What hotel teams need from interim leadership
Governance & Leadership
Interim leadership is often introduced to create movement. In such situations, teams need more than pace. They also look for calm, predictability and a leader who understands what is happening on the floor.
The essentials
- Listen before interpreting caution as resistance.
- Make expectations and decision authority predictable.
- Show small agreements working in practice.
The reality on the hotel floor
By the time an interim leader arrives, the team may already have experienced reorganisations, management changes or shifting priorities. Pressure to keep performing is high. Caution can then be mistaken for a lack of commitment.
People need to know which expectations still apply, which choices are changing and where they can act independently.
Be present and understand
A good start requires observation and dialogue. Spend time in operations, listen for recurring difficulties and test assumptions. Then make expectations explicit and explain what support the team can expect in return.
Teams need calm communication, clear boundaries and consistent leadership. Listening is a practical leadership intervention.
Establish coherence before focused movement
New KPIs or structures help when they resolve an identified problem. Without that understanding, they may mainly add work. Focus the initial assignment on a shared factual picture, clear priorities and predictable decisions.
This creates a foundation for stronger accountability and fewer unnecessary escalations. Its effect must be assessed in practice.
In practice
Practice perspective: restoring trust
My starting point is that a cautious team is not automatically an unmotivated one. Presence, explained choices and clear responsibility can help trust return.
The aim is for people to understand how they can contribute again. An interim assignment provides a temporary leadership opportunity whose effects can extend beyond the assignment itself.
A good start is visible on the floor
During the first week, speak with managers and employees across different shifts. Ask which problem recurs, which agreement does not work and what already goes well. Combine their answers with observation and available data. Speaking only with management may miss friction in handovers and peak periods.
Report back what you heard and which issues will be addressed first. Explain which choices need further investigation. Brief feedback prevents listening from becoming a conversation without follow-through. Make one small improvement visible and explain who will sustain it.
In practice
Support without taking over accountability
If employees repeatedly seek help from one experienced colleague, agreements may be unclear or training insufficient. Ask why that colleague is needed. Then make the knowledge accessible and give supervisors a recognisable framework for resolving questions. The interim leader supports the system without becoming its permanent escalation point.
Ask the interim GM to formulate three team agreements within ten working days and test them with managers. Monitor recurring escalations, delivery of agreements and brief team feedback. After two weeks, discuss what creates clarity and what adds work. Hand workable routines over to permanent leadership.
A practical starting point
In early conversations, ask where teams lack clarity. Compare answers across departments and choose one recurring issue you can clarify promptly. Then demonstrate that the commitment is followed through.
The next step
What does your hotel need now?
Discuss your situation, urgency and key risks. Together, we identify an appropriate first step.
