WE ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO TEACH OR TO LEARN.
“I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. It might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.”
– John Steinbeck
As a trainer or teacher there is something very satisfying in that moment when you see ‘the lights go on’ in the eyes of a student, as they get it, grasp the concept and understand what it is you are talking about. An engaged nod of the head, a half smile. I wouldn’t have given that up for the world. It’s not always easy and you do have terrible and disinterested students (as I once was). But then it is up to the educator to make their material interesting and engaging so as to give the maximum benefit to the student. I look back on my days as a lecturer at The Hotel School in Sydney with fond memories.
“…So you have a lifetime of work experiences, but nothing to share?”
“…A large part of self fulfilment is learning how to give something back. Why not mentor someone?”
Education
It is so easy to fall behind, to not stay competent or keep up to date with certain modern day necessities, especially when it comes to the latest software applications, social media platforms or just plain old on line banking. My self education has not always been hospitality related and is often undertaken in the context of trying to make better presentations. Always trying to improve the material and my delivery techniques to offer the best presentations I could. This website development was a huge learning experience for me. It’s a no brainer (sorry about the pun) that self education keeps the mind sharp; I spent some time learning to speak Mandarin, it doesn’t get much harder than that!
Training
In hospitality, good service delivery is just about the most important thing there is, aside from having good product and a great location. There is a saying that if you “look after your staff, they will in turn look after your guests”. However, guaranteeing success involves giving meaningful training to ensure they actually have the knowledge and the skills to take care of the guest in the way you would expect. Importantly, it should be noted that training is not an expense, it is an investment. I have to admit that there are many in my field who don’t see it that way. I’ll share some training insights, useful articles and things I have learned myself over the years that could be useful.