PDP: Becoming an International Manager in Intercontinental Hotel - Essay Example

? A PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (PDP) Outline Career Aspirations a. Introduction b. Literature Review c. Strengths and Weaknesses 2. Reflection on Skills Development a. Project Presentations b. End-of-Year Party c. Coaching and Mentoring Training 3. Career Management Action Plan a. Leader and Manager b. Entrepreneur c. Career Progression to Senior Manager 4. Conclusion Career aspirations a. Introduction My current career aspirations is working in the hospitality industry and becoming an international hotel manager. Identifying my strengths and weaknesses will enable me to achieve both professional and personal development in the hospitality industry. A personal development plan is important because it fosters and monitors career progression and helps in developing appropriate skills needed to meet the demands of customers and employees in the hospitality industry. The work of an international hotel manager includes answering all questions posted by clients across the world about hotel services and policies. The manager also listens and resolves employees and client’s complaints. The international hotel manager assigns tasks to employees and carefully schedule shifts for all employees worldwide. Supervisors assist in monitoring employees’ work, but the ultimate authority of observing and monitoring employees’ performance in the hotels rests with the international manager. This operation enables the hotel management to accomplish tasks that are assigned to employees. International managers schedule appointments with clients to plan banquets, weddings and other formal or information conventions. They also meet with business associates and stakeholders to discuss business expansion and future business partners in new countries. The work of a hotel manager is to monitor and track money spent and hotel profits. The international hotel manager is required to cooperate and deliberate with other senior managers to synchronize the activities of the hotels in different parts of the world. The manager is in charge of negotiating contracts with suppliers, electricians, medics and other important people that work together to achieve a common goal of higher returns in their different fields. International hotel managers write extensive reports about each department functions in the hotel and use a computer system to monitor and maintain this information. Some hotels allow their international managers to set room price rates, create a budget, develop and implement policies and create hotel procedures. An international hotel manager may be allocated the marketing, advertising and promotion design tasks. After completing my studies, my short-term goal includes working in an international hotel such as InterContinental Hotel as a manager. This position will give me the platform needed to acquire experience and skills to progress to a senior manager. Developing interpersonal relationships with my seniors, peers and subordinates will enable me to work towards increasing the hotel profits and improving the living standards of staff members. My long term career aspiration after 5 years of working as a manager is to be promoted to international InterContinental hotel manager. This top position will increase my annual salary with benefits and further develop my leadership and management skills. My long term personal aspiration is to travel to new countries, meet new people and learn new skills. In my international management position, I will develop new working conditions favorable for employees working in different countries with respect to their religious values, political affiliation and cultural backgrounds. I will plan and implement an exchange program for my employees, enabling them to travel to other countries that have our hotel branches and work for six months. During this time, employees will be allowed to explore their creativity in the hospitality industry, exchange cultural values and create a global relationship with other employees from different countries. b. Literature review The position of an international hotel manager requires a set of skills and requirements specific to different hotels in the U.K. The chief requirement in the hospitality industry as a manager is knowledge in customer service. According to Caterer (2012), an international hotel manager should provide products and services to different clients based on their demands, but also respecting their cultural backgrounds and values. The second requirement as the manager is the knowledge and skill of managing all operations of the hotel (Crandell et al. 2011). They further explain that a business administration degree and masters in the same field is essential because potential managers acquire both management and administration skills. Learning and using the English language in international hotel business is essential in spoken and written word. An international hotel manager should know all branches of the hotel and the departments of human resource, which are in charge of personnel recruitment, expulsion and suspension. According to The Four Seasons (2012), the knowledge of accounting and economics is important because the international manager will use these skills in producing and supplying the goods and services demanded by clients. Behavioral psychology is part of learning that is significant in understanding people, their backgrounds, their behaviours and cognitive processes. An international hotel manager will require to use the knowledge of mathematics such as statistics, arithmetic and algebra in making the overall budget, recruitment, supplies, demands, payroll and pension benefits that are used by different branches. Information and technology applies in the area of using computer software and hardware for working as a manager and a leader. An international hotel manager should ensure that customers in the hotels, data and other personal or hotel property are protected against theft, fire and misplacement by staff. An international hotel manager must participate in making important decisions and solving organizational problems. According to InterContinental Hotels PLC Groups (2012), communications skills are required in the hospitality industry because a manager interacts with supervisors, employees, stakeholders and other people from the public that have a vested interest in the hotel. Minnesota Career Department (2012) requires managers to guide, motivate and finally direct their subordinates in working towards achieving a shared goal. Employees that are assisted and cared for by their managers exhibit a high performance in their respective tasks. Managers participate in convincing clients to purchase the hotel’s goods and services. According to Prospects (2012), team building and establishing organizational relationships are tasks allocated to international hotel managers. They evaluate the value of services, products, people and objectives to increase performance and hotel profits. Q Hotels (2012) train their hotel managers to motivate their employees through seminars, end of year parties and bonuses and unbiased rewards. Mentoring is important in the hospitality industry because it enables employees to identify and solve stressful situations that deter them from achieving their personal and professional goals. Managers use their skills to visualize and perceive designs that could appeal to clients in the hotels. These designs may vary in a form such as hotel furniture, food, recreational facilities and rooms. International hotel managers accurately compare objects, patterns and pictures to make designs that coincide with the cultural background of the country while maintaining the original values and beliefs of the founders. c. Strengths and weaknesses My greatest strength in relation to the researched skills and competencies needed in the hospitality industry to be an international hotel manager is my effective communication skills. My weakness is avoiding conflicts and confrontations with peers. Effective communication is important in an organization in communicating with peers, employees and customers. It is also essential in achieving set goals because the messages passed from one position to the next are clear and concise. My skills in effective communication were applied during study sessions with members of my study group. Listening to each member voice their opinions about leadership and waiting for them to finish talking gave me the opportunity to understand and formulate answers. Responding directly to each student allowed me to connect and respect each member’s view about the topic. Speech and gesture helped me to explain to my group members that leadership is not always innate but can be acquired through training and mentoring. I also used effective communication to discuss financial strains with my family in relation to living beyond our means. Avoiding conflict and confrontations has always been my weakness in school, home or at work. When a member of my study group plagiarized part of our group project, I corrected the paper and submitted it to our lecturer without confronting the student. Confronting the student would have led to conflict and misunderstanding because the group member is inclined to procrastination and violence. I was afraid to start an argument with an unstable individual if I voiced my concerns or reported the group member to other members. This weakness continues to limit my ability to be an assertive and confident leader in our study group. Reflection on skills development a. Project presentations During school project presentation, I have acquired the skills of team building and working together to achieve a common goal, which is to pass the course and graduate with honors. Team work is essential in every organizational setting because people that uplift each other will accomplish goals and sustain good relationships. In my study group, we had three members each with different task that was combined to complete the project. A different student was in charge of research, report writing and report analysis. Project presentation was carried out by all group members, which means that the group discussed, analyzed and proof-read the whole project together before presenting it to the class. Team building will be important in my future aspiration as an international hotel manager because I will form groups that will work towards achieving shared personal and professional goals in the hotels. Team work is important because members of the team grow and develop as a unit rather than individuals. Group members that do not understand tasks are assisted and cared for by other group members. Members than are unable to complete a task in time are assisted by their peers because collective efforts produce quality goods and services. A team is effective in solving problems associated with a task. A group of people participate in making important decisions and share risks associated with a business venture or decision. An employee will not bear the consequences of poor judgments made by a group of people. The team will share losses, frustrations and disappointments and rise again by working towards a better objective. b. End of year party My social club consists of friends, students and family members. At the end of each academic year, we celebrate our academic achievements and personal success. During last year’s end-of-year party, I was asked to organize and manage the social event. I started by searching for affordable and safe venue for a small gathering. I later hired a local DJ and catering services for our event. In all these endeavors, I effectively communicated with different people while negotiating prices of services and products. I also invited the people that sacrificed their time and energy to make the event a success. This role of organizing an event and managing my employees equipped me with great interpersonal skills. Interpersonal relationships with peers, employees, and customers are important in my future career aspiration of becoming an international hotel manager.Treating each individual with the utmost respect and honesty is important in an organization because it fosters high performances and lasting relations. People working in a hospitality environment are constantly bombarded with some ungrateful clients or strict superiors. As an international hotel manager, I will use my interpersonal skills to foster cohesion and corporation in my hotels because every employee deserves respect to function properly. Interpersonal relationships allow subordinates to voice their concerns about their salary, working conditions and other personal problems. This is possible because I will create a connection with all employees by working, eating and talking together as a business family that takes care of each other’s interests. I will position my work station near my employees’ work stations to contribute to overall performance and join in decision-making. c. Coaching and mentoring training During my industrial attachment training, I received coaching and mentoring skills from my superiors and peers while working at a local hotel. Coaching and mentoring allowed me to gain competence, confidence and motivation in working with other students as office administrators. My superiors taught me how to effectively communicate with my peers and subordinates by expressing my ideas clearing in both written and spoken word. I was taught to be assertive and ask questions due to poordata collection or performance. In solving problems, I was taught and advised to analyze ideas by determining their strong points and risks. Using this logic, I was taught to combine information and efforts to solve both personal and organizational problems. Coaching and mentoring will help me in the future to motivate, improve and guide employees as they complete their tasks. Employees need constant compliments and rewards to elevate their spirits and energy. I will also help employees develop emotional intelligence through mentoring. This will enable them to identify and solve both professional and personal problems. I will be aware of my employees’ reactions towards organizational change and help them to adjust to the change. Resistance to change in an organization is , but I will solve my employees’ problems by explaining the advantages of change and even appointed them as ambassadors of change. Career management action plan a. Leader and manager My specific goal in the next twelve months after completing my studies is to become a manager of InterContinental hotel. This is my short term goal because I have the skills and requirements to achieve it. My mid-term goal is to progress to senior manager in the same hotel by using my leadership qualities in communication, training and hotel operations. The best way to measure progress in management and leadership is through performance contracts and reports for employees. Signing a performance contract will enable me to accomplish my tasks of achieving both personal and organizational goals. My leadership process will be measured by my employees’ success in performance. I will coach, mentor and guide employees towards the set objectives and lead by example. My employees’ success depends on my leadership, which means that poor leadership will lead to poor performance. The goals I have set to become a manager and a leader in InterContinental hotel are achievable because I have the physical and mental capabilities to function as a manager. I also have adequate experience and good education because of my efforts to achieve higher grades and my industrial attachments in different hotels. Management and leadership roles are realistic goals because of coaching and mentoring I received during my industrial attachments and my course in the university. I am committed to continuing acquiring management skills as I work as a manager and develop further leadership qualities in all aspects of my life. The time-frame for achieving this goal is within 12 months. This period will allow me to complete my studies and apply for the job of a manager in one of the numerous InterContinental hotel branches. b. Entrepreneur An entrepreneur in the hotel is a specific goal that can be achieved within the next 12 months. This is my mid-term goal because it is easier to achieve entrepreneurship skills while working in a hotel. I will progress in my marketing and sales techniques to attract more customers and increase profits. Increase in sales and customers are a way to measure my abilities as an entrepreneur in the hotel industry. Using charts and computer systems, I will calculate the amount of sales and profits in the next 5 months of my performance in the hotel. These calculations will enable me to venture into new markets with improved advertisement and sales promotion. I will achieve my objective of becoming an entrepreneur once I start working in the hotel. My ability to appeal to customers by meeting their demands and creating a successful business relationship will attract more customers. Promotion strategies learnt from school, and other events will enable me to attract potential customers worldwide. Becoming an entrepreneur in the hotel is a realistic goal because it is the basis of working as a manager. This goal will be achieved through training, mentoring and dedication to becoming the best in the hospitality industry. This objective will not only improve the hotel’s profits, but also improve the living standards of employees and stakeholders. The time-frame for this goal is 7 months after employment. This is an appropriate period because I will receive proper guidance and training. My commitment and personal goals will motivate me to achieve this goal within the set period. Career Progression to Senior Manager Career progression of moving from a manager to a senior manager within the next 12 months is a specific goal that will be achieved through quality performance and experience. Using my skills and experience, I will later achieve my long-term objective of becoming the international hotel manager of InterContinental. Career progression to senior management is measured by the promotions, awards and rewards given for quality performance and leadership. I will continue to grow in my leadership and management skills by uplifting the living standard of employees and meeting clients’ needs. This goal is achievable because of the experience acquired, mental and physical capabilities. I will continue to utilize my emotional intelligence to solve personal and career problems. The goal of becoming a senior manager and later an international manager is realistic because it is a career progression that is awarded to experienced and qualified candidates. My time-frame for becoming a senior manager is within the next 12 months while 5 years for achieving the goal of international manager for InterContinental hotel. Conclusion My personal development plan consists if strategies and experiences acquired in school, at home, work and in social events to achieve my long-term objective of becoming an international manager in InterContinental hotel. My management skills and education elevates my objectives of succeeding in life. My leadership qualities promote my ability to communicate with peers, employees and customers in achieving common goals. References Caterer (2012) General Manager (Catering and Retail). Available at: http://www.caterer.com/JobSeeking/General-Manager-Catering-and-Retail_job55196967 (Accessed 30 November 2012). Crandell, C.,Dickinson, K. And Kanter, F. (2011). Negotiating the Hotel Management Contract.1: 85-114. Four Seasons (2012) Supervisory and Management training. Available at:http://jobs.fourseasons.com/workingatfourseasons/learninganddevelopment/Pages/ManagementTraining.aspx (Accessed 30November 2012). InterContinental Hotels PLC Groups (2012) Corporate Responsibility Report. Available at: http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=758 (Accessed 30 November 2012). Minnesota Career Department (2012) Hotel and Motel Manager Careers. Available at: http://www.iseek.org/careers/careerDetail?id=8&oc=100102 (Accessed 30 November 2012). Prospects (2012) Hotel Manager. Available at: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/hotel_manager_training.htm (Accessed 30 November 2012). Q Hotels (2012) Training and Development. Available at: http://www.qhotelsjobs.co.uk/aboutus/trainingdevelopment.aspx (Accessed 30 November 2012). Read More