Mark Jones - Blog 11th February 2009

“If you add back the availability of credit and a positive attitude – will that turn it all around? Well, if you’ve been at a seminar when someone stands up and amazes you by saying its people that make the difference – you’ll probably wonder how they used to work before they made this personal breakthrough.

Given that everything else is assets or information – of course it is people that both got us to this point and that will be needed to get us out. I am not qualified to comment on the process of recovery but having managed teams of up to 3,000 people in a number of countries, I do know that we are a resilient lot and that we will embrace the upturn with vigor and, at least in the short-term, a little more balance!

However, what damage has perhaps been caused to our skill base as people have been let go and what changes in behaviour as an organization will we need to adjust to for the future?

Having started hotel operations from scratch I know that without training - well-intentioned and hard-working chaos would follow. If you move from that obvious opening position, then every subsequent upgrade in performance must be directly linked to attitude, skills and competence.

Attitude cannot be taught – although it can be modified through good leadership - but it can be recruited. Thereafter training is the key and research from 2007 confirms that companies that don’t train are 2.5 times more likely to fail.

Our core business at both Whittlebury Hall and Scalford Hall is providing a great learning environment.

Our teams need us to steady the ship at this time – I think we need to show that we need them by investing in them to build confidence beyond the here and now!

Mark Jones - General Manager Macepark Hotels