February 2016
Our Family of Companies


 
A Letter from our Chairman:

Communication plays a critically important role in the success of any organization, as it affects everything we do. We are constantly tested on our ability to communicate effectively, from forming new connections to engaging our clients, colleagues, and strategic partners.

As many of us have experienced firsthand, breakdowns in communication can lead to poor management decisions, strained business relationships, and missed opportunities to grow.

At HRG, we place a very high premium on our ability to communicate well, from our internal correspondence to our contacts with clients and colleagues. In this edition of our HRG Newsletter, we review the importance of developing effective communication strategies, and share some of our best practices we have developed to manage meetings and events, develop workforce training programs, and create effective marketing campaigns.

We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter, and look forward to hearing from you about this topic, along with others you may be interested in learning more about. If you have not already, we invite you to Follow us on our HRG LinkedIn Group page and on our Facebook page, and review past editions on our web site at HRGinc.net

Wishing you continued success!

Regards and best,  



Robert O. Sanders, Jr., CMP
Founder and Chairman
Hospitality Resource Group, Inc.

Connecting with Clarity: Developing Effective Business Communication
Have you ever come out of a meeting or event feeling good about it, only to realize that no one was assigned to follow-up and leverage all of the time and resources it took to put it together in the first place?

Can you remember the last networking event you attended when you were able to connect with a truly meaningful new contact?

Have you ever misunderstood someone in your organization, and chalked it up as one of those "generational things"?

In today's fast-paced, hyper-connected world, poor communication skills can be a serious obstacle to our success. Consider: according to a recent About.com survey on failures in business communication- the top three reasons employees are dissatisfied with their jobs are all communication-related:
  1. A lack of direction from management (38%)
  2. Poor communication overall (14%)
  3. Constant change that's not well communicated (12%).
Today's work environment poses very serious challenges for business leaders as they look to move their organizations forward, as poor communication affects their ability to execute their plans and connect with their employees, stakeholders and new clients.

Let's look at a business situation many of us are familiar with where we can improve on our communication skills.

Meeting Communication- Who's On First?
 
Issue: Employees often view meetings as a waste of time, despite the fact that we are spending a substantial amount of time in them.
The primary goal of scheduling a meeting is to address an important topic, issue or opportunity, but it is also a litmus test of how well you are able communicate. The challenge in developing an effective meeting is to provide a forum and platform to enable all of the participants to be engaged, productive and responsive to the goals set with the agenda.

But what if there was no agenda? Or the one you created did not clearly describe the purpose of the meeting?

Or- what if one person hijacked the meeting and you were not able to accomplish what you set out to do?

And- what if no one was assigned to document the key points of discussion and delegate responsibilities?

If a business is having challenges with communication, warning signs should trigger action by the executive leading the meeting, or managerial staff. Some of the symptoms to poor meeting participation and follow-through include
  • Lack of cooperation in planning
  • Setting unrealistic or unclear goals and objectives
  • Casting blame and pointing fingers
  • Eroding relationships with clients, strategic business partners and vendors
Solutions: Meetings need to be planned carefully in advance to provide attendees with an opportunity to prepare ahead. During the course of the meeting, it is critical to assign a meeting lead to achieve success by engaging the entire audience, and to be as concise, informative, and positive as possible. Some of the ways we manage meetings at HRG include:
  • Listening and "playing back" to attendees what you discussed at your meeting
  • Encouraging input and providing feedback (in confidence, when applicable)
  • Avoid singling out one person about a concern, and working as a group to resolve an issue
  • Assigning a meeting leader with outstanding communication skills
  • Delegating the responsibility to record key points following up with all attendees
If you take these steps and these issues continue to exist, you may consider outsourcing this responsibility to a company with skills and experience in meeting and event planning and business communication training to improve your results and consistently achieve the goals you have set.
Developing a successful meeting or event plan requires a deep commitment to planning and a focus on engaging your audience with clear and consistent messaging and follow-through. At HRG, the key to our success is to engage our clients in an honest and open dialogue to determine how we can support their organization and present themselves in their markets. 

HRG's 3 companies offer effective management solutions to improve our clients ability to connect and communicate. Are you looking to improve your ROI from your events or professional development program? 

Contact Walter Recher, HRG VP of Marketing @ (914)761-7111 walter@hrginc.net
About Hospitality Resource Group

Hospitality Resource Group, Inc. (HRG) is a group of 3 vertically integrated companies, with over 19 years of experience offering innovative training solutions, event management solutions and brand marketing programs for businesses, education institutions, municipalities and not for profit organizations. HRG clients benefit from our proven ability to develop effective management solutions to expand their markets and engage their companies to build brand equity, increase sales and improve productivity.

The HRG family of companies includes:

HRG has earned widespread recognition from leading industry organizations, including:






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