Tony Hughes has a lot of job titles. Not only is he the ex managing director of Mitchell's & Butlers, but he’s the non-executive for Restaurant Group plc and a board member of The National Skills Academy for Hospitality.
So all in all, he’s a pretty busy guy.
It goes without saying that most hospitality jobs require organisation, especially for those in management roles like Tony. Caterer.com caught up with him to talk about how Dr. Stephen Covey’s book, 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' changed not only his working relationships, but his life as a whole.
"I was given a first print copy of the book in the late eighties while working in Dallas with TGI Friday’s. I knew that Norman Brinker, the icon of Brinkers Restaurant Group, was a huge fan. I wish I’d read it when I was 18; it would have made a big difference to my life.
"In 1993 I attended the Stephen Covey Principle Centred Leadership Centre at Sundance Valley, Utah. and ever since, I’ve been implementing the principles [of the Covey Seven Habits] of balancing short term requirements with the long term needs of business, helping people to become effective rather than just efficient."
The seven habits of highly effective people:
- Be proactive
- Begin with the end in mind
- Put first things first
- Think win - win
- Seek first to understand, then to be understood
- Synergise
- Sharpen the saw
Tony continues by saying, “We all want to help our people and teams to become as effective as possible, but there’s big difference between being effective and being efficient. In difficult economic situations many companies focus exclusively on cost reduction in their quest to become ever more efficient, often leading them to go out of business in a highly professional and organised manner.
"Balancing the short term requirement to cut costs must be balanced with the long term need to grow sales. It’s not ‘either/or’ — it’s both."
Another raving fan of the course is Karen Forrester, managing director of TGI Friday’s UK, who was introduced to Covey through Tony when he was at Mitchells & Butlers.
"Our industry attracts people with a certain passion, who put everything into it. This can affect work/life balance. Karen Skingley (a licenced Covey facilitator) trained sixty of my general managers at TGIF. It improved how they approached tasks and helped them be more efficient at what they do. [Managers] always find it so helpful for their development."
Training, coaching and development are essential for any hospitality business to be effective and successful. The title of the book says it all, really. After all, who wouldn’t want a team or business full of 'highly effective people'?
The good news for us hospitality lot is that The National Skills Academy for Hospitality are now working with Karen Skingley, who is delivering the programme for the hospitality industry over a three day training course.
You can find out the dates and prices on the NSA’s website: www.excellencefound.co.uk or alternatively, contact frances.sturt@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk
Related articles:
How to get the most out of training
Training dates for National Skills Academy for Hospitality courses 2010
How to restore a good work-life balance
The 7 signs you're working too hard
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