28 Apr 2021

People Seminar – Re-engage with your stakeholders

Tourism NI were delighted to be partnering with NI Hotels Federation to deliver a number of virtual seminars in preparation for the reopening of the sector.

The ‘road to recovery’ will not be achieved without people. We have to remember those that will recover our business and that isn’t just our customers, it’s our staff. Without them we will not be able to deliver the services our customers are expecting. The issue is some of them may not have worked for almost a year, whilst others are experiencing - like many of us - lockdown fatigue; many are struggling and desperate to do anything, whilst there will be those who are struggling just to get off the sofa!

This 45 minute seminar explored how to re-engage with your stakeholders.

Whilst the first lockdown meant that everyone was in the same boat, lockdown two and especially three, have generated greater gaps in people’s lives. Quizzes, communication and even development seemed prolific amongst the teams. However, with the optimism from last October turning into uncertainty, we need to make sure that all our stakeholders - customers, suppliers and staff - are engaged, feel valued and are on board for reopening when we can. This session looked at:

Recognition – Do they know we are still thinking about them and how much time have we spent revisiting their expectations? Do we have an idea of their personal circumstances and how they have coped or are coping in these difficult times?

Relationships – People feel valued if we are interested in them and that can only happen when they feel they can trust the business. What are you doing to rebuild your relationships?

Reassurance - What will they be coming back to? Will it be safe and will they feel safe? How are we communicating the information and processes to them and for what purpose? Do you have a strategy for the wellbeing of the team moving forward?

This seminar was delivered by Tim Browne - an experienced trainer with an engaging mix of energy, enthusiasm and humour in his delivery to teams and audiences.

If you missed this session, or wish to watch it again, you can view a recording of the webinar below.