Yesterday I was at work and I saw one of my former co-workers coming out of the cuban restaurant next door to the hotel. Now, for the life of me I could not remember this guy's name but I recognized him instantly and he recognized me. After waiving to one another he started walking towards me and we shook hands and asked one another how each other was doing.
Where you working these days?" I asked.
"I work the front desk just down the street at the Stay Hotel." He asked.
"Oh yeah? I said. "I heard it's nice there. What's it like working there?"
"It's OK I guess." Was his reply. "How about you? How's work here going?."
"It's totally fucked here man." I stated coldly. I don't think anybody here really knows what the fuck they are doing. It's like the blind leading the blind. I have no confidence in any of my managers or co-workers for that matter. It's amazing we get good reviews online. I honestly don't know how we keep it all together."
"Same thing at the Stay man" he says while nodding in agreement. "Nobody has a clue."
"Really? That's comforting to here. I'd love to work at the Four Seasons or the Mandarin Oriental so I could know what a REAL hotel functions like." I said envisioning a happy hotel work environment where employees are liked by their managers and co-workers and all employees respect their managers because they are fair and have been trained properly by a competent corporate office.
"I don't think it would make any difference" he said quickly shattering the Beaver Cleaver-like work environment I was envisioning.
"Why is that?" I asked inquisitively.
"I think all management is clueless in every industry across the world. Take a look at the Wall St. crisis for God's Sake." He continued to carefully explain himself. All businesses are run by people and all people are by definition, imperfect. Businesses are built upon human relationships which are by and large, very confusing. Corruption, favoritism, resentment, bad decision making; these are all common traits that define human relationships. Whether you are at the Waldorf Astoria or the Best Western downtown, you are going to be disapointed in your leadership because they will always let you down simply by being human."
"That's a very interesting point." I say
Looking into the lobby of the hotel he asks "who's working behind the front desk today? Is that Natasha?"
"Yeah, unfortunately." I reply. "That one is the worst of them all."
"I'm gonna go in there and kick some game, hopefully I'll be able to hit that soon." He says.
"I'd wish you good luck but I don't think you'll need it." I say. "Bagging that girl is about as easy as a game of 'Whack-a-mole."
As he went inside I found myself thinking a lot about the words we exchanged. I've often dreamt about leaving R&B hotels to find someplace with a more competent management staff. However, high seniority, a comfortable schedule and undeclared cash tips always leave me where I am. Listening to one of my former co-workers talk about how incompetence runs rampant across our industry and the world at large, leaves me with happy feeling.
Where you working these days?" I asked.
"I work the front desk just down the street at the Stay Hotel." He asked.
"Oh yeah? I said. "I heard it's nice there. What's it like working there?"
"It's OK I guess." Was his reply. "How about you? How's work here going?."
"It's totally fucked here man." I stated coldly. I don't think anybody here really knows what the fuck they are doing. It's like the blind leading the blind. I have no confidence in any of my managers or co-workers for that matter. It's amazing we get good reviews online. I honestly don't know how we keep it all together."
"Same thing at the Stay man" he says while nodding in agreement. "Nobody has a clue."
"Really? That's comforting to here. I'd love to work at the Four Seasons or the Mandarin Oriental so I could know what a REAL hotel functions like." I said envisioning a happy hotel work environment where employees are liked by their managers and co-workers and all employees respect their managers because they are fair and have been trained properly by a competent corporate office.
"I don't think it would make any difference" he said quickly shattering the Beaver Cleaver-like work environment I was envisioning.
"Why is that?" I asked inquisitively.
"I think all management is clueless in every industry across the world. Take a look at the Wall St. crisis for God's Sake." He continued to carefully explain himself. All businesses are run by people and all people are by definition, imperfect. Businesses are built upon human relationships which are by and large, very confusing. Corruption, favoritism, resentment, bad decision making; these are all common traits that define human relationships. Whether you are at the Waldorf Astoria or the Best Western downtown, you are going to be disapointed in your leadership because they will always let you down simply by being human."
"That's a very interesting point." I say
Looking into the lobby of the hotel he asks "who's working behind the front desk today? Is that Natasha?"
"Yeah, unfortunately." I reply. "That one is the worst of them all."
"I'm gonna go in there and kick some game, hopefully I'll be able to hit that soon." He says.
"I'd wish you good luck but I don't think you'll need it." I say. "Bagging that girl is about as easy as a game of 'Whack-a-mole."
As he went inside I found myself thinking a lot about the words we exchanged. I've often dreamt about leaving R&B hotels to find someplace with a more competent management staff. However, high seniority, a comfortable schedule and undeclared cash tips always leave me where I am. Listening to one of my former co-workers talk about how incompetence runs rampant across our industry and the world at large, leaves me with happy feeling.
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