The roots of the Hospitality industry trace back to ancient Greek times and even earlier. It gradually evolved through Medieval times, the Renaissance, the emergence of prominent Hotel chains during the post-Industrial Revolution era, and into the contemporary 21st century.
In the present day, the hospitality sector stands as a colossal multi-trillion-dollar industry, with an estimated valuation of $1.6 trillion. The growth of India's middle class and the surge in disposable incomes have significantly contributed to the expansion of both domestic and outbound markets, which have reached a combined worth of $251.64 billion with a CAGR of 7.11%. Projections from a report by IBEF.ORG indicate that this figure is anticipated to rise to $492.21 billion by 2028.
In the service industry, the role of individuals is of much pertinence. As, most of the time, they deal with prospective individual clients. Such an individual is Tanushka R Lall, Head Hospitality of HM HOSPITALITY I HM GROUP located in Bangalore.
She started her professional journey in the Hotel Industry despite being a diploma holder in fashion Technology. She gradually grew so passionate that she found herself inseparable from the industry. She continued as a Front Office Assistant and grew over the years to a scale of Head Hospitality – handling Hotels and Facilities.
Our editorial team caught up with Tanushka R Lall to know more about her. Edited excerpts.
Reputation and Success
I easily connect with people from any walk of life. I genuinely love my people without any disparity.
I believe it's not possible to measure success. It is better to keep the momentum of our careers, which would eventually define our success. Emphasis on improving the calibre of the team and less on brand gets cascaded across all levels in the system.
Merely making a congruent model of a great brand doesn't serve the purpose. It is the quality and experience delivered through motivated employees, great service delivery, and good quality product. Ending with "guest delight" is the secret ingredient of success.
I always try to create a niche in the hotel market by continuously delivering quality service, quality products, and value for money. There are two kinds of Hotels, one with a great inventory and a common service to all, and another one with a small inventory and an overwhelming service personalized to each guest's needs. I belong to the later.
In the end, profitability helps you realize that you have created a great brand. That's where I kept my momentum to keep going, which defines success for me.
I take risks, but at times, after understanding the situation, if I have a gut feeling that I would find it right in the risk that I'm taking, I go for it. I listen to my inner mind, and it's never gone wrong.
I try to take Structural and Participative leadership hand in hand to create a fantastic space for the team members to perform. I find immense satisfaction when people stop working for themselves and start working for me. Whether it could be my gardener who works in my landscape or the Managers who work across properties.
I find motivation in successfully creating a brand in the competitive market and my ability to change the lives of people working for or around me. I put in the effort to burst the Myth of Sisyphus by trying to make every day the best day positively.
I always suggest them to self-reflect and assess the previous year's performance. So that they are in a better position to handle details and other aspects of their day-to-day life.
I suggest them to never lose an opportunity to learn and always keep a tab on the current trends happening in the hospitality business. If every year should be better, then it's important to make every day better and better. Then I start looking at finer details and start correcting them.
So, the results are excellent, and they become better Executives with refined thoughts and actions.
Not everything is hunky dory in this domain. Sometimes, while making unpopular decisions, I have to explain why is the decision made and the pros of it to make it happen.
At times, I am helpless in certain situations, and still, I have to show the strength of positivity then. It is the most difficult part as a leader.
Significant changes brought to the organization
I try to make things simple, remain organic, and present genuine care for others. It is automatically infused or felt when even a guest walks into a restaurant or stays a night at the hotel, or maybe just a conversation with an employee can depict the changes brought to the organization.
The guest would genuinely feel the warmth of the hospitality, and that's being transmitted across all levels and mediums in the division.
A day in the professional life
I get up early in the morning, and after completing my daily chores, I get ready for my office to work with a whole bunch of fabulous people. I talk to my Managers and spend the day at the hotel or other facilitating properties.
I run the division. So, I work with an incredible team of people and ensure everything is taken care of to ensure smooth operations.
Strength and favorites
My strength is my family and my team. I would name my autobiography, "The Pursuit of Happiness & Positivity."
I don't have any such treasured reading material. I randomly read from different sites on classical dance and travel. My favourite places on the globe are beautiful and colourful India and the magical and mysterious Bali. I am very interested in classical dance, and I love spending time practising Kathak and baking.
A piece of advice for those who are assuming a leadership position for the first time
My advice would be "To stay focused on your aim, probably making every day your best day may not lie in your hands, but looking every day with a positive note lies within yourself. "
Learn from difficult situations and understand where you went wrong. It makes it tough to handle situations in life and makes you a better leader. Secondly, take care of your employees, and in turn, they will take care of your organization.
