From F&B Director to GM: Quick Reference Guide

PHASE 1: MONTH 1 – FOUNDATION (Learning the Basics)

Week 1-2: Listen & Assess

Priority Actions:

• Meet all department heads one-on-one
• Property walks (all shifts, all areas)
• Review all reports: financial, guest feedback, audits
• Meet owner/asset manager – understand expectations
• Key Message: “I’m here to learn from you and lead us to success together”

Week 3-4: Deep Dive Learning

Focus Areas:

1. Rooms Division (Critical Gap)
   • Shadow Front Office Manager 2-3 days
   • Learn PMS system (Opera, Protel, etc.)
   • Shadow Executive Housekeeper on inspections
   • Learn check-in/out, reservations, night audit
2. Revenue Management (Critical Gap)
   • Learn Revenue Management System
   • Understand: RevPAR, ADR, Occupancy, yield management
   • Study STR reports (comp set analysis)
   • Work with Revenue Manager
3. Financial Understanding
   • Expand from F&B P&L to Total Hotel P&L
   • Learn GOP, Flow-Through, EBITDA
   • Weekly meetings with Financial Controller
   • Understand USALI accounting

Quick Wins to Implement:

• ✅ Improve breakfast service (your F&B strength)
• ✅ Reduce F&B costs 2-3% (show financial discipline)
• ✅ Fix visible service gaps
• ✅ Improve staff communication

PHASE 2: MONTH 2 – OPERATIONS MASTERY

Learning Focus:

Sales & Marketing

• Shadow Director of Sales 2-3 days
• Join sales calls and site inspections
• Learn OTA management, channel distribution
• Understand corporate, group, MICE segments
• Attend weekly sales meetings

Engineering & Maintenance

• Weekly property walks with Chief Engineer
• Learn HVAC, electrical, plumbing, life safety systems
• Understand preventive maintenance programs
• Review work order systems
• Learn capital expenditure planning (FF&E)

Technology Systems

• Master PMS advanced features
• Learn Channel Manager, Booking Engine
• Understand CRM capabilities
• Learn data analytics tools
• Attend vendor training webinars

Action Items:

• Start implementing improvements
• Establish standard meeting structure
• Build external relationships
• Continue intensive learning in weak areas

PHASE 3: MONTH 3 – STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

Strategic Focus:

Planning & Asset Management

• Learn annual budgeting process
• Understand management/franchise agreements
• Master competitive analysis
• Develop long-term strategic plans
• Meet regularly with owners

Quality & Brand Standards

• Study all brand manuals
• Review audit reports and action plans
• Analyze guest satisfaction metrics (GSS, NPS)
• Master online reputation management
• Implement quality assurance programs

90-Day Review:

• Document learnings and progress
• Present strategic plan to owner
• Define 12-month priorities
• Establish performance metrics
• Celebrate quick wins with team

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

1. Lead with Humility + Learn Aggressively

Do’s:

• ✅ Admit what you don’t know
• ✅ Ask questions constantly
• ✅ Take notes everywhere
• ✅ Seek feedback actively
• ✅ Apply learning immediately

Say This:

“I haven’t worked in Front Office before. Teach me your expertise.”

Don’t Say:

“In F&B we did it this way…” (dismissive of other departments)

2. Leverage Your F&B Strengths

Your Competitive Advantages:

• Deep guest experience understanding
• Strong cost control skills (transferable)
• Proven team management
• Vendor negotiation expertise
• Quality assurance mindset
• Crisis management experience

Apply Across Property:

• Use cost control methodology everywhere
• Elevate service standards property-wide
• Implement training programs
• Create comprehensive QA systems
• Develop F&B as profit center + destination

3. Build & Empower Your Team

Key Principle:

“You’re the expert in your area. Teach me, and together we’ll make this property exceptional.”

Team Strategy:

• Assess each leader’s strengths
• Delegate meaningfully
• Provide resources and support
• Remove obstacles
• Recognize publicly
• Address underperformance quickly
• Don’t micromanage areas you’re still learning

AVOID THESE PITFALLS

Common Mistakes:

❌ Try to control F&B too tightly (let your F&B Director run it) ❌ Micromanage departments you don’t understand yet ❌ Make major changes too quickly ❌ Pretend to know everything ❌ Dismiss others’ suggestions ❌ Change everything at once

Warning Signs You’re Moving Too Fast:

• High staff turnover (especially high performers)
• Deteriorating financial performance
• Declining guest satisfaction
• Owner expressing concerns
• Department heads bypassing you

If You See These: Slow down, listen more, seek help

DAILY ROUTINE (First 90 Days)

Morning (6:00 AM – 12:00 PM)

• 6:00 – Property walk (before guests awake)
• 7:00 – Morning briefing (15 min, all departments)
• 7:30 – Breakfast outlets walk (observe service, greet guests)
• 8:30 – Office time (emails, reports, guest feedback)
• 10:00 – Department shadows (rotating: Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering, Sales)
• 12:00 – Lunch in restaurant (observe, sometimes with guests/team)

Afternoon (1:00 PM – 6:00 PM)

• 1:00 – Admin time (financial analysis, strategic planning, learning)
• 3:00 – Property walk (inspect rooms, back-of-house, talk to staff)
• 5:00 – Be visible during check-in rush

Evening (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM)

• 6:00 – Evening outlets walk (dinner, bar service)
• 7:00 – Wrap-up (review performance, emails, plan tomorrow)
• 8:00 – Go home (sustainable hours are critical!)

Weekly Meetings:

• Monday: Executive Committee (2 hrs) – week ahead, financial review
• Tuesday: Revenue Management – pricing, forecast
• Wednesday: Sales & Marketing – booking pace, guest satisfaction
• Thursday: Operations walkthroughs – all departments
• Friday: Week recap, planning, one-on-ones

ESSENTIAL LEARNING RESOURCES

Priority Courses (Start Immediately):

1. Cornell Hotel School – Revenue Management, GM Program
2. AHLEI – Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA)
3. HSMAI – Certified Revenue Management Executive (CRME)
4. Coursera/LinkedIn Learning – Hotel Management, Financial Analysis

Must-Read Books:

Operations:

• “Hotel Front Office Management” – James Bardi
• “Handbook of Hospitality Operations and IT” – Peter Jones

Financial:

• “Hospitality Industry Managerial Accounting” – Raymond Cote

Revenue:

• “Revenue Management” – Robert G. Cross

Leadership:

• “Setting the Table” – Danny Meyer
• “Unreasonable Hospitality” – Will Guidara
• “Leaders Eat Last” – Simon Sinek

Daily Reading:

• Hotel News Now (industry news)
• STR reports (competitive analysis)
• Hospitality Net
• Guest reviews (TripAdvisor, Google)

Podcasts (Commute Time):

• “No Vacancy” with Glenn Haussman
• “The Hospitality Show”
• “Revenue Management Unplugged”

Join Immediately:

• Local Hotel Association
• HSMAI chapter
• GM Roundtable/Forum
• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)

Conferences (Plan to Attend):

• ALIS (January) – strategy/investment
• HITEC (June) – technology
• HSMAI ROC (June) – revenue management

BUILDING CREDIBILITY

With Owners/Asset Managers:

They Want:

• Financial performance on/ahead of budget
• Asset protection and enhancement
• Proactive communication
• Solutions, not just problems

Provide Weekly:

• Financial performance vs. budget/prior year
• Forecast for upcoming periods
• Guest satisfaction scores/online ratings
• Significant issues (with proposed solutions)
• Market/competitive intelligence
• Capital needs planning

With Your Team:

Show Them:

• Visible leadership (be present, all areas, occasionally all shifts)
• Accessibility (open door, responsive)
• Fair, consistent decisions
• Recognition and credit
• Support with resources
• Respect for their expertise

Communication Structure:

• Daily 15-min morning briefing
• Weekly Executive Committee (2 hrs)
• Monthly department head meetings
• Quarterly all-staff town halls
• Regular one-on-ones

With Guests:

• Morning lobby presence (breakfast/checkout)
• Evening presence (check-in/cocktail hour)
• Handle escalated complaints personally
• Remember repeat guests/VIPs
• Respond to online reviews personally
• Be visible on weekends

90-DAY SUCCESS CHECKLIST

Operational:

□ Guest satisfaction scores stable or improved □ Financial performance on/ahead of budget □ No loss of key team members □ Demonstrated competency in Rooms Division □ Demonstrated competency in Revenue Management □ 2-3 visible improvements implemented

Learning:

□ Can read/interpret full P&L confidently □ Can discuss revenue strategy intelligently □ Understand all property systems □ Know all department SOPs □ Completed at least one course/certification

Leadership:

□ Strong relationships with all department heads □ Clear communication structure established □ Strategic plan drafted □ Owner confidence maintained/increased □ Team morale stable/improved □ Mentor relationship established

Personal:

□ Learning plan created and executing □ Professional network expanding □ Work-life balance maintained □ Confidence growing □ Regular time off scheduled

KEY MINDSET SHIFTS

Remember:

You’re Not an Imposter

• 20 years industry experience is substantial
• F&B expertise = 30-40% of hotel revenue
• You were promoted for leadership ability
• GMs orchestrate, they don’t need to do everything

The GM Role is Different:

From	To
Technical expert	Strategic leader
Doing the work	Enabling others
Departmental focus	Holistic property view
Managing operations	Building relationships

Success Mantras:

“I may not know everything about Rooms yet, but I know how to lead people, control costs, deliver excellent experiences, and build successful operations.”

“Asking questions is strength, not weakness. Admitting ‘I don’t know’ builds credibility when followed by quick learning.”

“Many GMs come from Rooms and struggle with F&B. I have the opposite challenge, but F&B expertise is harder to develop than Rooms knowledge.”

YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION

What You Bring to the GM Role:

✅ Guest Experience Expertise – F&B creates emotional connections ✅ Financial Discipline – Cost control in F&B is complex; you’ve mastered it ✅ Proven Leadership – Complex operations, many moving parts ✅ Quality Standards – You know what excellence looks like ✅ Crisis Management – Banquets, busy services, difficult situations ✅ Training Ability – F&B requires constant training; you develop people well ✅ Vendor Relations – Strong negotiation experience

QUICK DECISION-MAKING GUIDE

When You’re Confident (F&B):

→ Decide quickly and confidently → Explain your reasoning → Set high standards

When You’re Learning (Other Areas):

→ Gather input from experts (your team) → Ask clarifying questions → Consider multiple perspectives → Acknowledge uncertainty → Make best decision with available info → Adjust if proven wrong

When to Defer/Get Help:

• Legal/safety implications unclear
• Major financial commitments outside knowledge
• Brand/franchise compliance issues
• No urgency + need more learning time

When to Decide Alone:

• Crisis requiring immediate action
• Personnel issues (terminations, discipline)
• You have all necessary information
• Delay causes more harm than risk

When to Involve Team:

• Strategic direction
• Major changes affecting multiple departments
• Need their expertise
• Buy-in critical for success

RED FLAGS TO WATCH

Personal Burnout:

❌ Working 70+ hours consistently ❌ Not taking time off ❌ Health/family issues ❌ Loss of enthusiasm

Prevention: → Delegate effectively → Take regular time off → Maintain boundaries → Exercise and health → Interests outside work

Need Outside Help When:

• Facing unfamiliar crisis
• Complex financial decisions
• Legal/compliance issues
• Significant underperformance (unclear causes)
• Toxic culture not improving

Resources Available:

• Hotel consultant/GM coach
• Industry mentor
• GM peer groups
• Brand/franchise support
• Professional associations
• Legal counsel