Moving up in your Hotel’s organization is a lot easier than
you might think. Do these three things and success can be yours:
1- Determine your boss’s payoffs.
2- Learn the skill set of your new position.
3- Train your replacement.
If you do these things, it’s a no brainer and you will be
promoted. Alternatively, you may find that you have to move on to achieve your
goals. The assumption has to be made that the organization is big enough to
handle individual careers and not just provide jobs. Without that condition there is no future.
The assumption is also made that you know enough about your new position to
know that you want to move on or up. (*)
1-THE BOSS’S PAYOFF
Determining your boss’s personal payoffs is the first and
most vital step in your move to the next level. Does she want to move up the
organization or is he content with the job he has? Is she willing to help you
advance or does she want you doing your work and hers? Is he willing to listen
to your ideas about how your advancement will be accomplished? Can you explain
why this change will be good for your boss? Once you believe your boss sees his
personal payoffs involved in your promotion, it’s on to the next step.
2-LEARNING THE NEW SKILL SET
You can accomplish this in a number of ways. If the new
skill set is in another department, a series of extension courses might provide
a background for learning. If you want a job like your boss has he/she can show
you the “inside” part of what they do. Learning this new skill set will give
you the opportunity to determine if you are going to like this new position and
position you to fill the role when available.
3-FINDING AND TRAINING YOUR REPLACEMENT
You will do your boss, and therefore yourself, a favor when
you train someone to replace you. Once she knows you have or are training your
replacement, your recommendation will be forthcoming. Without your replacement
at hand, it would be difficult for any supervisor to promote you and leave your
position vacant.
So, there are the three obvious but often ignored steps to
moving up in the organization. If you are in an organization that has room for
growth and have a boss that you can trust with your future, then you are half
way there. Learning the new skill sets will come with time and effort. If,
however, your current organization just offers jobs rather than careers or your
boss’s behavior tells you he will not help you succeed, then you need to start looking
for career opportunities.
(*) For those not sure about their next career move, the
author recommends taking the time to complete the Schilagi Interest and Skill
Profile for Hospitality. [ SISP]. www.DIRECTIONSFORHOSPITALITY.COM
Frank J. Schilagi, PhD is a senior research associate for
Directions Incorporated and the author of Reality
Check for Leaders. He can be reached
through the above web site.