Feb 07, 2025
I begin my day at 5:30am with a quick check of my email before leaving home to ensure that I have answered any immediate needs and jump in the car and am on my way. I listen to my favorite podcast and enjoy my morning dose of caffeine during my commute.
Upon arrival at the hotel, I am observing the parking lot (always on the lookout for black bears) and the main entrance, mentally noting any areas of need. I walk by the Front Desk with a “Good Morning” and head to my office to prepare for the day.It is now around 7:45am and I print my daily calendar and review to prepare for the day and then print our daily “Bear News” newsletter to review our TM Birthdays, Anniversaries, Davidson Core Value, and our Hilton Brand Promise Value focus of the day. I take both items to our daily Steering Team stand up meeting in our General Managers office where we review the stats from the day before, any guest comments/opportunities, daily events, celebrations, TM birthdays/anniversaries, our Core Value and Brand Promise Focus with the team. Today was a special meeting as we reviewed the Star of the Month nominations, discussed each nomination at length and then placed our votes for the monthly winner. This is always such a difficult decision as we reflect on the contributions of our team members and the many ways that they impact not only our guests but our team as well.
Following our stand-up meeting, I take the long way around greeting all team members that I encounter, touching base and checking in. I then go to work on our daily inspiration for the day. I send out a daily excerpt (today is Thursday Thoughts, tomorrow will be Friday’s Focus) from a book as it relates to our daily grind. Today’s Thoughts were pulled from The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability.
Now it is time to focus on my daily duties, first up is reminding all Team Members that it is Open Enrollment week and reviewing where we are in the process and who I need to follow up with to ensure that they do not miss this important event. I run a few reports and begin emailing, texting, and calling those that are remaining as incomplete and alerting their managers to remind them as well! Next up I am preparing for a new manager hire early next week by setting up their onboarding information, Workday access, email account, Hotel Effectiveness account/training, Doubletree Training account, assigning the required training courses, preparing their interdepartmental orientation, and training plan.
Next on my list is to audit our training for all Team Members for both Doubletree and Davidson Academy and send out a list of those needed items but before I can get to that, I have a visit from one of our team members requesting my assistance. This team member was impacted by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and would like information about our We Care Program and assistance in completing the We Care Grant Application. I spend the time needed to listen, review, and assist and then submit the application for review with the We Care Committee in hopes of approval for some much-needed assistance. These are the moments that truly make a difference! I love working for a company that cares about their team members and has put programs like this in place to help them when they need it so desperately!
Now I am back to auditing our training and getting this information out to the managers so they can begin scheduling their Team Members to complete the needed training. Now it is time to review our daily time clock entries and remind managers to clear their unmatched punches to ensure that we have a smooth payroll on Monday.
Next up is preparing for our Safety Meeting by choosing our focus for the month and reviewing/compiling the previous month’s safety data. Once complete, I am preparing to head to lunch but have a visit from a team member requesting assistance in filing a Leave of Absence request due to a personal medical situation. I listen to her needs and then review the information around the next steps to begin the process. We also review the Short-Term Disability information and what she can expect while she is on the Leave of Absence. She is incredibly grateful for the time spent and is ready to tackle her situation!
I grab a quick bite to eat and then I am heading out to do my daily property walk. I enjoy walking and getting outside but I also take this opportunity to walk the entire property and have moments to engage the team and our guests. Some days there is little that I encounter but other days there is more than I could imagine! Today I took some photos for a family with our beautiful mountains as the backdrop, answered some questions about our hotel for a couple in the parking lot that was “just driving up to see what that big round building on top of the mountain is” and stopped to answer some questions from one of our team members about the open enrollment process.
I return to my office to prepare for an upcoming Unemployment Hearing. Once I am satisfied with my preparation, I move on to planning for our General Manager’s 33rd Work Anniversary at this hotel! We will be recognizing her for her many years of leadership and dedication at our upcoming monthly Team Member luncheon/celebration next week but her anniversary will arrive before the luncheon date so our Chef is also preparing a small breakfast to celebrate her on this special day so we iron out the details and I am off to the next order of business – but before I can, I receive a call from our General Manager informing me that we have a Top Three Finalist for the AHLA Stars of the Industry Awards and that we will be traveling with our Team Member to Los Angeles, CA to attend the 2025 Night of a Thousand Stars Gala in January to honor this very special person! WOW! Words cannot express how excited I am for this Team Member! I cannot wait to tell them the news!
Ok, now it is time to come down from the clouds and focus on the rest of my day. It is time to focus on preparing for our Monthly Team Member Luncheon/Celebration. I prepare the agenda, recognition of the Star of the Month Nominees, the Star of the Month certificate for the winner and the prizes for the raffle and we are all set.
Next, I review our open positions and applications and ensure that our managers are following up with applicants. It is now time for a telephone interview for one of our open management positions. I spend approximately 30 minutes with the applicant and then pass their information along to our General Manager.
Next, I have a visit from a manager alerting me to a performance issue with a team member. The manager is seeking advice on how to address the issue while still having positive interaction with the team member. I listen and then make some suggestions on how they could approach the situation, and we have further discussion on how we must adjust our approach to get the most out of every interaction to reach the desired result. The manager seems pleased with our discussion and is ready to tackle the conversation.
I have reserved the last part of my day for auditing our New Hire and Termination files to ensure that we are in full compliance with our SOPs. Once the audit is complete, it is around 5:30pm and I will begin to close out my day. I review and answer all last-minute emails, then review my calendar for today to ensure that I have completed all tasks and take care of any last remaining items. I then review my calendar for tomorrow so I have a mental note of what my day will look like so I can be ready for the day! Just as I am about to leave, I have a team member that needs my assistance with their Workday app. This takes just a couple of minutes, and they are all set. As I am leaving, I pass through the back of the house and then the lobby and encounter a few team members with questions about open enrollment. I take a moment to assist, and they are ready to complete their enrollments! As I exit the building, I reflect on my day, I remember how truly blessed that I am, and I remind myself that every day creates the opportunity for us to give someone a smile and hopefully make their day a little brighter!
May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Our team members share how cooking and sharing delicious, traditional dishes has created lasting memories for them. These traditions are ones they will carry on as they celebrate being proud Jewish Americans.
Who says Dry January has to be boring? We’ve rounded up some of our favorite mocktails from across the portfolio for inspiration.
The Park Vista Gatlinburg Honors One of Their Own for Being Named the American Hospitality Lodging Association’s North Star Employee of the Year!
Leadership Insights with Devon Campbell Front Officer Manager at Hotel Colonnade Coral Gables
Leadership Insights with Cipriano Talavera, Front Office Manager at Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach
