Strategic and performance consulting
The management of any hotel understands that effective functioning of the personnel lays the foundations for the success; therefore, they attach primary importance to training and constant improvement of the employees competence and skills. In this case, strategic and performance consulting seems to be the most appropriate options. As regards, strategic consulting, we should say that the essence of this approach relies mostly on the analysis of the best practices.
It is necessary to show how upscale or luxury hotels approach this issue, how much money they spend on training programs, how they assess the effectiveness of these programs. In addition to that, it is necessary to determine whether such policies are applicable for a particular company (Robinson, p 56). In point of fact, strategic consulting is copying of already-existing practices or ideas.
In order to strengthen their positions, Broadmoor and Rockresorts hotels have efficiently utilized the experience of their predecessors. Moreover, strategic and performance consulting can be regarded as a single entity. Therefore, executives pay special attention to the peculiarities of coaching, namely how employees are trained in luxury hotels, which aspects are addressed, in what way the scheduling problems are resolved. Performance consultants also examine the retention techniques, in other words, how leading enterprises stimulate employees and make them more engaged in their duties.
To conclude, hotel managers do not have to develop some entirely new strategies or methods, in the overwhelming majority of cases, they only adjust already-existing techniques to their own establishment. These examples illustrate that strategic and performance consulting is an important part of human resource management.
Starwood Winebuzz program
The management of Starwood hotel has recently launched the so-called Winebuzz program; it aims to improve the skills of waiters, especially it concerns serving wine. The main goal, which must be achieved, is to increase revenues and boost the popularity of the company. The question arises how exactly; the effectiveness of these training courses can be assessed. It should be pointed out that there are two types of benefits: qualitative and quantitative.
Thus, we should focus on these parameters. As for the qualitative characteristics, we should say that the Winebuzz training program can make clients more satisfied with the services of the hotel. Consequently, in the long run, this investment will break even. As for the increase of profitability, the efficiency of Winebuzz program is rated according to the formula that is often called the return or rate of investment. On the whole, this formula is a ratio of gained income or increase to the cost of training (Friedlob, et al, p 52). We do not have exact information, yet it seems that these courses will considerably contribute to effective work of the hotel.
The main problem, which arouses in connection with this question, is how to evaluate qualitative changes. Partly, this is the reason why the advantages of personnel coaching are so often underestimated, many hotel executives do not see their monetary value. This is arguably the biggest error that management can commit, because the profitability of any firm is usually directly proportioned to the competence of its employees. However, upscale hotels have already realized this self-evident fact and are ready to run up significant expense for the well-being of their clients.
Work cited
G. Thomas Friedlob, Franklin James Plewa. “Understanding return on investment”. John Wiley and Sons, 1996.
James C. Robinson (1996). “Performance consulting: moving beyond training”. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Robert,Mathis&John,Jackson.HumanResourceManagement. 11thed. Thomson/South-western, 2004.