C-suite hotel leaders share how their approaches for preventing burnout shape their post-pandemic business practices.
“You must put the oxygen mask on yourself
before you can put it on others,” says Julienne Smith, chief development
officer, Americas, IHG Hotels & Resorts.
When the pandemic struck, Smith already had
a framework for managing the ensuing upheaval. In 2012-13, Smith was a
sleep-deprived mom juggling young kids, married life and frequent travels as
her career skyrocketed. Heading towards burnout, she began implementing five daily
non-negotiables – rest, hydration, nutrition, movement and meditation/prayer –
all intended to instill harmony versus balance, since some days work takes
priority, and others, personal life. “I might come to work late because of a
kickboxing class, and then stay late,” she said. “By modeling that, I give
everybody else permission to find their harmony throughout the day.”
I might come to work late because of a kickboxing class, and then stay late. By modeling that, I give everybody else permission to find their harmony throughout the day.
Julienne Smith
At the core of effective leadership is personal
wellness. From fitness routines, yoga and eating enough protein to meditation, executive
coaching, unplugging from devices and, crucially, quality sleep, self-care came
into even greater focus with the threat of COVID.
Fans of the Oura ring, which helps track
and optimize health and sleep, include Sloan Dean, president and CEO, Remington
Hotels, and Eric Jafari, chief development officer and creative director for
London-based Edyn Group. Jafari also uses the Other Things app for breathwork
control, particularly before speaking engagements and important meetings, and he
fasts daily with occasional 24-hour spells.
A “hedonic calendar” helps Jafari let loose.
“Once a week I schedule something unique to let off steam, once a month it’s
more meaningful, and then sometimes there are big events, escapes with the
other directors,” he explained.
For some, the pandemic brought an increased
appreciation for community, a resource that continues to lighten the load for
leaders making difficult decisions. The third week of March 2020, Tom Corcoran,
president and CEO, TCOR Hotel Partners, launched a weekly call with 12 former
chairmen of the IHG Owners Association to brainstorm solutions for negotiating
the unprecedented challenges. “These old farts would talk through what’s going
on – ‘How are you filling out the PPP loan form? What are you doing for hot
food?’” he said. “The truth is, most of us don’t deal with stress, we
internalize it. It felt so good to have a way of sharing how we were dealing
with our personal experiences.”
Dubbed the “Diamond Dogs,” the group still
chats weekly, although the tone is lighter. “The good news is we found we’re a
very resilient industry,” Corcoran said.
According to Ken Greger, partner, August
Leadership, authenticity, transparency and humor are integral for clear communication
while managing internal and client expectations, which in turn reduces stress. “Understand
what’s really a priority, then organize everything accordingly,” he said. “I
had a client who wanted something the next day that literally wasn’t possible
because it involved people in different time zones who were asleep at the time.
After explaining this, he was fine waiting. If you’re just an order taker,
you’re probably going to burn out.”
Jafari feels part of his role is to educate
and provide colleagues with as much context as possible without breaching
fiduciary responsibility to investors. “A strategy that works for me is to operate
from a place of transparency, involving people in decision making and giving them
a voice,” he said.
Being intentional with time, whether in his
work practices or coaching his son’s little league soccer on weekends, is a pandemic
lesson Keith Kefgen, managing director, Aethos Consulting Group, is safeguarding
despite being busier than ever. “I’m more purposeful with my work and personal
life to make sure it’s life balance, not work/life balance,” he said.
IHG’s Smith sees the paradigm evolving as younger
generations come up in management. “Their identities aren’t solely wrapped up
in their careers,” she said, “because milestones in loved ones’ lives, or your
own, are never repeated.”
Relais Retreats Founder and Managing Director
Grace Leo’s counter-intuitive strategy saw her launch during the pandemic a new
hotel brand by acquiring and renovating a Grade II 16th century former coaching
inn along the River Thames. “The project helped keep me sane because I had a
vehicle for channeling my energy, drive and ambitions,” said the global
developer and consultant. The real challenges came with renovating the second
hotel due to shortages in qualified labor. “The impact of Brexit is even
harsher than COVID,” Leo added. “Staff are moving from one hotel to another
like musical chairs, working for whoever pays the highest price.”
Finding team members open to change and
whose values align with management’s philosophy helps alleviate the risk of
burnout. Dean’s approach to attracting and retaining staff is to “hire talented
people and get out of their way,” whereas Greger said, “It’s time to hire for emotional
intelligence because it’s a seller’s market and candidates are coming to
interviews to see if a company feels likes someplace they want to work.”
Jafari said that Edyn shares three core
values: the courage to be human, the courage to question and the courage to
evolve. So, when hiring, he looks for colleagues who embrace personal evolution.
“The quality of a person’s life is defined not only by the quality of their relationships,
but also by work that provides meaning and connection.”