"Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work."

Peter Drucker (1909 – 2005) is known as the father of modern management.

A
prolific writer, business consultant and lecturer, he introduced many
management concepts that have been embraced by corporations around the
world.

A point from Peter Drucker is being used to introduce
this segment on hotel engineering because Drucker is frequently
credited as being the inventor of the "discipline of management." 
While he did not address hotels or hospitality specifically in his 39
books, his messages of organized development and conceptual management
have endured into the 21st century.

The housekeeping department
in a hotel typically has the largest number of staff in most hotels,
but it the engineering team that has responsibility for maintaining and
operating the ENTIRE facility.  Whether it is a 25 rooms-only property,
a 5 star luxury resort or a 3,000 room convention/casino hotel, it
falls to the Chief Engineer to ensure the facility is comfortable, safe
and efficient.

Many smaller hotels do not have full time
engineers or what are sometimes called "maintenance" staff. This
unfortunate situation often leads to a needless rapid depreciation of
the quality of the facility in many hotels that could have been avoided
with adequate staffing and attention.  Drucker's point about planning
is very appropriate in our industry – it requires focused, hard work to
properly care for our facility and guests.

In my career, I have
had the privilege of working with four outstanding chief engineers. 
Each of these people differed in age, formal education and sometimes in
resources but each of them had a complete commitment to service and
excellence. I have used some of their lessons in sharing this segment
on "A Baker's Dozen" of Strategies for Hotel Chief Engineers.

1. Learn to look at your hotel from an operational perspective as if you owned it.     
          
   The
   most successful chief engineers are like the most successful executive
   housekeepers – they are those who take a "pride of ownership" in their
   approach to what needs to be done at their property.  Chief
   Engineers recognize how critical a guest's first impressions is,
   whether it is the entrance to the hotel, public meeting or lobby space
   or the guest accommodations.  Engineering and Housekeeping share
   responsibility for lobbies, entrances, hallways, pool and patio areas,
   meeting space, offices, storage and linen areas, the laundry and many
   related areas. Engineering must keep the food & beverage outlets
   properly lit and comfortable, as well maintaining all kitchen and
   behind the scenes equipment. This means developing and implementing
   ongoing plans to maintain property, equipment, grounds and other assets
   in an "up to standards" state of use and repair.

2. Know about the condition of the property from first-hand experience.  
            
   Personally
   and regularly inspect all portions of your hotel, including every type
   of accommodation and the adjacent areas.  Being aware of changes in the
   hotel can also help management to be better aware of potential
   problems.   Strong and successful engineers plan the work of their
   department effectively, using activity logs, inventory control, setting
   standards and regularly reviewing maintenance schedules to maximize the
   life of equipment.   This also means regular tours of "heart of the
   hotel" spaces and out of the way places such as roofs, storage areas
   and equipment rooms.

3. Know your budgets, costs and results.
                                                                        
   Engineering
   budgets usually include energy, equipment, staffing and supplies. The
   outstanding chief engineers are those who are able to often obtain
   higher compensation for their staff by effectively reducing turnover
   and managing their total budgets while exceeding guest expectations.
    This means detailed preventative maintenance programs for all hotel
   equipment

   Budgets need not be a mystery and most caring
   general managers should be pleased to share that portion of their
   operating budgets because it helps everyone. Chief engineers usually
   oversee a number of vendor contracts that are logically in the day to
   day realm of the engineering department, such as energy, elevators,
   fire systems and/or waste removal.

4. Work with the front office management to capitalize on forecasts for long term efficiencies  

   Operating
   budgets are usually approved by the ownership or Management Company in
   a remote location. The engineering budgets are partially tied to
   occupancy, but they do have exceptions for preventative work or
   repairs. Working with the front office manager and director of
   housekeeping can allow planning for deep cleaning in slower periods or
   replacement of capital items on a schedule that does not interfere with
   periods of high activity. Plan as necessary with special projects and
   renovations of any kind

5. Share the professional expectations provided to you from ownership and or management clearly with all members of the staff. 

   Newcomers
   to the industry sometimes imagine huge profits when they compare their
   hourly wage with the rooms' rates paid by guests. Those of us who have
   been in the industry for more than just a few years realize that
   profits and losses go in cycles, and that it is important to share the
   realities of the cost of doing business at all levels. All staff should
   understand the total costs of ownership, including support staff such
   as engineering and sales, franchise or royalty fees, management company
   fees, the concepts of debt service and more.  Make those expectations
   understood, explain the value and rationale to all staff and be certain
   these expectations can be measured fairly.

6. Hold regular one-on-one sessions with all direct reports

   In this department.  including the 2_^nd and/or 3_^rd
   shift staff. These sessions should not be formal "reviews" but guide
   posts to reinforce positive actions or to correct a potentially
   dangerous course of action.  When I first started doing these more than
   20 years ago, the 1_^st time was awkward because
   people were "gun-shy" or afraid of hidden agendas.  When it becomes
   apparent that these are honest dialogues, they sessions evolved into
   the opportunities to clear the air on potential problems. In small
   teams, these are critical.

7. When recruiting people, pay attention to the "human" resource role: balance "high touch" and "high tech".
    
   Most
   engineering teams are relatively small, so recruiting and selecting
   people wisely is critical to success.  An unfilled position is not
   really a savings as there will be overtime or burn-out from other staff.

   • Encourage your General Manager to pay competitively or better and lead in incentives.

   • Ensure that room maintenance requests are handled in a prompt and courteous manner.

   • Review all guest comment cards to ensure problems are identified and corrected in a timely manner.

   • As
     Chief Engineer, recognize your team regularly with "thank you's "and
     expressions of appreciation. Retain the champions by whatever it takes
     to keep them. Give them the training to succeed and then share in their
     successes with incentives and the chance to be part of a very cohesive
     and proud team.

8. Maintain and increase training.

   Supervise
   and train all Engineering staff in Customer Service, Empowerment,
   Standard Operating Procedures and Loss Prevention Standards.

   • There
     is no excuse today for inadequately prepared or untrained staff. There
     is enormous training support available at very low cost online from the
     major brands and a wealth of support from CDs, books, newsletters and
     the internet.

   • When running high occupancy, many managers
     claim to be "too busy" to train. When occupancy is flat or declining,
     cutting ongoing training to "save money" will really cost more as it
     will drive the good staff to consider leaving and the loyal customers
     to the competition because it appears you don't care.  Remember "the
     only thing worse than a trained staff that leaves, is an untrained
     staff that stays to service your customers."

   • Today's
     successful and confident engineers will also embrace technology in
     training. Use of computers and training DVDs should be the norm for new
     topics in energy savings, the GREEN emphasis in many hotels and related
     topics.

   • Recognize and address the language challenge if
     appropriate to your market, even to the point of getting your hotel to
     pay for your learning of a new language to improve your effectiveness.

9. Cooperate with licensing needs as required

   Depending
   on local codes, there may the need for certain staff to possess various
   Engineer's licenses or to have someone on staff to have certain  
   electrical, plumbing, boiler operations, HVAC (heat, ventilation,
   air-conditioning)  and/or other general maintenance skills required.

10. Embrace the Brand Standards and Suppliers

    A
    majority of hotels in North America today are part of a brand, and the
    trend is growing globally.   The Chief Engineer should learn what the
    brand's requirements and expectations on engineering, safety and
    security services and programs.

    • Have you, as the
      Chief Engineer, explained to your staff and other associates your
      brand's expectations and standards on engineering, safety and security
      services?

    • Do you take the time to work with your GM to
      understand the brand's supply programs? If there is a better local
      price or distribution, have you made certain those products effectively
      do the job?

      A WORD TO INDEPENDENTS - if your hotel is not part of a brand, your local hotel association will likely know of qualified programs or products

11. Embrace Reasonable Care and insist on proper safety and security.

    There are so many areas that need attention in reasonable care

    • Room
      and laundry attendants regularly deal with an array of chemicals. While
      most may be initially in the proper containers and concentrations, care
      must be maintained to continue to use them accurately and safely. There
      should be training given and follow up checklists provided for linen
      rooms, housekeeping carts, using equipment and the laundry. Cooperative
      efforts with suppliers, executive housekeepers and engineers make a
      huge difference.

    • Kitchen workers deal with sharp knives,
      potentially dangerous equipment with high temperatures and slippery
      surfaces. Attention to detail and equipment maintenance are very
      important.

    • Government regulations, such as the US Federal OSHA rules as well as state/provincial guidelines, must be posited and followed.

    • Each
      hotel must be compliant with all local, state/provincial and federal
      laws – engineers have a major supporting role in many of these relating
      to safety and some with security.

    • Specific security
      practices should be considered, reviewed, discussed and constantly
      monitored. Housekeeping or Food and Beverage staff may be working in
      isolated areas and should be trained in the best ways to provide
      services safely.

    • All emergency and life safety equipment and systems need to be regularly inspected, tested and certified.

    • Each US hotel must be compliant with the Americans Disabilities Act (ADA).

    • Many
      hotels have Safety Teams – engineers are key players in safety as both
      leaders and participants. Your hotel insurance company is often willing
      to assist in developing plans and best practices.

    • Follow
      up on all alarms immediately to determine the exact location and cause.
      Determine emergency status and report findings to Front Desk. Take
      immediate action as necessary

12. Continually learn about and actively participate in energy conservation programs.

    We
    have all heard so much about the rising cost of energy and I found the
    following on a brief internet search. In October of 2008, Telkonet,
    Inc., a leading provider of innovative, centrally managed solutions for
    integrated energy management, networking, building automation and
    proactive support services shared some interesting statistics. Their
    research found that US hotels spent roughly $2,200 per available room
    each year on energy – 6% of all operating costs.  Their research on
    implementing an effective energy-efficiency system along with green
    operating procedures, could significantly improve a hotel's
    profitability and bottom line. They offered, as an example, that a 10%
    reduction in energy consumption would have the same financial effect as
    increasing the average daily room rate by $0.62 in limited-service
    hotels and by $1.35 in full-service hotels. Their site offers a range
    of ideas and examples from a number of companies, including America's
    Best Value Inn, Columbia Sussex, Red Lion, Main St Developers, Motel 6,
    Cambria Suites, Cornerstone Management, and others.   Detailed 2008 AH&LA Green Assessment Survey Results for Developing a baseline for eco-friendly practices in hotels is there as well. Go to www.telkonet.com  

13. Be Professional as appropriate

    Engineers
    often have to perform "dirty" work in repair, but that does not reduce
    the need for professionalism.  Clean replacement uniforms and a place
    to clean up are a small price to pay for both guest satisfaction and
    staff pride. There are other responsibilities for chief engineers
    including reviewing schedules, equipment and supplies and organizing
    workflow.  Today's professional chief engineer needs ongoing knowledge
    of the principles and practices within the hospitality profession and
    they should be a member of the management team.  The ability to make
    occasional business decisions as a manager on duty should be guided by
    established policies and procedures are supported by solid
    communication skills.

About the Author

John
Hogan, a career hotelier and educator, is frequently invited to
participate at franchise meetings, management company and hospitality
association industry events.  He is a successful senior executive with
a record of accomplishment in leading hospitality industry
organizations at multiple levels, with demonstrated competencies as a
strong leader, relationship builder, problem solver and mentor. He
conducts mystery-shopping reviews of quality in operations and
marketing, including repositioning of hotels.

He writes weekly columns for a number of global online services (hotel online.com, eHotelier, 4 Hotels, Hotel Resource, etc) and has
published more than 400 articles & columns on the hotel industry. 
He co-authored (with Howard Feiertag, CHA CMP) LESSONS FROM THE FIELD -
a COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES, which is available
from info@smartbizzonline.com, ROOMS CHRONICLE www.roomschronicle.com 
and other industry sources.  He resides in Phoenix, Arizona and expects
to publish in 2009 his 2nd book based on his dissertation – The Top 100
People of All Time Who Most Dramatically Affected the Hotel Industry.

Hogan's
professional experience includes over 35 years in hotel operations,
food & beverage, sales & marketing, training, management
development and asset management on both a single and multi-property
basis, including service as Senior Vice President of Operations in a
specialty hotel brand for six years.

He holds a number of
industry certifications (CHA, CHE, MHS, ACI) and is a past recipient of
the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Pearson Award for
Excellence in Lodging Journalism, as well as operational and marketing
awards from international brands.  He has served as President of both
city and state hotel associations.

John's background includes
teaching college level courses as an adjunct professor at three
different colleges and universities over a 20-year period, while
managing with Sheraton, Hilton, Omni and independent hotels.  He was
the principal in an independent training & consulting group for
more than 12 years serving associations, management groups, convention
& visitors' bureaus, academic institutions and as an expert
witness.  He joined Best Western International in spring of 2000, where
over the next 8 years he created and developed a blended learning
system as the Director of Education & Cultural Diversity for the
world's largest hotel chain.

He has served on several industry
boards that deal with education and/or cultural diversity and as brand
liaison to the NAACP and the Asian American Hotel Owners' Association
with his long-term involvement in the Certified Hotel Owner program. 
He has conducted an estimated 3,200 workshops and classes in his
career.

Expertise and Research Interest

• Sales Management and training

• Turn-around and revenue management

• Professional Development & Customer Service

• Hospitality Leadership and Executive Education

• Making Cultural Diversity Real

• Accreditation & Developing Academic Hospitality programs

Service to the Industry and Hospitality Education includes working with the
Educational Institute Certification Commission of the AH&LA, the
Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute, the AH&LA Multicultural
Advisory Council, the Accreditation Commission for Programs in
Hospitality Administration, the Commission for Accreditation on
Hospitality Management Programs, the AH&LA and AAHOA Education and
Training Committees, the Council of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional
Educators (CHRIE), the International Hotel Show and the Certified Hotel
Owner program for the Asian American Hotel Owners' Association.