If there is one thing we have plenty of in the hospitality industry, it is stress and unlike many other industries, though, we can never show it in front of our staff or in front of the guest.

This is not an accounting job where you can hide in a corner and shout. In our industry, especially on the operations end, you are always visible and you must always maintain your cool. Having said that, stress is obviously a part of the job, so you just have to learn how to manage it.

Tip # 1 – Organize Your Life
When I first entered the industry, I was not prepared for the fact that I needed to pretty much write off my life on workdays, at least to a point. In order to keep my private life under control, I needed to do some creative scheduling as well as planning days off when I could do errands “normal” people do. For instance, my days off were generally Sunday and Monday, with a night shift to start my week on a Tuesday. This allowed me to enjoy my Sunday off, run errands on Monday, and have the spillover of Tuesday morning to do anything I could not get done on Monday.

Tip #2 – Organize Your Department
I have stated numerous times that the biggest key to my success in the industry was being organized. My office had 14 clipboards hanging off the wall with the events for the next two weeks. We were always looking ahead and scheduling any equipment needs, so nothing ever popped up on us unless it was truly a “pop-up” or a last-second addition by the client or salesperson.

Tip #3 – Find a Venting Partner
Regardless of where I worked, I always had a friend or fellow manager where we could both bounce ideas and/or issues off each other and know it was never going to leave that office. To put it simply, you cannot hold everything in or you are going to lose your mind in this industry. To that point, you also don’t want to take this work home with you, so find someone within your management tier where you can safely vent and/or get some fresh input from during challenging situations.

Tip #4 – Enjoy the Job
You would not be in this industry unless you enjoyed it, but some days can be very challenging. During those times, find something about the job that you really enjoy and focus on it until you can get leveled off. We once had a manager that would go out and play our lobby piano to reset. I have always loved restaurants, so I would sometimes go help out in the restaurant or dive into the service aspect of a wedding service to just chill out for a few minutes. Bottom line, find your happy space within those hotel doors where you can reset, clear your head, then get back to work.

Tip #5 – Just Be Thankful
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that can make your life more miserable at work than a disgruntled staff. I am in no way saying you need to overly pamper your staff, but you do need to show them that you appreciate their hard work, especially during the most trying days. Tell them they are doing a great job when you are hustling to beat the clock on a tight turn and at the end of the day, give them that pat on the back and tell them they did a great job. Keep them happy, and your job will be MUCH easier and far more enjoyable.

Unhappy with your management staff? Then call JDI. Joseph David International is regularly among top-rated hospitality recruiters because we work hard to find the right fit for both the managerial candidate and the property. For more information about our hospitality recruiting services, please click here.