What is the issue (s) at the Juniper Crest Country Club?
The club is faced with several issues. First, the food does not seem to be commensurate with the developed palates of the elite clientele, who are executives of Metro Oil and the Club’s Executive Board and club members. Secondly, there is an urgency to change the already existing menu to incorporate exotic menus from around the globe. Thirdly, there is no trained personnel in the local area, and the management is not able to attract trained culinarians. Also, the staff team is resistant to change.
What role did the management play in the development of the issue/s?
The management is not able to motivate its staff in a manner that enhances effectiveness and efficiency. This is the reason why it is not able to attract trained personnel from outside the locality. A good management team should always be one step ahead on how to make its products and services better than those of its competitors. The management at Juniper Crest Country Club was content with its traditional products and had not thought of ways to meet the varied tastes of its clients, who travel across the globe and learn new tastes in the hospitality sector.
The management adopts a dictatorial approach to its staff; it does not give its staff members a chance to air their opinions and views. This is the reason why it faces resistance from the staff members. The staff could help in implementing the change in a cost-effective manner.
What can be done to address the issue/s in the short-term and long-term?
In the short-term, the management needs to sensitize its staff on the upcoming changes and the essence of the training. The staff team is the main team that can make the changes a success, and without its cooperation, the entire process can be sabotaged in the long-term. The management should open a forum where the staff members can air their opinions on how to go about implementing the updated food menu.
Also, a specialist from one of the prestigious culinary schools visited should be invited to impact knowledge on the current employees based on the updated food menu. This would be achieved through on-the-job training. As the staff team prepares the usual dishes, it will learn to prepare the new dishes without allotting exclusive time for training.
In the long-term, the management should develop long-term strategies of sending its staff for periodic courses to advance their skills and knowledge. The management should prepare evaluation questionnaires to periodically review their products and services. This way, they will learn to keep up with the varied tastes of the clients.
What do I recommend to the management?
Good management listens to its staff. The minute the staff members get a feeling that they are treated insignificantly, they become rebellious and will not appreciate even the best of intentions. The management should review its terms and references for the staff. They should clearly outline the qualifications for the specific positions and offer remuneration packages and benefits equivalent to the qualifications, and duties, and responsibilities.
They should give their staff a chance to upgrade and get new knowledge and skills that would help the club improve its products and services. The management should also come up with yearly increments and bonuses for staff as a means to retain the staff members and avoid having to go through high staff turnovers. Also, this will help in attracting well-trained personnel from outside areas. As a way of enhancing creativity, the club could think of hosting cooking competitions for unique and delicious dishes. This is a way of developing new dishes that will enable the club to be competitive with the outside world.