Personal development - Essay Example

? PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT by 30 June Personal Development According to Worsfold (2003), leadership is the fundamental ingredient ofmanagerial roles in the hospitality industry. However, no hospitality leader is possible without assessing his (her) knowledge and skills on a regular basis. Recent years have been marked with profound changes in how hospitality services are delivered (Hinkin & Tracey 2004). My practical experience in team leadership has given me flexibility and ability to adjust to the changeable conditions of business environment, which are so necessary in the hospitality industry. I consider myself to be adaptable, creative, decisive and willing to change. I have a strong desire to lead and passion for interacting with customers and subordinates. All these features make an excellent candidate for becoming assistant C&B manager. I enjoy communicating with people. I think that every leader should possess good communicating skills in order to be able to lead people and direct their activity. As a leader, I have learned to take decisions, taking into consideration other opinions and beliefs. I am extremely attentive to customer and subordinate feedback and try to provide information needed to meet our obligations and do our jobs well. I consider it to be very important for a leader to understand the role of teamwork and to be able to coordinate the work of the team he leads. Also it is very important to be able to evaluate the abilities of other people in order to distribute the tasks among team members and I think that now I can assess one’s skills and abilities properly. The results of leadership self-assessment activity suggest that I have everything needed to become a perfect leader (NW Link 2011). Based on Myers-Briggs personality assessment, I am an extroverted type of personality, which means that I am directed at serving the needs of my followers and subordinates and can become an excellent servant leader (Myers-Briggs 2001). I possess strong emotional intelligence, meaning that I have an ability to manage my emotions (Stubbs & Wolff 2005). Flexibility, patience, control, and direction are the most valuable skills I have learned in my foundation degree studies and previous workplace experience. I have realized that as the hospitality industry is becoming dynamic and complex, hospitality firms and enterprises need to be unique, in order to sustain their competitive positions over long-term periods (Chathoth & Olsen 2002). Leadership can readily become the source of hospitality firms’ competitive advantage. Flexibility, patience, control, and direction is what leaders need to pursue prospective careers in the hospitality industry and make it more attractive and competitive. I have learned the value of teamwork and the importance of collaboration in the provision of superior food and beverage servicing at Radisson Edwardian Hampshire Hotel. My experience has taught me knowledge and skills needed to become assistant C&B manager. I have experience in managing and organizing F&B services. I possess great delegation and supervisory skills. My role of a team leader has given me flexibility needed to quickly respond to a wide array of work situations. I am interested in and invest resources and efforts in developing all members of my team. All these skills will give me strength and confidence as I am entering a new stage of career development. In five years, I view myself part of the executive team at Radisson Edwardian Hampshire Hotel. I am willing to provide guests with superior hospitality experiences and maintain genuine relationships with the subordinates. To achieve this goal, I will need to expand my theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the next 2-3 years. To achieve this goal, I will need to obtain the job of assistant C&B manager and enter executive education for hospitality managers. Which school to choose is an open question, as there is a variety of learning opportunities in all parts of the world. For example, Cornell office of executive education provides interactive learning opportunities for hospitality professionals (Cornell Hotel School 2011). Education will give me a professional edge and speed up my personal and professional growth. I realize that some factors may hinder my professional growth. These may include but are not limited to changes in private life, failure to achieve the desired degree of education, and even hotel’s policies and procedures. The latter is, actually, one of the major themes affecting professional growth in all industries (Wohlfarth 2011). Yet, I am not scared off by the fact that my way to achieving the desired career goal is likely to be thorny. I realize and recognize that my professional capacities and personal character features will help me to adjust to changes and overcome even the most serious barriers to professional improvement and personal development. I have enough abilities to manage my work with family concerns. I can adjust to new policies and procedures in the workplace in order to improve the working process and my personal skills. I am persistent in attaining the goal of education and self-improvement. I am determined to pursue a long path of personal evolution. I am inclined to share my experiences and knowledge for the benefit of my organization. I am ready to work for company’s benefit and share my knowledge with members of the team I lead. I would like to apply for the job of assistant C&B manager. Several important factors make me suitable for this ob. First, I have extensive experience of team leadership. Second, I am flexible and adaptable to changeable conditions of business performance. Third, I am willing to work for the benefit of superior customer experience and develop excellent relations with members of my team. Finally, I pursue the principles of self-development and lifelong learning. I believe that every day of my work at Radisson Edwardian Hampshire is the source of unique experiences and learning. Instead of solving urgent problems, I try my best to prevent them from occurring. Years of practical experience in team leadership have taught me to understand customer needs. I know what exactly customers coming to Radisson Edwardian Hampshire want. I can excel as assistant C&B manager. Patience and flexibility will add value to hotel operations and services. I am convinced that my commitment to personal development and continuous self-improvement will re-focus our operations and functions toward achievement and provision of efficient services. In the atmosphere of fierce competition, keeping customers satisfied is an extremely challenging task. I support Kandampuly and Suhartanto (2000) in that making our services is competitive is possible through low-cost leadership and customer loyalty through unique benefits and discounts. I exemplify a commitment to low-cost leadership and emphasize each customer’s uniqueness. My skills, knowledge, and experiences will become that very source of low-cost superior leadership needed to exceed customer expectations. I am ready to take a challenge of continuous learning and turn it into the source of the hotel’s competitive advantage. References Chathoth, PK & Olsen, MD 2002, ‘Organizational leadership and strategy in the hospitality industry’, Journal of Services Research, vol.2, no.1, pp.5-29. Cornell Hotel School 2011, ‘The executive path’, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, [online], accessed from http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/industry/executive/ Guskey, TR 2003, ‘Professional development that works: What makes professional development effective?’, Phi Delta Kappan, vol.84, pp.200-204. Hinkin, TR & Tracey, B 2004, ‘Transformational leadership in the hospitality industry’, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, vol.18, no.1, pp.49-63. Kandampully, J & Suhartanto, D 2000, ‘Customer loyalty in the hotel industry: The role of customer satisfaction and image’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol.12, no.6, pp.346-350. Matzke, MR 2011, Group supervision as it relates to the perceived degree of client quality of care and the transteoretical model of change, Spadling University. Myers-Briggs Foundation 2001, ‘The 16 MBTI types’, The Myers Briggs Foundation, [online], accessed from http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.asp NW Link 2011, ‘Leadership self-assessment activity’, NW Link, [online], accessed from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/survlead.html Stubbs, E & Wolff, SB 2005, ‘Emotional intelligence in the team and team leader: A multi- level examination of the impact of emotional intelligence on team performance’, Journal of Management Development, vol.27, no.1, pp.55-75. Worsfold, P 2003, ‘Leadership and managerial effectiveness in the hospitality industry’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol.8, no.2, pp.145-155. Read More