an event, it is a process caused by an event. Also, it may be brought on by positive circumstances such growth of technology, or negative influences such as economic, political, social downturns. Regardless of the origin of these changes, it is going to continue.

You will have to contend with major continued changes in the future, and learn how to become successful and not lose focus on the goals of the business.

How do you get ready for the unexpected?

The answer is to create an environment in which one can respond to the changing conditions produced by change quickly. Decades of deeply ingrained habits and traditional hotel traditions must be forgotten. In their place new perspectives, focuses and frameworks must be embraced. It won�t be easy, but it won�t be difficult either!

What is your perception? 

The ability to handle the pressures of change is a matter of one�s perception. Your perception is your reality. Problems that interrupt our daily routine are going to continue to happen.  These are major issues for one individual but may provoke a totally different reaction in another. The individual reaction to change should not make it difficult to introduce positive procedures to any organization.

Some managers view uncontrollable events thinking that it means confusion; for others the ability to act quickly in a difficult situation is the basis of their success.

If you are to lead and thrive in the face of constant change, you must act and not react. 

• Identify the problem
• Open discussion immediately
• Do not abort the long term plans 
• Establish new goals 
• Choose winners not losers

When you as a leader need to make changes within your organization, whether it is downsizing, controlling expenses or expanding your revenue base, you must display confidence and trust in your employees understanding of the problem. 

You must understand what influences your employees as they struggle with control, or it will be impossible for you to manage them.

Success will occur in a difficult situation if people are provided with a sense of trust and work as a team. They will manage the process for themselves and arrive at positive solutions that they will take ownership in. 

If your management team works with you successfully with whatever changes are planned, they must be able to solve problems themselves and exploit opportunities in a manner that contributes to the accomplishment of their goals.

Many hotel companies are loosing time and profit by having to deal with the drastic changes brought about by recent developments that are out of our control and never faced before. The pressure on you and your employees is overwhelming. 

Management should keep their employees involved in the endless change and innovation process. They must accept the fact that things are ever changing. It is important to introduce important changes without over-extending their employee�s ability to adapt. 

Some bosses need to go away.

Some managers prefer an organization ruled by fear-based motivation, not trust based motivation. They feel that this maintains the security of their position and does not allow anyone to become a threat to their authority. This creates a great deal of emotional strain and physical tension. Those companies that allow this to happen suffer from the highest rate of staff turnover and loss of revenue. They would rather replace employees than invest in new contemporary leaders who can handle change and team building, thus remaining profitable. These managers need to be moved out of the organization.

Many of us have already experienced the result of this type of manager and have paid the accompanying costs. Any company unable to maintain the pace and handle the complexity cannot expect to survive. Leaders must not only correctly predict and determine what must be done; they must also successfully execute these directives. If not, they will sink deeper into debt and fail.

Oh, I forgot �West Nile� !

Rick Welch CHA, CHME is currently President of the Lakeshore Group a Professional Hospitality Management Company that specializes in advising members of the legal profession as it relates to Hospitality Legal matters and specializing in all aspects of Hotel Asset Management, Team Building and Sales Development.

He has obtained the prestigious CHA and CHME designations from the American Hotel Association and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association.

He has written Marketing Articles that have been published by HSMAI, Hotel/ Motel Management Magazine, AAHOA Magazine, Hotel Online.com, Hotel Resources.com and 4hotels.com. He currently serves on the board of directors of The Georgia Hospitality and Lodging Association. 

His previous positions included managing seized assets for the United States Marshal Service, Hyatt Hotels, Vice President of Regional Marketing for Day�s Inns of America, Vice President and Brand manager for USFS Best Inns and Suites. He personally supervised forty limited service hotels in the East for a partnership that was in the process to sell those hotels. Rick has also excelled as an Asset Manager for hospitality REIT�S. Rick started his career with Sheraton Hotels as a management trainee.