HOTEL/RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT CAREER STARTER Phần 9 pdf

Foodservice Forum. Granquist felt so positively about her experience with

a mentor that she started an informal in-house mentoring program for 12 of

her general managers.

In addition to professional associations and groups, you might also find a

mentor at work. When looking within your place of employment, seek

counsel from three kinds of mentors:

1. a “higher up” (but not your boss, or you might be accused of simply

currying favor) who can give you informal soundings on what your

superiors think of your work

2. a peer from another area of your place of employment, who can teach

you about aspects of the company or organization you do not yet

know

3. an employee, who can tell you what your “troops” think of your

supervisory style

When looking for a mentor, keep in mind the following questions:

Who in your company/group/association has a great reputation as a

true professional?

Does the potential mentor tackle problems in a reasonable manner

until they are resolved?

What is it that people admire about the potential mentor? Do the

admirable qualities coincide with your values and goals?

Is he or she strong in areas that you are weak?

If you think you have found a mentor at work, spend time watching that

person on the job. You can learn a lot about him or her through observation.

When asked a question, does he or she take the time to help you find the

solution, or does he or she point you toward someone else who can help

you? The one who takes the time to help you resolve your question is the

better choice for a mentor. Observe your potential mentor when he or she

is working on a problem. Does he or she do so in a calm manner? Does the

problem get resolved? If so, you may have found a good mentor.

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Succeeding on the Job

Learning From a Mentor

Once you have entered into a mentoring relationship, intend to learn all you

can. While there are no set rules about what a mentor can teach you, there

are some specifics that are part of the “curriculum” in many mentoring rela￾tionships. The following is a list of things you may learn from a mentor:

coworker interaction skills

what to expect in your work environment

how to communicate with the chain of command in your company

in-depth knowledge about the technology used by your company

the best hospitality industry magazines, websites, and other resource

material

how best to advance in your career

what conferences/classes/training programs you should attend

advice on dealing with difficult guests or customers

Once you find someone who seems to be the ideal mentor, don’t feel

compelled to stick with him or her forever. Career growth may open up pos￾sibilities to you in new areas of specialization. If that happens, you will prob￾ably want to find additional mentors who can show you the ropes in the new

environment. However, maintain relationships with former mentors—as

previously discussed, the hospitality industry is a close community, and the

more allies you have, the easier it will be to succeed and advance in your

career.

PROMOTING YOURSELF

There are a number of other things you can do to keep your career moving

in a positive direction. Don’t wait for opportunities to land in your lap.

Rather, you should create them by being proactive; promote yourself in your

current position, and/or seek out a promotion to a higher-level job.

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HOTEL/RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT career starter