A to Z of Hotel Professionalism for 2019

Being a Professional Hotelier in your chosen field means much more than wearing a uniform and possessing a noted title. Professionalism also has to do with how you conduct yourself within your Hotel.....

Arrive five minutes early each day. Don’t be that employee who’s barely making it in the door or the one who regularly comes fifteen minutes late.

Body language should be considered. Maintain good eye contact and stand or sit straight up. Having good posture portrays confidence.

Communicate clearly Stay on topic. Keep as succinct as possible. Avoid unnecessary information - but ask open-ended questions.

Dressing well is very important. Invest in a few good outfits for work if you are not provided with uniform. Iron your clothes the night before so that you aren’t rushed and wrinkled in the morning.

Emails and Social Media should be responded to in a timely fashion, with no more than a day in between a response. Reread all correspondence before sending to check for typing errors.

Friendships at work are positive, but keep your discussions light whilst in the Hotel. Check in with your co-workers regularly, have breaks together, but only discuss things like TV shows and music.

Gossip should never be participated in. Keep discussions about your personal life to a minimum whilst at work.

Hygiene is critical. Shower daily and keep your hair well-kempt and out of your face.

If you are in a relationship with a co-worker. If this is against company policy, you need to inform your supervisor and end the relationship or else find another job.

Join in during meetings. When in meetings, avoid getting on your phone or drifting off. Instead, stay focused, listen, and take notes.

Keep your private life - private. At work, avoid discussing intimate details about your life with your co-workers. Avoid discussion of relationships and fights with your partner completely.

Learn your Hotel Policies to make sure that you are following all of the rules. If you think you are in violation of any of these rules, consult with your manager.

Mistakes should be apologised for. When this happens, don’t shift the blame to others but take full responsibility instead. Apologise for the errors you made and put steps in place to avoid them in the future.

Never rush out after the shift. Stay a few minutes afterwards to check emails or finish up tasks.

Organise yourself well. Keep your desk and work space neat and clean. Put documents in drawers or filing cabinets. Keep a calendar to keep track of your appointments, meetings and projects.

Practice any presentations in advance. If you have to present your work to your colleagues or some other audience, be ready. Create a slideshow and have notes on hand to refresh your memory.

Qualify yourself - Consider going back to school. Perhaps look to extend your knowledge by going back to College to get another qualification in your field.

Reliability is critical. If you tell somebody that you will do something - do it. This will help to establish trust between you and others.

Slang should never be used. Limit how often you say “like," “um," "uh," and grunting sounds.

Training in your field. Many Hotels will pay for their employees to go to training or conferences related to their work. These are great experiences for you to expand your knowledge.

Unless something serious happens, like an illness, comes up to change them, always keep all of your meetings and appointments.

Voicemail messages should be professional. Promise to respond to calls in a certain time and follow through on that promise. Additionally, be sure to check your voicemail regularly.

Well Fitting clothes are important so you look neat - stay away from clothes that are too tight or baggy.

eXtreme tasks should be avoided - Admit when you don't know something or if you don't feel like you can handle it.

You must be honest with your co-workers and bosses. Honesty is a very important element of professionalism.

Zoom through all your work before it is due and to the best of your ability.

The term professional is thrown around quite a bit these days, perhaps too much in Hotels. I do it myself. But it is up to you to ensure that you turn your-self into and maintain yourself as a True Professional.

Tell me what else you think is important in your area of work and professionalism?

Through his electronic work, Stephen attempts to help those without the time or often the money to attend College by providing them with Learning.

My posts are intended for hotel workers, supervisors and managers around the world, who are (or want to become) actively engaged in learning and development.