I’ve worked in hospitality and luxury island resorts for many years and have encountered varying degrees of project discipline within the industry. Due to the complex world of the hospitality industry, there are always competing issues, so organizations don’t place as much weight on project discipline as they should.

I am not referring to significant projects like a new resort or hotel build. I have been brought in on several occasions to clean up and get back on track projects, both large, complex, and small, that have been de-railed because of the lack of project discipline.

This is mainly due to either the hotel project management skill level not being where it should be or because the project is being executed by an individual or group alongside their normal duties and responsibilities and they don’t pay attention to it as diligently as they should have.

Project performance is often less a matter of the project lifecycle and more a function of people on the ground.

Every project has a lifecycle, cradle-to-the-grave scenario. But regardless of the size or complexity of the project, this scenario remains the same. In most resorts and locations I’ve worked, the projects are always managed by people wearing two or three different hats simultaneously. I’ve rarely seen a project manager brought in to do only the project.

Because of this, most people undertaking the project either aren’t skilled, trained, or have little knowledge of the project lifecycle, processes, and discipline. This is where the wheels usually fall off the cart.

What should be happening:

• Analyzing where the project is in its lifecycle
• Arranging and preparing all of the relevant documentation for the current state
• Preparing and documenting the previous history of the project
• Getting the finances and decision-making milestones arranged and up to date

What ends up happening is they are forced to jump to a tangent and deal with a part of the project that the guiding entity feels is more important. A scenario might be picking out the color schemes before even deciding on the budget to determine just how much funding is available for that element.

Many of the delays in individual projects arise from problems at a management level.

Multitasking is the nature of the hospitality industry. For the most part, upper management is usually where the project is born, and they are usually willing to start imparting their vision, knowledge and experience to the newly ordained project individual on how to manage the project and what their vision for this project is.

What the upper management level is unwittingly trying to convey is really just their vision of the project’s overall outcome. It is certainly very useful for the project person to download the overall vision of how the project is expected to come out; this is important when managing stakeholder expectations and developing the project budgets. What is not useful is upper management dictating to the project person which steps are next and where the project’s hold points and critical milestones are.

Leave it to the responsibility of the project person to delve into the history and status of the project and allow them time to work this out for themselves. Give the project manager the time to ascertain the current status and then provide a verbal or written briefing to management and open the proper dialogue with the key project stakeholders.

Putting Flexibility Where It Counts

The definition of flexibility is the quality of bending easily without breaking or a willingness to change or compromise and the ability to be easily modified. All of these elements, in my mind, describe stakeholder management basics.

One of the most important elements of being a good project manager is communicating effectively and efficiently with your stakeholders.

Also, one other important component is being able and having the ability to identify your stakeholders and their level of interest and influence. It’s imperative that when you’re managing a project, you understand that not all forms of communication fit all. In this case, one size never fits all. I recommend mapping out the stakeholder audience, getting to know and understand each individual, obtaining their perspective and point of view and the best way to manage each of them most economically and efficiently.

Remember, it is your job to convey to the stakeholders the current status and direction of the project, not the other way around.

How to Maximize Discipline in a Hotel Project

So, you’ve taken on board that new and exciting project. Here are some simple tips and tricks I would use to follow the proper lifecycle of the project.

1 – Ensuring all are on the same page

Understand the project’s parameters and be completely aware of the expected outcomes, current costs and budget. Document exactly where the project is at in this present moment and where it has come from. Identify and download from the project sponsor to the key stakeholders and prominent individuals who can persuade and influence the project, their ideas and beliefs on the project. Now everyone is on the same page, and you can start to make a difference in the project and get it back on the rails.

2 – Engagement with all levels of the organization

You must identify and map out who the stakeholders and project sponsors are. Without their buy-in and acceptance, you and the project will not succeed. Once you’ve identified all of these entities, you must map out the frequency and level of engagement and communication you need with each. Yes, sometimes, being a project manager means herding cats.

3 – Establishing a common language

In many projects I have worked on, they always abbreviate terms and details. It would be best if you spoke the same language to everyone or at least one language everyone can understand. As we all know, different industries have different acronyms, so remember where and who you are addressing.

4 – Managing operations and management

One of the areas that is almost always overlooked is the operational side of the project once it is handed over. It should not just be the case of kicking the ball over the fence and walking away. Even if it isn’t explicitly mentioned, ensure everything to make the project a success, including once it is handed over, is in place and verified. Your reputation is on the line if you hand over the project and, within a short time, it isn’t performing as expected. I highly recommend that the operations teams and people are brought in and document thoroughly the training and handover components of the project, including handing over the operational and maintenance manuals.

5 – Transparency in issues

Don’t be afraid to advise when things don’t go according to plan, especially if you’re taking on board a project that has already started. It also doesn’t mean that you throw the previous person under the bus; that’s just not ethical. Document the issues and ensure that the ramifications and implications are understood, and then also take the time to develop the mitigation plans to counteract the issues. Ensure that issues are documented, researched and mitigated, or it will raise its head again and disrupt the project.

6 – Document, document, document

It doesn’t matter at what stage or where you enter the project; document everything. To what extent will depend on several project factors, and this is something that you need to determine yourself very early on in the picture. If you haven’t already created a filing regimen to manage the project, now is the time. Get your ducks in a row and ensure that all of the information and evidence of how the project has arrived at this point is clear and understood. Even if it means going back over sticky situations to find out what happened, it is important that you know the project’s history to manage it forward and then moving forward, you ensure that when decisions are made, they are documented.

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