6 things Peter wished he knew when starting out at IHG

Some say hindsight is a wonderful thing and at IHG we often hear the question – what do you know now that you wish you did when starting out? We have a bunch of IHG’ers who’ve built up such a rich profile of experience and so with that in mind we thought we’d reach out to one to ask them just that.  

Peter is our Vice President, Hotel Operations and Performance Support for Europe. We asked him for any tips, advice and hints on the things he wished he'd known when starting out. From skills to attitude Peter offers a wealth of advice from his extensive IHG portfolio, so take a read:

1. You have to have a passion in this industry – it can be for performance, guest service, or for IHG the brand.  Passion can and will be measured in different ways so it’s important to understand where yours lies. 

2. Roughly 20% of your time should be spent on your own personal development, invest in yourself and set clear goals – even if your path is unclear, having goals keeps you focused. I’d advise you stay flexible as goals may change and you have to react to that.

3. Looking outside the industry and IHG is just as important as being focused internally. The industry is so competitive and constantly changing that if you don’t stay up to date & know what the changes mean for your company, you will be left behind.

4. Culture always beats strategy – even the best strategic plans die a quick death if it doesn’t challenge the culture. We’re famous and proud of our culture so really dig deep and get under the skin of it from the moment you come into contact with IHG, it really is palpable

5. A successful leader is one that’s curious - Millennials are constantly asking ‘what if’ so if you’re not, you should. Constantly peeling back layers to find out more and being curious is something I wish I’d known when starting out.

6. In this world (outside of Hospitality too) there’s constant messaging, the importance of how you deliver a message is more important than what you’re actually saying. An engaging message is very important whether it’s to 2 people or a room full. You have to capture the audience’s attention in a way that engages them.