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by Harry Nobles March 10, 2011 We often hear that all things must eventually end; in our personal and professional lives we encounter regular reminders of this reality. With age these reminders come with greater frequency and with less subtlety. I have been receiving reminders for a couple of years, and I ignored them. The messages became more frequent, and I still ignored them. Why not? I had worked for more than 50 years in two very different career fields. I was a soldier for 21 years, and then by a very fortuitous quirk of fate I came into the hotel field by the back door. I still remember the AAA job ad: “Stay in hotels and dine in restaurants”. There was additional ad copy which I ignored. That was 1983, 28 years ago that I stumbled into my second career. Quite an adjustment! Going from sleeping in the mud, snow, and rice paddies , living on K Rations, C Rations, LRRPS, or some other exotic military cuisine. Now I was required to sleep in triple-sheeted king beds, and dine in elegant surroundings on culinary delights that I could not pronounce, with silverware that I had never seen before. Don’t forget Room Service! I often ordered from Room Service just so I could eat with my fingers, And Thank Heaven for Bob Evans and Cracker Barrel’s welcomed opportunity to enjoy a reality breakfast again. I saw this career change as a major challenge and as another opportunity to serve. After 20 years of making the world safe for democracy, I would now make the highways and byways safe for AAA members. This was going to be a difficult transition and I vowed to give it careful and serious consideration; after about 10 seconds of deep thought, I knew this was the new career for me. Despite the obvious differences between the military and the hospitality industry, I often reflect on the similarities. One of these is the outstanding dedication, professionalism, and talent one encounters in both workforces I have found that the current and future leaders in both fields share some common traits. Among these are the total acceptance of responsibility, a steadfast drive to succeed and excel, and the true leaders are noticeable because they take their work very seriously, without taking themselves too seriously, and two of my favorites: leading by example and stressing the value of teamwork without becoming or creating martinets. Military and hospitality leaders are able to consistently deliver outstanding results in difficult and stressful conditions. Another personal similarity is that I thoroughly enjoyed both my careers. Both jobs allowed me to do interesting things, work with people I liked and respected, and see the world. Blind luck or wise career choices? Mostly luck, with great support from so many hotel owners and managers who gave me opportunities to work with and for them. In the past several months Parkinson’s disease has caused me to make some changes in my life and work style. Specifically, NOBLES HOSPITALITY CONSULTING, NHC (www.nobleshc.com) will continue as a viable entity providing the same scope and quality of services as we have for the past 21 years. For the time being, my travel will continue but at a decreased pace. I will have limited participation in current and future projects. NHC is very fortunate to have several excellent associates on staff and can provide uninterrupted service. Most are very experienced and have worked with me for several years. Some of you know them already; others will get introduced soon. My major physical problem is loss of balance due to Parkinson’s; I fall unexpectedly and often. Hand tremors also make typing difficult; otherwise, I am doing pretty well. There is also the resurgence of a childhood speech impediment which has become noticeable recently. I sincerely thank all of you for your friendship and support. You have made the last 28 years possible, and you made it fun! So I won’t be seeing you on site as much, but I can still be reached by phone, email, or SKYPE. If you know any good jokes, funny anecdotes, or just want to say HELLO, I am here. Harry Nobles 757-564-3761 [email protected]
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