Some Human Resource Management (HRM)’s problems.
Many organizations that I work for in the past, or even the ones at present, either in a role of consultant, trainer or employee, every corner of the company often fills with employee’s complaints.
For example heavy work load, favoritism, nepotism, managers’ bad behavior, unknowledgeable manager, shortage of man power, or other various general management problem. From much conversation I have with people, it is found that most employees in most organizations expect the HR manager or HR department to solve the above mentioned problem. Sometimes, it is sad and almost unfair, that the HR manager is expected to do it all alone.
Top 10 mistakes when opening a hotel
After actively participating for 18 hotel openings as a manager and hotel consultant, I am somehow surprised about the fact that most independent hotel investors unintentionally – but also intentionally - make exactly the same mistakes over and over again which always turn out to be very costly!
I am writing down these “top 10” mistakes in a hope that this list might help some developers and owners.
As we are hotel consultants, we sincerely believe that a consultant must be the most honest, transparent, straight-forward and therefore most trustworthy person close to the owners and investors.
A consultant’s intention should NEVER be to keep hotel owners and investors ‘in the dark’! A true consultant must educate advice and provide samples of good and bad practices. A hotel consultant must also be a good teacher – not a lecturer! We must guide and use all channels of communication to pass on knowledge to others. We choose to write articles in a hope that it helps and inspires others.
Top 10 issues with “Managing Family Style”!
As a hotel consultant based here in Thailand, I frequently observe hotel and resort owners and senior managers informing employees that it is the owners or managements wish that everyone should work as a big family! Even every new employee is informed that this is the owners wish and concept!
It all sounds so good, so sweet, so kind and so inviting, doesn’t it?
A short thought about differences between “manager” and “leader”
Many books and researches talk about differences between “manager” and “leader” and there are much discussion on its understanding towards the two. I like to emphasize here that how deep people try to differentiate the manger and the leader; I do strongly believe that “to be an effective manager, you have to be a good leader as well!
Some Greed in Green!
As global warming has been an issue worldwide, many green projects are coming up like mushrooms; no matter if they are real true green projects. For years, I have been observing the work of many organizations, particularly in Thailand, and I am concerned about the “being green” concept that’s why I like to share a few issues here in this blog.
I believe that many hotels and organizations try their best to reduce as much as possible waste and some hotels even try to be 100% carbon-free. All are good and respectable, yet, as the world has NOT been totally green before! So, to be “green”, we need to consider some of the impacts we create as well to ensure sustainability.
Does your organization succeed through employees’ suffering? – Thai version
ความทุกข์ของคนทำงาน นำมาซึ่งความสำเร็จขององค์กร
(หรือไม่)
หลายคนอาจมองว่า ความสำเร็จ คือ ตึกรามที่สวยงามขององค์กร
สิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกที่ทันสมัย ผลกำไรมากมายจากธุรกิจ
ผลงานยิ่งใหญ่ที่ต้องใส่ในเอกสารเพื่อตีแผ่ รางวัลต่าง ๆ ที่ได้มามากมายระดับชาติ
และนานาชาติ เป็นต้น ซึ่งไม่ได้ผิดเลย
อย่างไรก็ดี จากประสบการณ์ไม่ว่าจะของตนเองหรือการพูดคุยกับคนทำงานเป็นพัน
ๆ ชีวิต สิ่งที่หลาย ๆ องค์กรไม่ได้เน้นอย่างจริงจริง อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ คือ ความสำเร็จ
ที่รวมด้วย ความสุข ความสามัคคี ความเข้าใจ
ในการทำงานของคนในองค์กร ทุกคนคงไม่ปฏิเสธว่า “งาน” คือส่วนใหญ่ ๆ ของชีวิต หากทำงานแล้วทุกข์
หลายอย่างในชีวิตจะกระทบกระเทือนอย่างแน่นอน
หากผู้ที่ดูแลองค์กรคิดได้ก็จะรู้ว่า หากเราบริหารองค์กรให้เกิด ความสุข ความสามัคคี
รวมถึงความเข้าใจในงานและองค์กรได้นั้น จะเป็น “บุญกุศล” เหลือหลายที่มากกว่าการสร้างโบสถ์สร้างวัด เพราะเราทำให้คน ๆ หนึ่งสามารถต่อยอดความสุขของเขาไปยังอีกหลาย
ๆ ชีวิตได้
Mai-BS (Thailand) works with AMTADA Hotel Bangkok
Mai-BS (Thailand) signed an agreement to be the Owner’s Consultant for AMTADA Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand.
Mai-BS (Thailand) a strategic partner for Tropiculture Company, Thailand
October 27, 2009 - Mai-BS (Thailand) has been appointed as strategic partner
for Tropiculture Company. http://tropiculture.net
Tropiculture Company is based in Bangkok and Koh Samui.
Tropiculture
is a group of highly-educated architects and engineers who want to minimize
limitations and discover more challenges in their design and construction work;
therefore, the group has targeted to practice more as a residential property
developer, which can create its
own complete development programs including all project
styles and requirements.
My thoughts about a “green” hotel
I did have a discussion with a hotel owner who claims
that his hotel is a ‘green’ (environmental friendly) hotel and he wants some
advice on how to advertise this with the media and tour operators.
I need to mention that I am a true fan of any hotel owner
who is focusing on sustainable tourism and environmental friendly concepts.
Article 1 – Challenges with some Hotel Owners and some Hotel Developments
I am writing now a few articles about some serious
challenges a consultant or manager might face sometimes. Out of respect, and to
be professional, I will not mention any names.
I hope that this and upcoming articles will inspire and
help other hotel owners and investors somehow when planning to build and
operate a hotel or resort.
Basics for Hotel Owners and Investors when building and/or operating a hotel or resort
We have seen many hotels and resorts which look good, but
still receive many negative comments from guests since important basics have
been overlooked.
Never forget the fact that some of the best architects do
not have any hotel or service industry experience, so they don’t know how to
design back-of-house areas, rooms and public areas for comfort and convenience!
For most architects, the most important thing is to create a good looking hotel
or resort to add to their portfolio. They will not care anymore ones the place
is ready!
Today I like to give my comments and recommendations for certain
basics to keep in mind when building a hotel or resort.
How to prepare a Human Resource Manual
Mai-BS
(Thailand) Co., Ltd., found that many of our friends and colleagues may like to
have information as below on “Very Fundamental Human Resource and Training
Policies”, (Manual). We are pleased to share them to you.
Some basics for SEO and E-Marketing + a Freebie
September offer from Mai-BS (Thailand)
Contact us for a FREE detailed audit and report of your business website. Just send us a email with your business email address and website address
(URL) to info@mai-bs.com
Subject:
Free Website Audit
Dear All
Today I like to write a little about the importance of good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and good E-Marketing)
I see many hotel and business websites lookingvery good, but performing so badly or they not perform at all. The owners of those websites must have thought “This site design looks
stunning and fancy! Let’s upload the website right now! Our guest, clients or customers will love this side and us! They will buy our services and products! After all it’s a fancy site isn’t it?.”
A classic situation! A web designer who designed and created a website without any clue or idea what SEO and E-Marketing means, and this designer couldn’t care less if the website will be popular and a profitable business! After all, the web-designer wants to build and show the most fancy website site to others for his/her own adverting and benefit! The designer couldn’t care less if your side will ever be a high-ranking site, if your site does have visitors or if your site generates any business at all… Trust me, they don’t care or they don’t know that they should care for you!
Let’s talk about
some simple SEO facts:
- ·
It’s a fact that most website designers don’t know much about SEO as the skills and knowledge needed for SEO and E-Marketing are very different. (Would you trust your local contractor to do important Sales and Marketing work for you?) - ·
It’s a fact that most website designers like to create the most beautiful site to be included into his/her portfolio as a reference and don’t care at all how many people will visit your site… or even better, how much business you create with your site! - ·
It’s a fact that many websites I check look really impressive and good! However with wrong keywords, without back links, without listings in web directories, without proper HTML, XHTML or CSS, and with those mentioned, your site will never work well! - ·
It’s a fact that using too much “Flash” will make SEO efforts very difficult. - ·
It’s a fact that “Content” is King!! Don’t copy from other sites, write good content and write a lot and include your keywords in the content, - ·
It’s a fact that your visitors come to your site first and foremost for INFORMATION! Give them the option to view nice pictures and videos, but focus on INFORMATION and CONTENT. - ·
It’s a fact that your site must be USER-FRIENDLY as your visitors might leave the site 10 second after visiting the site if they cannot figure out how to navigate your site fast. - ·
It’s a fact that you must keep on writing articles, press and news releases and submit them to all the leading sites and on social media sides. - ·
It’s a fact that you must include social media links such as Face book and Twitter etc. - ·
It’s a fact that you need a Blog and that you post weekly at least one (1) article on the blog. - ·
It’s a fact that you need to post on other blogs related to your business to create good exposure and back links - ·
It’s a fact that SEO and E-Marketing is not a one-off job!! This work never stops even your site ranks well already. If you stop working on your site, your site will be back to the bottom in no time!
It is not unusual to see some hotel and other business websites which are over 5 years old and still does not have a good page-rank, very limited or even no back-links and link-popularity at all, an Alexa rank of 15 millions or higher and very limited page view and visitors a day (and even less business transactions). Most of the time those websites are without proper content, only fancy flash and pictures and ‘blinking’ gadgets, with all those mentioned, how your website will help you to make business?
Your Sales and Marketing team should be shot on the spot in public if this is the case!
Most S&M Directors and Mangers don’t like E-Marketing and SEO!
- ·
They worry that they will not be allowed any longer to travel to all those travel marts in all those beautiful countries around the world. - ·
They worry so much that the will lose out on all the delicious business luncheons and dinner with tour operators and agents. - ·
They worry so much to lose all those benefits such as gasoline allowances, phone allowances etc
They better adjust their mind-set and learn new techniques or they will really have something to worry big-time!!
We know that especially here in Asia, the owners of those businesses don’t know much about IT and even less about SEO and E-Marketing!
Those owners and managers trust their IT Manager- who uses many High-Tech words at all times! Those owner and mangers, not having any clue what the IT Manager is trying to say will trust this person!
Many owners and managers most time wrongly view that certain IT manager must be good, just because he/she speaks un-understandable IT language which the owner himself cannot even duplicate the word after hearing 10 times. So, what I want to say here is: as an owner
or manager especially in a small to medium size, you have to learn about what truly Information technology is, what social media is, what SEO means, what E-marketing is all about. It is very important as this will help to SUCCESSFULLY complete in business with a minimum
cost involved.
Think about this Hotel Statistics:
90% of your sales and marketing budget produces in average only 42% of the result (Tour Operators and Travel Agents) whereby 10% of the budget (E-Marketing) and SEO) does produce up to 60% of the business.
Most people and managers don’t know that it is NOT the IT Managers’ responsibility to do E-Marketing. Any business must have an
E-Marketing Manager on board or you will lose out badly in today’s business environment! You must insist to get a very detailed monthly report on e-marketing actives, search engine ranking,
If you business is small, you better start learning about E-Marketing and do it yourself or outsource. START NOW or NEVER – Profit is in your hands.
Klaus Rauter
Managing Director
Mai-BS (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Communication and Communication and Communication!
I am sure that everyone
will agree that effective communication is challenging and leading an
organization successfully, brings along such a challenge. Many things succeed because of good communication,
while many failures are blamed on communication as well. The trick of the trade is whether the
communication is “effective”.
