MIBE VIBE

All you can eat?  A business lesson from the buffet line!

At a recent business meeting for the RRI West Leadership team, we spent a significant amount of time talking about, well, time.  Time Management, Time Ownership, Time Efficiency, Time Suckers.  And during our discussion, we had an epiphany, thanks to our leadership coach, Greg Aden!

Imagine this.  You head to the buffet line with your friends and family.  You excitedly grab your clean, shiny, most often white, dinner plate.  You anxiously begin filling your plate.  Most often salad comes first.  Yes, I’m being good… let’s put some veggies on that sucker.  But then, you get to the good stuff and quickly realize you might need more room.  Pot roast, chicken marsala, roasted potatoes, skip those limp-looking green beans… I’m only halfway through! You keep going, keep piling.  You might determine that the pot roast sauce combined with the ranch dressing from your salad might actually be an OK combo. And of course, don’t forget the roll which you cautiously just place on top of your plate and pray you can make it back to your seat without it falling off.  And the butter?  Well, you’ll just place two little packets in your pocket.  That’ll soften them up anyway on the way back to your seat!

I know you can all see what this plate looks like now.  This… is Time Management.  Time Management, by definition, is about planning and scheduling how to spend time.  In the buffet line, you did just that.  You filled it up, planning as you go and assuming that you can “kind of sort of fit it all in”.  But at the end of the line… do you have an overwhelming mess from that clean plate at the beginning?

Time Ownership, on the other hand. takes control of your time and makes it more efficient, allowing for sensible decisions that are right for you.  Think again about your buffet line.  Did you fill the plate with the right things?  (remember those good-for-you green beans?)  If you had walked that buffet line to see all that was available and then carefully planned out exactly what will fit on your plate, and where, you may actually approach the line differently, accomplishing your goal in a much more efficient and organized manner with better, “cleaner” results.

Here are some key ways you can begin to think differently about time management versus time ownership:  Excerpts from https://ceoofyour.life/ 

How Time Ownership Benefits YOU! 

It creates self-accountability.  If you own your time – you control the outcome.   Your time is a finite resource and you owe it to yourself, and the people around you, to use your time in a way that’s right for you, and empowers you to achieve what you want to achieve.

Example: I ran out of time to finish this today.   Instead, say “I didn’t give myself what I needed to get this done”.  It’s empowering because you will know what you need to do differently next time.

Example: I’ll move some things around and fit you in.  “I understand this is important to you. My top priorities this week are X, Y, Z, so let’s find a time we can mutually agree on.”  Be open and honest with those around you so they can help you achieve your goals.

How Time Ownership Benefits OTHERS!

There’s such a sense of urgency today and a lot of time management tips focus on getting as much done as possible in as little time as possible… but in the world today, when we are all connected all the time through emails, texts, teams, etc… Prioritizing becomes the key to success and will make you a happier, healthier version of service to others.

Here Are 6 Ways to Own Your Time

• Block off time every day to just work. Intentionally.

• Acknowledge what you’re proud of. Give yourself internal validation.

• Plan to plan. Plan time to plan your day.

• Use a framework to prioritize.  Make each task important.

• Why before how. Purpose over process.

• Practice disconnection.  For even 15 minutes.

It may seem simplistic, but small changes towards time ownership can help you achieve your goals, be more efficient and reduce overall stress.  Which, in turn, will give you much more time to step away from the job… and meet your friends and family for at an all you can eat buffet!  ENJOY!

- Envisioned and inspired by Mark Aston, written by Stephanie Doherty

People on the move!

RRI West wants to congratulate Jamie Bryant for making the 760-mile drive from West Virigina to Massachusetts to begin managing location #3650 in South Deerfield! 

Jamie has been with RRI West since the spring of 2024... and with the start of her management in South Deerfield, will officially have 3 properties under her belt before the end of her first year!   Jamie's ability to remain calm under pressure, create a work environment of structure, accountability and results has made a positive impression on the leadership team.  When the opportunity arose for a new GM in South Deerfield, Jamie gladly raised her hand and was excited to make the new and exciting move!  

Her new location will bring her experience in fall foliage guest traffic, University of Mass football and a tenured team to help welcome her to her new home!  Congrats Jamie! 

Got employees? Then you have labor costs!

Over the past several weeks, the Operations and P&C team have been working with many locations across the RRI West portfolio to support their efforts in reducing their overall labor costs and control overtime.  What has evolved are some very key takeaways that all GMs should be doing to help control overall labor expenses, including, but not limited to:

• Scheduling

  • Create consistent schedules that meet the needs of the business.  For example, housekeepers might not need to begin until 9am or later, based on your typical guest departures.

  • Based on the many states that we operate in and meal and break laws, you may be able to require a 30 minute, punch out break for housekeeping.  This not only ensures you are in control of their schedule, but it also simultaneously gives them a perhaps needed break, ensuring they are not slowing down towards the end of their shift. 

  • Have Laundry start later than HSK dept. Laundry can also stock your carts, rather than HSK.

  • Call someone off if HSK has less than 13 rooms to clean.

  • Inn with HH, have HH take some rooms each day to clean in addition to other duties.

    
    

• Tracking MPRs

  • Your Ops team has rolled out the MPR chart to all locations.  This tool allows you, next day line sight into what’s actually happening at your property. 

  • The more involved you are in reviewing this information with your teams, the more engaged they will be in their own results. 

  • Train your team on what MPRs are, why they are important and how and why they are tracked.

    
    

• Control and limit overtime

  • Use efficient task distribution and workload management to ensure tasks are completed within regular work hours.  

  • Review your timecards daily to monitor employee punches, address “milking the clock” situations, and see who might be approaching overtime.

  • FD doesn’t have to stick to a 7-3, 3-11 and 11-7 schedule as well. We heard that is reason for OT being used.  Need help?  Reach out to P&C to discuss.

    
    

• And finally, Be Engaged: your true key to success in controlling labor!   

  • Are you aware of what your employees are doing? 

  • Are they aware of their efficiencies and areas of opportunity? 

  • Are they consistent in clocking in and out so you can know exactly where you stand?

  • Do you have all employees assigned to the right department and have secondary departments available for them to accurately clock into? (email Sarah Quintero for help).   

  • Have you asked your own staff what they can do to be more efficient?

To help support you in your efforts to control labor and OT, you will be receiving an Approaching Overtime Report each Thursday, starting next week, September 26th, that will provide you notification of any GSR that has more than 30 hours in that week. (before Thursday’s shift).  This will allow you to make any needed adjustments before the end of the given workweek..