"But the 'Problem' is..."
Updated: Aug 18, 2020
In our hotel industry, we are constantly faced with ‘challenges’.
(I have a genuine and physical aversion to the word ‘problem’. It makes me cringe and shudder. I feel annoyed and agitated when I hear someone using that word. My mental dialogue tells me that the person who uses the word ‘problem’ has relinquished all responsibility for what is necessary or to resolve and progress from a challenge. But for the sake of simplicity, I will brace myself while writing this and add it to the vocabulary as most people tend to say it that way and understand it.)
In my 20+ years of experience none of the challenges faced come close to the one we are facing now.
And understandably, the people are fearful, confused, anxious, worried...and ‘reactive’ or as I say ‘stuck’ in a ‘Problem Mindset’ about the challenge on hand; not that there could have been a way to be proactive about Covid-19.
You know that a ‘Problem Mindset’ is at play, when you are experiencing a challenge, and you’ve gotten into the ‘OH MY GOD 😱😱' mode and you tend to inflate and expand and stretch that problem by thinking about all of the negative repercussions.
Furthermore, when we are experiencing something we 'perceive’ as negative, we tend to carry a ‘belief’ that more things will possibly go wrong if we try to resolve the original problem.
This leads to blaming, passing the responsibility and freaking our relationships out!
A classic example was cited by one of the participants on our course. When Covid happened and lockdown was declared, her mind immediate focussed on ALL of the ADDITIONAL problems she was going to face due to the lockdown - like,
Problem # 1
She’d have no domestic help - meaning she would have to clean, launder etc.
Problem # 2
She would not know how to acquire food and necessities.
Problem # 3
She didn’t know how to cook as was always dependent on the domestic help to do so for her.
This led to her mental state being super anxious leading to
arguments with her partner;
quarrels with her neighbours, who must have been equally anxious;
difference of opinions with her business partner and much much more…
I shudder to think what her performance at work at her hotel would be after this.
We often take such shortcuts or avoid taking responsibility altogether and never really solve what the real challenge is.
Why? Because it’s more convenient. But is it really?
When we pass blame (on Covid) and responsibility (on the domestic help), we remain ‘at effect’.
We know there is a problem...and if we do take an action towards it, our mind is throwing up even more problems that might come about through that attempt or effort to change / solve it. We worry about what other negative repercussions will take place and THAT is what keeps us 'stuck'
This is also known as the ‘Problem-Controlled’ state - where your mindset is controlled by the problem.
Moreover we have the tendency to only use solutions that have worked in the past rather than looking for alternative ideas.
This is the path of least resistance. It is easy. It requires no effort and no responsibility altogether.
If you are controlled by the problem, you will always be in a ‘stuck’ state.
Which means, you are not able to move forward and make progress.
We all know that in our industry, while our processes are set and standard, the implementation of these is by a human who carries a mindset.
We would consider ourselves ‘lucky’ if our FOM has this 'knack' of defusing situations, or our Chef can conjure up an item that’s not on the menu for a fussy customer.
But we also know that we are not always that lucky.
Our hotel teams need a developed mindset to deliver the effective level of service and achieve business goals.
The ‘Solution Mindset’
In our ‘Creating & Sustaining a Solution Mindset’, the participants, through very simple exercises, learn how to ‘unstuck’ themselves and most of all, how we remain in a ‘solution mindset’
The 3 key benefits they have received
Create new beliefs so that no situation is perceived as a challenge or a problem. The mind operates to look for solutions on auto-pilot
The unconscious awareness, that there is a solution even if it is not apparent yet.
The mental ‘state’ remains calm and focussed to resolving rather than reacting.
Does this resonate with you?
Keen for you and your team to acquire a 'stellar mindset'?
Check out how you can join our courses at http://academy.hotelierexcellence.com/ https://linktr.ee/hotelierexcellence
And, then join our wonderful community that has exclusive access to more such workshops and trainings at https://www.facebook.com/groups/476839816308895