Some of you will recall doing a “Critical path” using floppy disk that later became a diskette on a very noisy computer when saving your data. Cumbersome, slow and time consuming. At the end, probably like me, you ended up doing it by hand. Multiple corrections had to be made and often went with the temper of your “immediate boss” first and then to higher authorities. I learned the hard way and I cannot contemplate, in this fast and ever changing world of ours, performing such tasks the same way today.
ACTION PLAN vs CRITICAL PATH
When operating a property, you often use such approach yet not called the same. As an easy example, each Year end festivities of Christmas and New Years Eve, we prepare and “Action plan” at least 90 days in advance with set deadlines for task completion. With the exception of having a different creative theme, having a set of different colors, different type of flowers many tasks will remain the same year after year.
During an opening the “Critical path” works much the same with each department activities and tasks to be met prior to the “Critical Opening Date”. So this valuable and much useful tool, so often overlooked, will be my guide for the next few months in order to deliver on my company’s (and myself) main promise, to meet successfully the “Critical Opening Date”. I look at it every day and adjust weekly.
INDUSTRY STANDARD
According to industry standard, a “Critical Path” should be set between 6 to 9 months from the set date of an opening. Such date mutually agreed between Owners and the Company. Owners may, at his discretion and decision, move the date backward of forward. Some of my colleagues had the overwhelming challenge to do this in less than 3 months and others had their tasks dragged for more than 3 years.
In the first case, you better be ready to lose lots of sleep and drink lots of coffee to achieve the “Critical Opening Date”. In the second case, you will have to use patience and diplomacy so you don’t go nuts about having to wait for the “Critical Opening Date” to suddenly be set in stone.
Like a Musical conductor where he uses his “baton” to apply nuances, the “baton” itself becomes a living tool, charged with the conductor’s emotions and energy giving orchestras meaning to every slightest movement on the partition.
IT IS YOUR GUIDE
So is your “Critical Path”. Your review, adjustment and experience must play a role in molding it to your “New” project. No property is the same, no individuals are the same. One Key executive in Chicago will not envision his/her tasks and perform his/her duties the same way as Key executive in China or Russia. What are clear to keep mind is the tasks and their completion.
If you have shorter times to meet that “Critical Opening Date” you will speed up MUST tasks and leave others until after opening. MUST Tasks will include all Safety & Security, Hygiene, Licenses, Sales & Marketing, Comprehensive Training.
If you are given enough time, you will review more thoroughly and be able to communicate your vision more steadily to your team. It also gives you the opportunity to build a stronger team of managers and associates.
If opening time is delayed and pushed further away, you have a bigger responsibility as the team gets demoralized and looses focus. Like a captain, having clear directions and holding it together will become your greater responsibility. In all cases, you will need to meet that “Critical Opening Date” face on and must I say smiling.
Getting closer to the “Critical Opening Date” will bring you numerous unpredictable events that will test your skills and experience. If you, and your team, have prepared well and followed your “Critical Path”, you will be able to overcome them easily. Remember that the team’s ability to complete their respective “Critical Tasks” will ensure the Overall success. If one fails, then the “Coach” fails
FOLLOWING MY “CRITICAL PATH”
Since my arrival, my “Critical” tasks were to review and re-submit the necessary Hotel Operating Equipment (HOE) list and standards, the all too important Pre-Opening Budget (POB), the difficult to explain why IT budget, the vision of the proper Signage in the new property.
I am glad to report that all have been communicated and waiting for comments from Owners.
In establishing and following your “Critical Path” and the “Critical Opening Date”, having full support from your Company is extremely important to help you overcome many of the challenges you face and will continue to face. So I have, and most of it, Online.
That is why I needed the Internet connected when I arrived. Quite different from my start-up in the Hospitality industry where most of everything was done by my hands…
Yoland Perras
General Manager
Sheraton Wuhan Hankou Hotel
