Achieving Success in America by Sid Baron

Author:Sid Baron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Business & Economics / Entrepreneurship
Publisher: Exxel Publishing
Published: 2013-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH TALENT:

HIRE THE BEST AND THEY’LL DO THE REST

I worked with Sid in the hotel business from 1995-2010, until he sold his last hotel. Now I work for the company that purchased one of his hotels and am overseeing several other properties. My time with Sid was generally spent in meetings, oftentimes over lunch. He was already in his sixties when I started working with him, a time when others his age are thinking of retirement. But not Sid, I think he sees going to work as relaxation and stress relief. Our meetings, which stretched over two hours, were more about how to approach our work rather than about details. He also wanted to know how we were doing personally and about our families.

Sid is not a hands-on type of owner. His biggest asset is spotting talent. He’s very good at finding the people who know how to do what he’s not experienced in doing himself. For example at Exxel Pacific he partnered with Kevin DeVries, who’s an amazing talent. Sid saw certain abilities in him and that choice led to the success they’ve had.

In my business relationship with Sid he gave me a lot of freedom to make decisions at the property level and to make mistakes so that I could learn from them. He was always there to help if I needed it. Sid pushed me (even if at times it was uncomfortable) to follow up on my decisions. If I made the wrong decisions I also had to fix them on my own. In doing so he allowed me to learn about the business through the school of hard knocks. Many owners like to micro-manage, which can be very tough on a manager and limits their ability to learn. Sid empowered me to make decisions which, for my career, were very beneficial.

Sid has always been willing to invest in his employees, including myself, through educational opportunities. Any time there was a conference or seminar that could further my education or make me a more valuable asset to the company, he invested in my participation. He took to heart the philosophy of hiring and promoting from within by selecting line staff to become managers.

When there were disputes with customers I always knew that Sid had my back. He understood that fine line between doing one’s best to please people without giving away the farm. On those rare occasions when a guest wanted to speak directly with Sid or someone else at the corporate office, he backed me up. He might have disagreed with my decision, but he supported it with the customer and then would later discuss it with me to determine how I might handle it better the next time.

Sid understands his own limitations and never allows his ego to get in the way. Instead he goes out and finds people who compliment his weaknesses and strengths. Even though Sid never actually managed a hotel, he understood the operations enough to know what type of people he needed.

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