Bozzuto

Steven Fretwell

With over 25 years of experience in the residential and hotel industries, Steven Fretwell, Senior VP at Bozzuto, leads talent development programs and processes. He focuses on operational effectiveness, residential services, customer surveys, change management, employee recognition, awards events and diversity initiatives. Before Bozzuto, he graduated from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in Human Ecology and held leadership positions with Marriott International.

Change management is often a tricky task, especially in large organizations. During the process, it is essential to address the customers' needs, keeping reliability alive. In this article, Steven Fretwell provides an in-depth view of facilitating seamless transitions in the hospitality industry. He mentions the impact of proactive, strategic goals and technology as the key enforcers of change management.

Managing the emotional adversities by “creating a sanctuary”

The pandemic impacted the world in ways we would have never expected and created a dynamic change in customers’ behaviors and expectations. This has affected our employees in areas we are not used to seeing.  In the multifamily sector, customers who once worked during the day are now working from home or have hybrid schedules.   That has increased the use of public space for interactions with community staff.  In many cases, the design of the building is tested at levels it has not seen before to become functional workplaces. 

“We strive to ensure our teams have the skills to create a physiologically safe space for customers and themselves when dealing with many emotions caused by the uncertainty of the times.”

Increased face-time with the regulars also leads to exposure on both sides for more details into the personal lives of customers and the staff.  At the beginning of the pandemic, many customers found themselves unemployed and searching to find their way during a tumultuous time of uncertainty.  This stress manifested in different ways but ultimately made it more important than ever that our teams could listen, provide positive support and navigate what was sometimes a volatile emotional roller-coaster for our customers.  We strive to ensure our teams have the skills to create a physiologically safe space for customers and themselves when dealing with many emotions caused by the uncertainty of the times.  I think, the goal of “creating a sanctuary” for our residents guided us during those times.

Key principles to facilitate smooth transitions during times of change

Change management processes and actions have always intrigued me throughout my career.  I would dare say that many think of change management as simply communicating the ‘why’ behind the change and stating the benefits for the organization.  Humans are interesting and complex beings that sometimes even if the change is good, they still cling to the bad because it is what they know.  

We have found success by linking the proposed change to our strategic goals. Communication is always useful and often, teams can prepare for the inevitable through customizing interactions at key stakeholder levels as we cascade down the organization.  Lastly, I think our biggest learning has been to prepare for the 'small ‘wins’ in the process to ensure that everyone in the organization has a sense of the change bringing positive action to their roles.  The early wins may seem small and extend the overall process but you reap the rewards exponentially on the back end.

Leveraging technology to enhance talent development and operational effectiveness. We have embraced artificial intelligence (AI) in our talent development efforts.  Not only do we provide a career path for each role but we provide AI suggestions for our teams to upskill and learn transferrable skills through training that is above and beyond what is required.  It is our goal to create a learning culture where our employees are curious and are looking for ways to grow. 

Gauging the health of organizational culture beyond traditional metrics

The health of the organizational culture can be measured in several ways.  I would prefer to look at it as a balanced scorecard of three different areas - People, performance and customer Sentiment or reputation.  People equal the talent within an organization and those areas of measurement are existing employee engagement surveys, retention numbers and components like Glassdoor reviews.  

Performance, whether of finances, new innovative processes or products, is a measure that indicates a healthy organization that is striving to get better each day.  Customer sentiment or reputation is paramount to a brand’s success.  If the people and performance are in line you should have a customer base that is committed and as loyal as your internal talent.  This measure can be done by ratings and reviews from customers, focus groups, or any other way to involve your customer base in the opportunity to glean what they think will make the experience better.

The upcoming trends and preparing for the future

Currently, everyone’s focus is on AI.  Service providers are starting to build that into their capabilities in software akin to a Learning Management System.  I think many are putting hope into AI that it will provide a ‘set it and forget it’ mentality where it will do all the work for people.

As businesses and leaders, we need to start planning for what it might not do in the framework of the head and heart.  We have to change the way information provided by AI is processed and as good as those suggestions are, we cannot underestimate the power of a leader sitting down to take the time to tell someone that they believe in them.   In the end, it’s the soft skills that inspire people.

Ensure you are close to operations and the business.  We are, in general, a cost center, but by understanding how teams contribute to the overall success of businesses and operational effectiveness, you will be golden.  That is how one gets a seat at the table.