In an industry where moving and switching brands to take a higher job position is common, Megan Carlson might be an anomaly. Her entire career in hospitality has been spent at Hyatt, with eight of those 10 years spent in Denver. But it’s not like she doesn’t get to go places. As the national event planning manager for Chicago-based Hyatt, she is a dedicated traveling event planning manager for specific clients, a position she says is unique to the company. She jokes her loyalty to Hyatt may set her apart from her millennial cohorts. “I feel like I’m a generation ahead because I am company-loyal, and you don’t see that in these younger generations,” she says.
Carlson is one of 20 rising stars (all 40 and under) HOTELS interviewed for our May feature. All shared their insights about their lives in the business and thoughts about some of today’s challenges and opportunities. In a Wall Street Journal-sponsored series, read Innocentin’s responses to our questions and click here to link to the full list of interviews with HOTELS 20 Next-Gen hospitality leaders.
Contributed by Debbie Carlson (No relation to interviewee)
HOTELS: Evolution of hotel industry opportunities: How plentiful, variety, require additional training?
Megan Carlson: There’s just been such a change in the opportunity for the industry. We have more hotels, different types of hotels that cater to the individual traveler. The traveler’s needs are vast now versus just passing through and needing a place to stay overnight. I do feel that there is additional training that’s needed. I look at my position, which …. is unique in the industry, and we’re still the only hotel company that has it. It was created based on a need from our clients, and there was training that needed to be done for that position.
H: Are company cultures shifting in a timely manner to meet hotel staff and corporate needs? What do you think needs to be updated about company culture to ensure that younger professionals are attracted to the hotel industry?
MC: I think we need to move quickly and I think that we’re working as fast as possible. We’re aware of these generations’ need for speed as it relates to what they need for answers, evolution and technology. Empathy I think is a large factor for this audience. Again, I feel that Hyatt really prides ourselves on ensuring that. Empathy is a key capacity for success in this industry and for good leadership to keep these young professionals and to attract them to the industry. These younger generations are, including myself, we’re focused on innovation, work-life balance, expression, technology and in turn, the company and the industry needs to focus on these needs.
H: What are the changing needs of next-gen leaders? Changing priorities of next-gen leaders compared to current ones?
MC: I think keeping current talent. These younger generations, they’re not company-loyal. I think we need to instill that loyalty and empathy and really act on it. One of our corporate goals for this year is cultivating the best people and evolving that culture. The younger generation wants consistent feedback, consistent training, support, technology to be ever-changing enough to be at the top of it. This generation expects answers – and quick answers – and we need to meet and exceed those expectations. So, we need to enable our colleagues to be their best and ensure what they have in order to be their best exceeds their own expectations and social expectations.
H: What about the business keeps you up at night?
MC: The unexpected. You do your best to plan for the unexpected, but you can’t control the weather. You can’t control someone’s vision changing 30 minutes after they get on property and really take a look at what’s going on. And it’s not about that person being disappointed from what was planned. It’s they had an epiphany and now they wanted to implement it. That’s why I’m there to ensure that seamlessness of the event executions.
H: To what do you most attribute your success and growth?
MC: My drive and my mentors. I’m not afraid to share my thoughts and questions. I’m very lucky that I have mentors that listen and encourage. One of my favorite quotes is: “The question isn’t who is going to let me, it’s who’s going to stop me?”
H: What’s your best advice to next-generation hoteliers? And what would you tell people entering the industry now?
MC: Be authentic, be passionate about your life and what you do in this life. Be dedicated and treat others as you wish to be treated, especially in the hospitality industry. If you don’t love working in this industry, find something that you love and are passionate about it and pursue it. You can’t teach someone to care. It’s the heart and soul of the individuals that go into these hotels. And that’s what’s important.
H: Who inspires you?
MC: Steve Enselein, our corporate senior vice president of events. He’s an innovator. He’s been in his role nearly 20 years and each year is so different. His focus is on making sure that each year is better than the next, and how to change and be the change. Watching him speak makes me want to be the best I can be. His quote, which I do my best to also live by is: “If it’s not broke, break it because you can always go back to the way that it was.”