In more than two decades, I have promoted several changes in my life, both personal and professional. Speaking of career, I’ve changed state, position, company, but mainly mentality. It said Heraclitus, considered the “Father of dialectics”, that the only thing that does not change is that everything changes.
There are several signs that this is a fact. In the book Passion for Winning, by executive Jack Welch, a chapter called “Even the mountains move”, the author states that clinging to the familiar, routines and patterns is a phenomenon typical of human nature. He jokes that promoting changes in companies seems similar to pushing mountains, size the effort that this measure demands.
Here are some tips from Welch to promote change:
- Tie change initiatives to a clear purpose.
Answer the following question: why change is needed and where change is leading. - Hire only willing collaborators. Identify in the company who are those daring professionals, with high dose of energy, curious and looking forward.
- Keep an eye on road accidents. Grass the opportunities, even those resulting from the most serious adversities. If there’s crying, there’s handkerchief salesmen, you know?
Therefore, to build a successful career, one must always be willing to prepare not to be taken by surprise. This requires daily learning something different and innovative in our careers. Having humility is synonymous with wisdom, because there will always be someone more prepared than you and with that you can learn, as long as your ego and pride allow.
The best memories are in the details
We must commit to creating value and this involves understanding the business in detail, going beyond the macro. I am a fanatic in studying successful cases in the provision of services, because I am motivated by the idea of delivering what really matters, both for guests and employees.
I also consider it important to have an attitude of continuous improvement as a professional. Constant dedication and learning more and more will demonstrate that you are indeed prepared to perform in any hotel in the world. If you want to maintain competitiveness in the market, you need to develop, to include your main priorities as a hotelier.
Learn one thing: no one motivates anyone. Motivation is an intrinsic factor and not like Skinner’s experiment of giving a reward for the guinea pig to do what is intended. As professionals, we need to learn that no employer in the world will be able to motivate us. Is it then that the company does not motivate you or are you no longer motivated by the lack of challenges, something of yours and not the organization? The change even requires courage to face the fact that a certain professional life cycle may have ended. And in that sense, once again perhaps the comfort zone weighs more than the energy needed for change. Think about it, especially this New Year’s Eve. And be happy in the career you’ve chosen.
@NilsonBernalHospitality
Co-Founder and CEO da Plataforma Bymschool. Consultor na área da hotelaria e hospitalidade, palestrante e escritor. Atua na Indústria de hospitalidade há mais de 25 anos em companhias como Complexo Jurema Águas Quentes Resorts, Bourbon Hotéis & Resorts, Mabu Hotéis & Resorts, Bristol Hotéis & Resorts e Atlantica Hotels International. É embaixador pela Divine Academie Française des Arts Lettres et Culture (Paris). Membro Executivo de Honra da Academia Europeia da Alta Gestão desde abril/2019. Atualmente mora nos EUA estando a frente de vários projetos.