COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

BS TOURISM MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

TOUR 303
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INDUSTRY

MODULE 1
Plan, Develop and Manage Operational Approaches

Introduction:
This module covers the knowledge, skills, behavior and motivations required to plan, develop and
manage in a range of settings within the hotel, restaurant and travel industries workplace context. Depending
on the context, this role could be performed by a wide range of individuals including department managers,
local or regional tourism managers, resident managers and operation managers.

Objectives:
At the end of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Communicate work roles in the operations of the enterprise;
2. Coordinate activities in an organization’s operation;
3. Maintain effective working relations;
4. Provide feedback to employees.

Information Sheet # 1.1: Communicate work roles in the Operations of the Enterprise

Introduction

A central role to play for an enterprises’ operations manager is the approach of stabilizing an
organization’s policies and procedures across major business areas including finance, planning and
technology. However, the role of the operation manager in small businesses is often assumed by the firm’s
owner or its general manager. The job involves overseeing the company’s strategic approach to its onsite
operations.

Definitely, managing the competing business practices within an organization is a major challenge for
an operation manager. The finance function of the business may prefer to communicate via email while the
human resources directory may prefer written memos. These differences in business procedure can have a
detrimental effect on operations when they impact the effectiveness or efficiency of delivering quality goods
and services. Consequently, a weak communications process can hamper the processing of orders or the
payment of invoices. Operation mangers can end competing practices by instituting company-wide standards.
Even in small businesses where one person might handle several functions hence, all team members should
understand how the organization operates and follow those procedures. The operation manager’s job is to
ensure that everyone is using the same methods and following the same policies as well as communicating
openly.

Conversely, operation mangers in other properties are responsible for corporate reporting including the
compilation of financial and performance data and the communication of this data to stakeholders and regular
audits of the organization’s financial books. Thus, challenges can arise in corporate reporting when the
businesses setting can sometimes take a back seat to more pressing concerns like meeting customer
demands or keeping production levels high. Nonetheless, full and complete record keeping on profits and
losses as well as sales goals and expenses is necessary to assess the company’s long-term viability.

Special considerations in Operations Management

A critical function of operations management relates to the management of inventory through the
supply chain. To be an effective operations management professional then one must be able to understand the
processes that are essential to what a company does and get them to flow and work together seamlessly. The
coordination involved in setting up business processes in an efficient way requires a solid understanding of
logistics. An operations management professional understanding of logistics. An operations management
professional understands local and global trends, customer demand and the available resources for
production.

Operations management also typically follows up with customers to ensure the products meet quality
and functionality needs. Further, operations management takes the feedback received and distributes the
relevant information to each department to use in process improvement. Operations mangers are involved in
coordinating and developing new processes while re-evaluating current structures.
 Organization and productivity are two key drivers of being an operations manager and the work often
requires versatility and innovation. Hotel management prepare annual budgets to help the management team
operate the hotel more efficiently. Success in the hotel business requires careful management of expenses,
particularly labor cost. Hotels have a relatively large staff. It is important to have sufficient human resources on
property to deliver excellent customer service but not be overstaffed, which can reduce the hotel’s profitability.

Identification, Development and Communication of Operational Plans

The manager shall identify, develop and communication of operational plans and objectives to team
members. This instruction focuses on the role of supervisors/managers in getting their team to work towards
the successful completion of goals, as identified by the organization and departments in their owned. A
supervisor or manager cannot perform all these tasks themselves. They need the help, support and efforts of
all staff members under their command.

Teamwork is classified as the collective actions towards a number of people towards a collective goal.
Whilst each business will have a range of goals, in essence the primary goal is to provide an enjoyable
experience for customers for a reasonable return on investment for owners, in a safe and lawful manner. The
groups that work together carrying out the organisation’s tasks are like an engine that enables that other parts
of the whole to work. In the same way that the size and sophistication of an engine should depend on what it
needs to drive, so the team that is created should depend on the level of work that is to be done.

The nature of people working together is that a harmonious environment is considered a desirable one.
The work to be done brings the people together, and social interaction characterises how they complete their
respective tasks.

Teamwork and Support

It is true that in a hospitality or tourism organisation no one person can meet the needs of all
customers. It requires the collective efforts of many people to achieve success. Therefore having a team that
supports each other is essential. Each team member brings with them their own unique characteristics,
experiences, knowledge and skills which, when used correctly, can have a positive impact on customers.
Everyone has different strengths and these should be celebrated and used for the benefit of the customer. It
should be the goal of any business to use its staff to the best of their abilities, to create an offering that meets
the needs of its customers.

Synergy is a phrase that represents the concept of effective and successful teams. Synergy is the
concept where the accumulated actions of a group are more powerful than the sum of individual efforts. A
challenge for managers of a group is to get everyone thinking in the same direction, even though they may all
individually have different opinions. One way to improve teamwork is to get individual staff members involved
in activities that require them to work together.

Characteristics of Teams

A team is often characterised through:

 Having a common goal – it is important all staff not only identify the goal, but why it is important
 Work interdependently with each other – the actions of one person impacts other staff
 Independent job functions – whilst staff are working together, they perform different roles and have
different activities. Staff must understand how their actions contribute to the greater good of the team
 Enjoy working together – this may be hard with different personalities, however, in most cases people
enjoy working together. Get staff involved in activities where they can find out more about each other
 Accountability - staff will not only have their own responsibilities, but will also have collective
responsibilities
 Empowerment – staff have their own power to act and make decisions
 Understand the importance of teams.

Factors influencing Team Structure

Teams are commonly created based on a number of factors including, but not limited to:
 Organisational structure
 Purpose of the business
 Company culture
 Types of departments
 Degree of service provided
 Service style

Categories of Teams
 Whilst there are endless categories of teams, common categories include:
 Project-based
 Permanent teams
 Paid workers
 Volunteers
 Work role team
 Peers
 Subordinates

Types of Teams

Each hospitality organization will have different teams for different purposes. It is not uncommon for
individual staff members and managers to be a member of more than one team in their organization. The
different types of teams within a hospitality organization can include:

 The organization as a whole- each organization, deepening on its size, will have an identity as a whole,
whether it is an individual hotel property through to a multi-national hotel chain.

Many large hotel chains normally comprise of:

o A wide selection of properties
o Of different sizes
o In different locations
o Of different ‘brands’ ranging from 1 to 5 star properties
o Catering to different target market segments.

Regardless of the diversity or the whole organization itself hence all staff within the organization will have
a common focus and need to abide by common standards, regardless of which department, position or actual
location in which they work. Large hotels chains or any multi facet businesses in any industry will strive to
ensure a consistency of offering to customers as a quality assurance mechanism. Therefore all organizational
employees will be directed by:

 Organisational mission statement

 Cores and values
 Standard operating systems
 Organizational wide policies and procedures

Individual Branches

Within the entire organization, individual branches or properties will exist. Whilst still confirming within the
organizational framework, each of these will have their own specific focus and requirements to suit the
individual property needs. For example a small budget hotel in an industrial section of a commercial city will
have a different focus to that of a high end luxury beachside resort, even if they are within the same hotel
chain.

Individual Work Sections

Certainly, within each individual property, a range of departments will exist so each with their own teams.
Some of these departments will also have their own outlets/teams. For example a Food and Beverage
Department may comprise the following outlets:
 Kitchen
 Banquets
 Conference
 Restaurants – ranging from fine dining to casual buffet
 Bars – ranging from lounge bars to night clubs
 Mini Bar

Each of these outlets will have their own teams. Specific groups of employees assigned to complete
designated tasks, or to work together. For example a restaurant may comprise teams including:
 Kitchen staff
 Waiters
 Bartenders
 Support staff
 Cashiers / receptionists / hosts
 Indeed, as mentioned previously just because you may be a member of one team does not mean that
you are also a member of another team however, in a different capacity and with a different purpose. This may
include teams established for the following purpose:
 A project or task – a temporary team which will cease once the project objectives have been completed
 A defined purpose – such as Health and Safety Committee.

Operational Plans and Objectives

Each team, as identified in this section to date will focus their efforts towards the achievement of
objectives, through the successful implementation of operational plans. Thus, as can be seen from the above
examples, the complexity of groups is quite varies and dynamic. So, regardless of the size, structure or
dynamic of each group, they will always have objective in which they strive to achieve. Here will be arrange of
objectives which can include, but certainly not limited to:

Target, Goals and Objectives

It can be difficult to pinpoint why one group of people working together can perform better than others, even
when some of the members are common to different groups. Working with groups of people and how
successful they are is affected by a number of variables that affect team performance, and the way one
variable affects another will also impact how the group performs. Achieving good team performance must start
with the right goals and objectives. The goals and objectives may be short-term, mid-term or long-term, and
can relate to area such as:

 Sales targets – in terms of dollars, units, number of covers, specific market demographics
 Performance targets for a particular project – such as date-linked budget figures for sales, labour, cost of
goods sold, advertising, profit
 Increased productivity – which may be set for individuals or an entire department or property. In service
industries there is always a potential down-side for productivity increases in that service levels often drop
when such a push is made
 Achieving KPIs – which may relate to satisfaction surveys compliance with store policies and protocols,
achieving budgeted profit targets, reducing staffing levels to a predetermined level, successfully
introducing a new initiative
 Meeting short, medium or long-term goals – whilst teams will have a long term objective, there will be
more immediate goals and milestones that must be achieved.

Reporting Deadlines

All teams will have a time deadline in which to undertake different tasks and to achieve different targets. The
reporting deadline of each team is based on timeline of the project or tasks. Meeting deadlines is critical to
success on the job. If you habitually have difficulty completing projects on time or submitting reports when
they’re due then you need to refine you time management skills before you find your job in jeopardy.
Fortunately, there are measures that help you to improve your success rate meeting your work deadlines.
These are the following measures:

 Take all deadlines seriously and respect them for it shows respect for others. Focus all your energy on
completing the project on time. Be determined to meet that deadline. Don’t underestimate the power of
positive thinking.
 Keep a calendar on your desk and highlight the due date. Count how many days remain until the due
date and write this on the calendar each morning in brightly colored ink to keep reminding you of your
diminishing number or days.
 Don’t waste time worrying about how you’re going to get the project completed. Just jump in and get
started. Don’t allow yourself to procrastinate by getting a cup of coffee, or complaining to your co-workers
about how daunting the project appears to be.
 Break the project down into segments and give yourself due dates for each part. Focus on only one step
at a time so you won’t feel overwhelmed or get blocked. Set a maximum time limit for how long you will
devote to each step.
 Set up a system or reminders throughout the day to help you monitor the amount of time spent on each
part of the project. Set the alarm on your cell phone or computer to ring at the end of the time set aside.
Set the alarm to give yourself a five or 10 minute warning so you’ll know when it’s time to wrap up.
 Don’t allow yourself to get bogged down doing research on the computer. Adhere strictly to the time
limits you set for yourself.
 If your job requires you to work on more than one project at a time then block sections of time throughout
the day to devote to each one. Keep the largest block of time sacred for the project that has the most
immediate deadline.
 Eliminate all distractions. Tell your co-workers that you need to work undisturbed. Clear your desk before
you begin. Don’t take or make phone calls, and don’t check your emails during the block of time you
have reserved for the project.
  Prioritize what you must do each day. Always start with your most important tasks first. Deal with the
easier parts of each task first, and get them completed before you tackle the more difficult parts that
could keep you busy for most of the day and leave you no time for anything else.
 Recognize when to cut your losses and move on. If you get stuck on one part of the project, don’t waste
too much time being unproductive. Look for an alternate solution or a way to work around the issue.
Consider skipping the problematic section and coming back to it later, or ask for help from a colleague. A
fresh pair of eyes might see something you overlooked.
 Take work home with you if the deadline is fast approaching and you’ve fallen behind in the schedule you
set for yourself. Stay up late if you need to, if you’re able to work productively when slightly sleep-
deprived. Recognize that it’s preferable to be tired when you hand in the completed project rather than let
down your boss and your team members by shoeing up empty-handed.
 If the deadline set by your supervisor was unrealistic, or you experience some extenuating
circumstances that cause a delay, try to negotiate a new deadline. But, if you need to do this, do it as far
ahead of the deadline as possible. Last-minute requests are not looked upon favourably.

Meeting Budgetary Targets

Like with any aspect of an organization, all teams will normally have to operate within resource
restrictions, with a key one being financial. It is unlikely that teams will have unlimited funds at their disposal in
which to operate. One of the main reasons for organizations and teams existing in the first place is to
operationally viable.

A budget is a business plan component that helps to ensure success (Anderson, n.d.). Typically, the
budget covers a 12-month period. Once a budget is established then management compares it with actual
expenditures to determine if the company is operating within its means. If revenue fails to meet expectations or
expenses exceed the budget then management must adjust business activity accordingly. For example, a
business might cancel planned projects to prevent a financial crisis. However, management might decide to
initiate additional business activities if revenue and expenditures are performing better than expected.

Team Participation
It is expected that all team members contribute to the best of their ability in the role in which they have
been selected. Employee participation and empowerment can be achieved in a small business context.
Consequently, to empower employees then management must transfer some decision-making authority, this
shows employees that management has faith in them. Participation may be encouraged through a variety of
means; the result is greater employee involvement in certain aspects of our business and greater
organizational efficiency.

Indeed, employee participation involves management actively encouraging staff to assist in running and
improving business processes and operations. Also known as employee involvement, employee participation
includes management recognizing individual employees’ opinions and input, so that employees understand
that management views them as unique and individually valuable to running the business.

Employee empowerment generally involves management recognizing that employees are in a better
position to oversee their own duties and work processes (Redsteer, n.d.). Management plays a crucial role in
empowerment, as employees cannot manage themselves without being trained properly. Once employees are
well-informed and educated regarding problem-solving strategies, management may then transfer some
decision-making authority to them. The basic premise of employee empowerment involves the idea that
employees are uniquely positioned to identify problems and to solve them.

Team and Individual Learning Goals

A team is not only developed for the completion of activities but it is a common aim for both the team
and the individuals within the team to learn and develop from the experience. High-powered teams must be
flexible and adaptable to changing conditions. Team strategies, goals, tasks, workflow and even members can
change over the life of the team. Team members should be able to rally together and meet new challenges
head-on, rather than splintering into ideological factions or banding together to resist change. Change is an
unavoidable part of modern business and the most effective teams have the ability to roll within the punches
and change the way they work together on the fly.

Teams that possess a wide range of professional competencies can be more fully equipped to meet a
wide range of challenges (Ingram, 2019). When building teams, take time to ensure that each team member
possesses skills and strengths that complement the skills, strengths and weakness of other team members.
Bringing together people with common skill-sets can lead to a great deal of discussion with little subsequent
action. Ensuring that each team member possesses a unique specialty allows team members to trust each
other for certain aspects of performance, while fully understand what their own contribution is expected to be.

Professional Development
 Following on from the common desire to promote leaning hence this is one of the most effective ways
to develop a group or an individual. In any organizations, from the civic to the educational to the business firm,
teamwork and professional development go hand in hand. Defining professional development precisely as the
continued integration of the organizational team manifesting a single purpose or goal isn’t possible. The role of
peers is central to the process of occupational development.

Professional or occupational development is part of the life-long learning process. Learning does not
end when schooling is over but is a continual movement towards what are supposed to be well defined goals
and standards (Johnson, n.d.). Professional development, formally speaking, is about being observed both by
peers and supervisors so as to identify problem areas that you might miss in your daily labor.
Professional development is a planned effort by an individual to improve his job-specific skills and
abilities, as well as to gain expertise in areas that transfer to any management position. For example, earning
certification is a job-specific skills, while improving communications skills transfers to any profession. One
domain of professional development is core competencies or those skills and abilities that apply to a specific
job. For example, an operations manager’s core competencies include revenue management, staffs
productivity and management, budgeting and cost controlling in the operations. Many people strengthen their
core competencies after college by earning a license or certification (Ashe-Edmunds. n.d.).

Regardless of what field you enter, you will most likely be governed by a variety of state, federal and
industry rules and regulations. Professional development should include learning those that affect your industry
or profession. Human resources directors should learn state and federal labor and compensation laws and
federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations. Accountants should become familiar with IRS
rules. Chefs should learn their state’s health department regulations.

Complementing Skills of Team Members to tasks and Duties

The manger has to match skills of team members to task and duties and develop job responsibilities in
line with enterprise guidelines. Team work requires you to cooperate with others in the team. The basis of this
cooperation hinges on jointly identifying the tasks or goals that the overall team is required to achieve, and
then deciding who will do what so that the team objecties can be achieved. This process will aim to identify the
roles and responsibilities that individual team members have towards reaching the desired standards. It often
will also identify in what sequence the tasks will be done so that team members can work effectively, both
interdependently and independently of each other.

In many situations then this planning activity may also include identify the necessary resources such as
time, physical resources, knowledge and information to enable both individual and group jobs and tasks to be
successful performed.

Benefits of Using a Team Approach

The establishments that encourage staff to work as a team and be self-directing in their approach to
work will result in many benefits such as:

 A more effective operational team

 A department where nothing is too much trouble whether or not it is a customer or management who
makes the request
 More harmony and fewer disputes amongst staff
 A far better working environment where you will be inclined to take less time off, and where you will
actually look forward to going to work
 Less clock watching, and more pats on the back from management and patrons
 More innovative and creative ideas, a situation will emerge where you are encouraged to try out new
but nonetheless intelligent ideas and concepts
 More learning not just about the establishment and the industry, but also about co-workers, group
dynamics and interpersonal relationships
 Higher levels of achievement than anyone thought possible, the power of ten people is far greater than
10 individuals, and there is also the momentum and power that a group decision beings with it.

The Need for Inclusion and Cooperation

A key in belonging to a work-team is to participate actively in any team decision-making process. It

requires each team member to become a contributor towards the overall goal. When identifying the individual
roles and responsibilities, it is essential that not only do team members understand what they are required to
do, but also accept it and are willing to take ownership for their role. When individual team members are
involved in coming to a decision about what is to be done, and how it is to be done, they will have a greater
commitment to making it happen than if they had simply been ordered to do it. Certainly, any decisions will
need to be within the overall requirements of the establishment by the key is that individual team members
have some say in what they are doing. This is known as “empowerment”.
Organizational Requirements

Each organization will have different organizational requirements relating to the roles and
responsibilities of individual staff members which may include:

 Legal and organisational policy and procedures, including personnel practices and guidelines
 Organisational goals, objectives, plans, systems and processes
 Legislation relevant to the operation, incident and/or response
 Employer and employee rights and responsibilities
 Business and performance plans
 Key performance indicators
 Policies and procedures relating to own role, responsibility and delegation
 Quality and continuous improvement processes and standards
 Client service standards defined resource parameters.

Work Team Responsibilities

Each work team, whether as a whole or as individual members, have responsibilities that must be
adhered to. Whilst these will vary depending on the purpose and structure of the work teams themselves they
may include:

 Obeying lawful orders

 Confidentiality and privacy requirements
 Safety and care with respect to occupational safety and health requirements
 Terms and conditions of own employment.

Identification of individual responsibilities within a group

The manager has to initiate the process to identifying individual responsibilities within a group. Whilst the
team members themselves will have some control over the role and direction of their actions in many cases
there are influencing factors that will dictate what the group and its individuals do. There are a number of ways
to identify the individual responsibilities of staff members within a team. Given that each organization will have
established positions in which individual staff member are employed hence finding out information is normally
easier than expected. The ways to identify individual roles, responsibilities and tasks include:

 Organizational hierarchies – each organisation will have established work groups, each with their own
positions
 Contract – outlines your job including any responsibilities and conditions of employment
 Job description – most jobs will have a separate job description that will identify the activities that you
need to perform as part of our role
 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) – standard instructions indicating how to perform specific tasks
and the order of sequence
 Policies – rules to follow in an organisation relating to difference circumstances
 Procedures – step by step instruction detailing how to complete an activity
 Daily Task Sheets – these may allocate specific tasks to perform that may relate to a specific activity or
event
 Direct requests – by management, colleagues or customers
 Observation – quite often you will have feeling when a certain task will need to take precedence over
others. This is intuition.

Position Descriptions

Position descriptions are often also known as ‘job descriptions’ and ‘duty statements’. The use of
position descriptions are very important in any team as they identify what each team member is responsible for
or to undertake, the purpose of position descriptions is to provide employees with information about their jobs,
including responsibilities, roles and tasks. It normally also indicates expected standards of performance.

A consistent format should be used for position descriptions in organizations so that they show, or at
least demonstrate, or at least demonstrate, a relationship between positions and that they are managed in the
same way. Generally, a ‘good’ position description will include:

 A confirmation of the details in a contract, such as position title and commencement date
 The purpose of the position and relationships with a group
 Information that describes how the position is performed successfully (KPIs)
 A signed acceptance of the position
Consulting with Other Relevant Others

There may be a need to consult with ‘relevant others’ when determining what needs to be done, either
for a team as a whole, or for individual team members. Relevant others may include:

 Management, supervisors or business owners – who can supply input regarding staffing levels,
priorities, immediate workplace need etc.
 People from other departments with which you have contact – these people may be management level
or they may be operational staff/workers
 Customers – who may be in the workplace and who have made special requests etc. for the upcoming
work period
 Administration staff – which may provide details regarding bookings/reservations or details of other
work tasks from other areas that need to be integrated into the work of your team.

Clarification of Allocation of Work Requirements

The manager shall clarify he allocation of work requirements of employees according to the following
components:

1. Job roles and responsibilities

Certainly, there are a number of established documents that help staff to identify what their job
encompasses and what tasks need to be completed on a daily basis. As mentioned, these may include
descriptions and work checklists as examples. Whilst these will be the source documents to help identify the
roles and responsibilities of staff and other considerations may impact what a staff member is actually required
to do on a particular day.
2. Day to day requirements

Though, staff may have a clear understanding of what needs to be completed on a daily basis but these
may be changed or other priorities may exist on a day to day basis. This may include changes to:

 Who the tasks are allocated to

 What the tasks are
 When or where they have to be done.

The allocation of tasks can vary based on issues such as:

 Expected demand
 Nature of specific events
 VIP’s
 Staff absences, caused by illness, rostered leave or time off
 Customer/guest feedback, usually complaints about service or facilities
 Equipment problems, such as breakdown or equipment shortages
 Unexpected events, such as a large number of walk-ins or an emergency of some kind
 Special requests from customers/guests that the business is prepared to try to meet.

Factors to Consider When Allocating Tasks

The following are the key considerations in allocating tasks to staff:

1. The urgency associated with the task. A really urgent task will require the allocation of more staff in order to
get the job done quickly/on time.

2. Staff preferences – while you are definitely in control of the staff and entitled to allocate any tasks to anyone
of your choice thus, a wise supervisor factors in individual staff preferences to avoid team members being
asked to do work or tasks they dislike or have said they are not comfortable with or fully competent in.

3. This consideration is a valid one, but care must be taken to ensure that certain staff don’t always get the
‘bad’ jobs, while others get the ‘good’ ones all the time.

4. Distribute workloads and opportunities equally. You are definitely in a position of influence and you must
make sure when you allocate tasks to staff that you do so in a way it is ‘fair and equitable’. This means you
don’t favor one staff member over another.
5. Everyone should be allocated, as far as is reasonable and practical, an equal amount of work to do. You
also need to be sensitive to the possible need to rotate staff through different tasks to ensure an equal
workload allocation.

6. Considering staffing availability, experience, skills and work habits: as a supervisor you will gain
understanding of how different staff members work.

7. It is a fact of life that different staffs have different strengths and weaknesses and you are expected to play
to those strengths and weaknesses. For example, you are expected to put the best bar attendant behind the
bar, rather than waiting on tables, and assign your most experienced staff member, rather than the new
employee, as concierge.

Communication Requirements of Jobs and Tasks

The manager shall communicate requirements of jobs and tasks clearly to team members. Once all
objectives and operational plans have been established and work group and individual roles and
responsibilities identified, it is important that all team members are informed of these roles and responsibilities.
Staff members not only need to receive this information, but are clear as to what is expected of them. They
also need to be provided with all relevant and current information that will enable them to successfully perform
their roles on a daily basis. Whilst communication and information may primarily come from managers, it is
important to remember that all colleagues within a team will communicate and share information on a daily
basis.

On a day-by-day basis then you may be required to allocate tasks to staff as a result of matters brought
to your attention by internal communications including reports or daily management meetings or your own
workplace observations.

Communication on Allocation of Work Activities

The managers shall communicate allocation of work activities to all concerned individuals. The Role of
daily staff briefing in allocating work, the daily briefing is an opportunity for variations to the ‘normal’ work
allocation to be communicated to staff and there is always the possibility that ongoing verbal communication
with staff will be needed throughout the day/shift to keep staff work in-line with the establishment’s and guest’s
demands. The staff briefing is the traditional time for the allocation of revised tasks but the nature of the
industry is such that these tasks.

 May need to be allocated at any time of any day

 May need to change from one moment to another. Tasks allocated at 8:30 am may need to be re-
allocated at 9:00 am due to issues arising without notice
 Can require two people now, but 10 minutes later can be adequately handled by just one staff member.
The peaks and troughs of trade is something you have to be very aware of as, although peaks can last
for only five, 10 or 15 minutes, if they are not planned for and suitably staffed, there can be enormous
negative consequences for the business. For example, there is commonly a peak at the early morning
check-out time, so the astute supervisor will make sure there are ‘enough’ staff (receptionists, porters,
cashiers) to cope with that relatively short, high-demand period.

It is often impractical and financially unviable to put on enough full-time staff for an entire shift but, as a
supervisor, you are expected to roster sufficient staff to deliver the speed of check-out that guests demand and
that the business can afford. This may mean moving staff around or stepping in you to help.

It is important to note that you should always find out what management’s perspective is on them helping
during a very busy period. Some owners and managers will not assist, whereas in other businesses they are
extremely happy to help out as and when needed. You need to know if you can rely on them to help or not.

Primary Requirements in Collaborating Task Instructions

The communication of instructions regarding task assignments must address the following three
elements.

 They must be clear, specific and unambiguous. Staff must completely understand every aspect of the
task they have been allocated
 They must be directed to nominate individuals. There must be definite allocation of duties so that staff
are quite clear about what tasks they have been given
 They must be explained. Most instructions have a much better chance of being complied with when
they are explained, rather than simply imposed. This means it is best to not just explain what has to be
done, but also to explain why it needs to be done and/or why it needs to be done ‘this way’.

Supplementary Requirements
Moreover, these instructions may include the following components.

 A statement of what the desired result is, as well as the standard of quality that must be attained.
 A nominated deadline or timeline for completion of the tasks, which may also include consideration of
the specific sequencing of tasks, as supervisor, you may possess knowledge that others do not have,
such as knowing which rooms need to be cleaned first, which areas must be set up first and which
products and services need to be promoted or pushed.
 Accountability – this requires you to occasionally put a staff member in charge of a small project or set
of tasks and your instructions to the general staff will have to indicate who is responsible for the work
and to whom they should turn for direction or advice about that work. In effect, you are creating another
level of management when you do this, which can help identify the leaders of the future.
 Checklists – some businesses use checklists to communicate work instructions and assists in ensuring
that all aspects of tasks are completed in accordance with required standards. Checklilsts identify the
sub-steps of the task to be done, presenting detailed directions in sequential order to enable the job to
done safely, in a timely manner and using the prescribed equipment and materials, so that a product or
service of the required standard is produced.
 For some tasks, staffs are required to ‘tick off’ each sub-step, sign and date the check list to ensure that
the entire hob is completed as required. Businesses may also use ‘work instructions’, ‘standard
operating procedures’, or ‘job safety analyses’ to help communicate task instructions.

Types of Information due for Communication

There are endless amounts of information that will be communicated between team members and to team
members by management. Naturally the type of information will relate to the different job roles and functions
they perform. This section will try to explore a common few types of information and how they are commonly
communicated to relevant persons.

Clarification on the Organization’s Preferred Tasks

The manager shall initiate the process of clarifying the organization’s preferred tasks completion methods.
Strategic discussions about how to carry out activities or tasks are part of everyday work practice. Depending
on the expected levels or trade or activities to be undertaken, advice, suggestions and instruction in both what
and how activities should be performed will be discussed on a consistent basis.

Potential Hazards or Changing Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Requirements

 Discuss updated OSH Information. Any developments in regards to OSH will be communicated
between staff. As health and safety is a highly important issue in any organization, the sharing of
informations essential.
 Handling emergency situations. Naturally most businesses will have contingency plans in place for
emergencies, as they can have the greatest impact on the health and safety of staff and customers.
These will need to be communicated with staff. Types of emergencies may include:
o Power failure
o Fire
o Sudden withdrawal of sub contractor’s support
o Crisis illness, injury or death
 Discussing concerns. Some of these concerns include:
o Complaints received by guests or managers – either relating to the department or a specific
individual
o Operational performance below expected standard
o Behavioral issues of staff
o Potential or existing problems – the discussion will identify what the problem was, re-state what
the standards are and remind staff of what needs to be done to achieve the required standard
o Planning activities for potential problems that may arise in the future – due to over-bookings,
major events or external influences.
o Each organizational will have their own range of concerns that need to be addressed. It is the
role of management to identify and address these.

Communication Avenues

The manager shall conduct staff briefing sessions. As previously mentioned, at the beginning of each
shift, most departments will hold a short staff briefing session. This session is an opportunity for the manager
to pass on information to staff. The staff briefing may also involve the duty manager from the previous shift to
also pass on information where relevant. This section will discuss the information that a manager should pass
on to staff.
 The briefing session is also an opportunity for team members to raise any issues they have relating to
their role and problems they are encountering, things they have identified that could impact on guest service
delivery or any information that is beneficial or critical for others to know. Briefings commonly include:

 Conducting roll-call
 Checking staff grooming and attire
 Giving work assignments
 Providing information relevant to shift.

Similarly, it is essential for manager to conduct staff debriefing sessions. At the end of a shift it is also common
to have a meeting to discuss the shift that has just concluded. This discussion may focus on:

 General discussion
 Thank staff for their hard work
 Acknowledge good performance by staff
 Acknowledge areas that did not go well
 Acknowledge poor performance by staff
 Gain an understanding for reasons for poor performance
 Generate ideas for operational improvement
 Discuss upcoming shifts or activities
 Discuss operational information

Certainly, there may be a range of information which will be required for most positions, regardless of job
title or location. Information is power and the more relevant information team members have means the better
prepared they are to handle different situation that may arise. Some of this information may include:

 Management communication includes any information that needs to be brought to the attention of the
manager. It may relate to operational matters or discuss staff movements and activities.
 Department staff communication; the Department Operational Diaries contain information that has been
accumulated by staff during the shift for the attention of the next shift should be compiled.
 Financial information which may include a range of financial information for the attention of staff and
management. A lot of this information is available through computerized systems which can be
accessed by the next shift. There are a range of reports that provide financial information.
 Operational information, may include specific incidents or activities that have taken place or upcoming
which needs to be brought to the attention of staff. In most cases, by providing an operational report,
will give an insight to what is happening in the hotel and the department overall.
 Activities to follow up, there may be tasks that are required for the next shift to follow up which must be
prepared. By having all necessary documentation prepared and where required, printed as a reference
for the next shift, this will help ensure a smooth transition. Workplace records are an important part of
any work environment and should be accurately maintained within the required timeframes. Some of
the documentation may be required for the next shift or may required as part of an organizational or
legal requirement.

Holding Regular Team Meetings

The term meeting refers to “a bringing together”. In business terms this generally means bringing
together different people with the common goal of reaching some type of objective or outcome. Most
businesses will have meetings, using a range meeting types and styles. Regardless of the meeting, it is
important that every meeting has a purpose and provides value. It is not productive to have meetings for the
sake of have a meeting, if there is no need for it.

Traditionally meetings take place using direct face to face communication. However with a range
communication technology becoming available every day, meetings can take between people who are
physically located in all corners of the world.

Characteristics of meetings

Regardless of the type and style of meeting or where the meeting participants are physically located
then all meetings will generally have similar characteristics. In essence meetings are planned events with
some forms of structure and purpose which are designed to:

 Get people together

 Get alignment towards a specific range of topics
 Provide information
 Brainstorm ideas
 Exchange ideas and thoughts
  Understand the topics discussed
 Reach confirmation and agreement
 Assign accountability and action
 Decide on further action or strategy.

Discussions with Teams

Most communication of information is often done through informal discussions between management
and staff members or between team members themselves. These quick interactions are a great opportunity to
provide others with pieces of information or advice that can help others complete their activities in the desired
manner.

Confirmation of Understanding and Commitment

Once the tasks to be completed have been identified and allocated to the most appropriate staff, you
must then confirm the workers’ understanding of those tasks and seek their commitment to getting the job
done. This is the phase in which the staff can ask questions about the job to obtain further information about
what is required and to clarify in their own minds exactly what it is you expect them to do. In essence, this
stage in the allocation of work aims to ensure that there is a “meeting of minds” between what you want them
to achieve and what they think you want them to do. In order to successfully achieve what needs to be done,
everyone needs to be “on the same page”.

Achieving Understanding and Commitment

Understanding and commitment from staff may be achieved through the following processes:

1. Reviewing existing training materials and references to verify that what staff are learning during training is
what they are expected to deliver in the workplace.

2. Demonstrating the correct approach or what is it exactly that you want done.

3. Demonstration is a very effective tool for showing staff what needs to be done and it also helps build your
credibility as someone who can actually do the work that you are asking others to do. Remember,
demonstration usually requires some form of planning, so if you are going to use this approach make sure that
you:

 Know how to do the task properly yourself

 Demonstrate the task to the standard required
 Obey/follow all safety requirements
 Have all the necessary materials/equipment ready for the demonstration before you start
 Use the technique of going through the task slowly and accurately.

It is important throughout this process that staffs feel comfortable about asking questions to clarify in their
own minds what needs to be done.

Student Activity – Task Sheet # 1:

Title COMMUNICATING WORK ROLES

Performance Given the following instruction, the student should be able to make a video
Objective that demonstrate on how you will be able to communicate work roles in the
operations of the hospitality and tourism related business.

Steps/ 1. Group yourselves into five students per group.

Procedure 2. In the group, each one of the student should be able to perform the
following:
a. Each student will identify, develop and communicate operational
plans and objectives to team members.
b. Each student will match skills of team members to tasks and duties
and develop job responsibilities in line with enterprise guidelines.
c. Each student will communicate requirements of jobs and tasks
clearly to team members.
3. Upload your video in our fb group page.
4. As soon as the video is approved for posting, take a screenshot and
submit it in your Schoology account.
Assessment  Portfolio
Method  Interview

Rubrics for rating:

Criteria: 5 4 3 2 1
Operational Plans Extremely clear Very clear Moderately Unclear Very unclear
and objectives is clear
clearly - Plans are - Plans are - Plans are - Plans are - No plans are
communicated to showed showed showed showed showed
team members. - Objectives are - Objectives are - Objectives - Objectives are - No objects are
showed showed are showed showed not showed
- Plans and - Plans and Plans and - Plans and - Plans and
objects are objectives are objectives are objectives are objects are
communicated communicated communicated not not
to team to team to team communicate communicated
members and members but members only d to team to team
questions inquiries from members members
from members team
are answered members are
by the student not showed
Skills are Very satisfied Satisfied Enough Dissatisfied Very
matched to team satisfied dissatisfied
members in - Skills of the - Task, duties - Emphasis of - Skills of the
accordance to team and task, duties team members
tasks, duties and members are responsibilitie and are not
responsibilities in mentioned/ s in line with responsibiliti mentioned /
line with emphasized enterprises’ es are given emphasized
enterprises’ - Task, duties guidelines are to team - No task, duties
guidelines and showed. member and
responsibilitie Or based on responsibilities
s in line with - Skills of the their skills in line with
enterprises’ team acquired enterprises’
guidelines are members are guidelines
showed. mentioned/ showed.
- Emphasis of emphasized - No emphasis
task, duties - Emphasis of of task that are
and task, duties given to team
responsibilitie and member based
s are given to responsibilitie on skills
team member s are given to acquired.
based on team member
their skills based on
acquired their skills
acquired

Communicated Extremely clear Very clear Moderately Unclear Very clear

requirements of clear
jobs and task
clearly to team
members.