What are the most omnipresent forces of change we are seeing today? Revenue management is a moving target these days. Revenue managers are trying to get in front of OTA issues while effectively managing their ADR. This is especially true with independent hotels as the online travel industry evolves; how do you get a web savvy customer to book directly with the property? Staying ahead of the pricing curve requires revenue mangers to master evolving technology. Due to the accelerated pace with which updated software and hardware come to the market it is getting increasingly challenging to stay on top of the latest trends and be competitive at the same time.
Possible solution: Create a forum where people can share ideas and best practices. Make sure the conversations are solution-oriented and address common frustrations. This will allow for a faster ramp up of revenue managers at the property and corporate level.

Another dominant force for change in hospitality operations are updates to property management systems. While these do allow for operational efficiencies, changes in technology have a direct affect on employees as their normal way of doing business transforms; comfortable routines are interrupted affecting both the front and back of the house. Learning a new or updated property management system can decrease productivity and increase stress levels for employees.
Possible solution: Having a thorough training plan will avoid the painful side effects of learning a new technology. Create a roadmap that teaches employees how to use the new technology making sure to highlight how these changes will make their jobs easier. With a significant effort by management to train employees on the new system, much of the fear would be removed within the first few sessions as familiarity starts to set in.

In today’s business environment everyone is constantly plugged-in therefore it is more important than ever to react to change effectively even as you are getting in front of new trends. In addition to keeping up with the latest trends in technology, employees have greater workloads and fewer resources which can result in higher levels of stress. For cost saving measures many companies have restructured, downsized their workforce, and decreased benefits. But what happens when jobs are permanently changed or eliminated? At New York City’s Yotel which opened in June 2011, they have employed a robot (called Yobot), which stores guest luggage. Does this mean the end for the bellman once these robots get more mobile? Probably not. This seems to be more of a marketing strategy than a labor solution. But it does foreshadow how technology can create an environment in which the employee feels stress and anxiety about their job stability.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “High rates of job destruction and creation may also lead to high levels of stress from chronic employment uncertainty, particularly since the jobs created may not provide the same level of compensation and benefits nor the same quality of working conditions” ¹. When there is turnover at the executive level, or change of asset ownership/management it is particularity chaotic, making it hard to execute both short and long-term initiatives.

An Effective Change Agent
In the era of reduction, the employer must get creative to ensure their employees feel valued. The CDC states “increased flexibility, responsibility, and learning opportunities seen in many of today’s jobs may hold potential for improved satisfaction and well-being in the workforce” ². Many times it is a senior leader whose role it is to be a change agent. This leader must use a combination of techniques to help facilitate change, most important of which is to get the buy-in from the employees of the new strategies. You will get greater buy-in by initiating change from the ground up.