Professional Development

The Army Lodging training program deals primarily with offering courses designed to assist lodging managers and lodging personnel in the daily operation of their facilities. The program is a partnership with The Pennsylvania State University School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism, who provides instructors for the courses. Courses are taught at the Southbridge Conference Center in Southbridge, PA and at Penn State campus in State College, Pennsylvania.  All courses with the exception of Financial Management and Performance Analyst are limited to 30 students the other two are limited to 20 students. Registration for each course must be done on mwraonline.com.

Attendees must register 60 days prior to start date, registration after the 60 days window will be based on space available. Refer to the MWR Academy Course Catalog for more information about specific courses and application procedures or contact: Jonina.asmundsdottir@us.army.mil

Group Leaders Course, Lodging Supervisor’s Course | Lodging Strategic Financial Management | Hotel Operations | Lodging Customer Service | Supply Chain Management Program | Performance Analysis In Hospitality Operations | Effective Organizational Leadership for Hospitality Managers | Process and Quality Leadership Tools | Value Creation In Hospitality Organizations | Strategic Leadership for Hospitality Managers | Strategic Communications for Lodging Managers | Operation in a Commercial Environment

1. Group Leaders Course.

This program is intended for non-supervisory staff, group leaders and lead persons who have leadership responsibility for others and had little formal training in effectively leading the work of others. The program is also recommended for those individuals targeted to assume supervisory responsibilities in the near future. This program will help participants to develop their skills, as well as their understanding and confidence, in fulfilling their group leader roles. The program has been designed to build skills in the basic competencies that today’s needed in leading employees to greater individual, team and organizational performance. Participants will develop practical skills to address day to day issues in a hospitality environment. The course will focus on the development of effective communication, leading work teams, priority management, and on the job training. This highly

interactive workshop features cases studies, a variety of planning exercises, self-assessments and other activities designed with an action learning focus.

Course Objectives:

Develop an understanding of the important roles involved with leading work groups and team dynamics.

Develop techniques to improve communication skills Assess your interpersonal style and learn style awareness to

increase understanding between people. Understand strategies for effective on the job training. Develop strategies for managing time and multiple priorities.

Prerequisites: None

Dates: 16-19 Jun 2008, Southbridge, MA

2. Lodging Supervisor’s Course.

Introduce principles of supervision as they apply specifically to the hospitality industry. Course will be limited to four and ½ days with emphasis on managing productivity, dealing with diversity in the workplace, setting performance standards for line level employees in both the administrative as well as housekeeping, maintenance and other applicable rooms division departments and employee scheduling. Students participating in this curriculum must have completed the Leadership Education and Development Course as well as the Supervisor Development Course through the Army’s Civilian Training program. The contractor’s curriculum shall build on the skills addressed in those courses adding technical capabilities to the human resource skills already addressed within the Army curriculum. The course shall be conducted through multiple teaching methods including, but not limited to, group discussions, workbook completion and case studies.

Course Goal: Students will be able to apply supervisory skills to successfully lead and efficiently manage the functions of hospitality operations.

Course Objectives:

o Understand the expectations that various Army Lodging personnel have for their performance

o Be able to identify the special leadership characteristics needed in Army Lodging

o Be able to identify and overcome organizational communication barriers and communicate more effectively with employers, coworkers, supervisors and guests

o Be able to identify factors that promote and hinder employees’ individual motivation

o Be able to observe, record and offer feedback to employees about work performance, and

o Be able to prioritize and manage work tasks

Prerequisites: Must occupy a supervisory/Leader position in a lodging operation or have currently been selected to fill a supervisory/leader position.

Dates: 2-6 (noon) June 2008, Southbridge, MA

3. Lodging Strategic Financial Management.

Introduce an overview of financial management tools and skills related to the hospitality industry. This will be a four and ½ day course with emphasis on use of historical cost data and financial indicators in the budgeting process; analysis of cost drivers as a function of occupied rooms; financial management decisions/actions appropriate in an environment of increasing/decreasing occupancy; and budgeting for capital projects in the Army Lodging environment. Students participating in the curriculum will have a basic knowledge of the Army Lodging budget process, NAFIS and FMBS and will have participated in the Army Lodging budget process in at least one of the last three years. Students will complete the budget process for a sample hotel as part of the curriculum. The course shall be conducted through multiple teaching methods including, but not limited to, group discussions, workbook completion and case studies.

Course Goal: Students will be able to apply financial management tools and skills to meet strategic goals of their operation.

Course Objectives:

o Apply processes to set financial targets o Develop budgets o Use formulas for planning financial performance (room rate

calculations, forecasting room sales, variance analysis, cost behavior analysis cost-volume profit analysis and capital expenditure analysis)

o Describe relationship between budgets and 5-Year capital improvement plans

Prerequisites. Applicants must have completed the Community and Family Support Basic Management Course and must occupy a supervisory position in a lodging operation or have currently been selected to fill a supervisory position. Must have knowledge of Microsoft Excel.

Dates: 24-28 (noon) 2008, Southbridge, MA

4. Hotel Operations.

Introduce managers at all levels and lead supervisory personnel to the critical role the front office plays in the day-to-day operation of a typical hotel. This shall be a four and ½ day course with emphasis on the use of Galaxy Hotel Systems’ Property Management System (PMS) capabilities to maximize front desk and front office operations and interaction with the housekeeping and other rooms’ departments. The course shall include group management, pre-arrival activities, express check-out and dealing with difficult guests. Students will learn how the various departments in a hotel are linked to achieve a common goal and the fundamental responsibilities of front office management and how to efficiently organize and operate the front office to accommodate guest needs through the pre-arrival, arrival, occupancy and departure cycles. The course shall incorporate problem solving and decision making using multiple teaching methods including, but not limited to, role playing, group discussions, workbook completion and case studies.

Course Goal: Students will be able to understand the fundamental responsibilities of front office management and apply skills to efficiently organize and operate the front office to accommodate guest needs through the pre-arrival, arrival, occupancy and departure cycles.

Course Objectives:

o Apply industry strategic methods such as yield management and reservation forecasting

o Understand how technology may change the hotel business in the future

o Evaluate and redirect various front office activities such as human resource management and communication between the front office and other departments within the operation

o Understand the ethical considerations in operations

Prerequisites: Students participating in the class shall currently hold the position of front desk supervisor, front office supervisor or leader.

Dates: 12-16 (Noon) 2008, State College, PA

5. Lodging Customer Service.

Introduce concepts related to promoting positive and continuing relationships with both internal and external customers. Emphasis is on ensuring

organization meets and exceeds customer expectations, to include identifying and settling customer service goals, managing customer perceptions, handling customer complaints, conflict resolution and building a customer satisfaction system in the context of the Army Lodging’s Standards for Service, Facilities and Operations and incorporate this into the curriculum where appropriate. The course shall incorporate problem solving and decision making using multiple teaching methods including, but not limited to, role playing, group discussions, workbook completion and case studies.

Course Goal: Students will be able to apply the best practices to build a customer satisfaction system to ensure the organization meets or exceeds customer expectations.

Course Objectives:

o Identify and set customer service goals o Manage customer perceptions o Handle customer complaints and resolve conflicts

Prerequisites: Students participating in this curriculum shall occupy a supervisory/ lead position or have currently been selected to fill a supervisory/lead position.

Dates: 22-26 Oct 2007 State College, PA

25-28 Feb 2008, Southbridge, MA

6. Supply Chain Management Program.

The Supply Chain Management Course provides an in-depth overview of the tools and techniques that help in acquiring inventory and delivering the services that Army Lodging facilities provide in day-to-day operations. This is a five day course that will be conducted through multiple teaching methods that include, but not limited to, lectures, group discussions, workbook completion, problem solving exercises and group projects.

Course Goal: Students will be able to successfully manage the functions of supply and inventory control.

Course Objectives: After completion of this course, participants will know these major components of supply chain management and how they are coordinated to acquire and maintain inventories as well as deliver services in an efficient and cost effective manner. Purchase Controls

o Maintain adequate supply o Minimize Investment

o Maintain quality o Obtain lowest possible cost o Maintain competitive Position

Inventory Controls

o Specifications o Bid processes o Contracts o EOQ: Economic Order Quantity o Par stock, reserve or safety stock o Perpetual inventory o Stock rotation o Stock outs o Dead stock o Stockroom reconciliation o Inventory turnover o Inventory as a percentage of sales and assets

Information Systems as they relate to:

o Purchasing o Inventory controls o Labor scheduling

Prerequisites: Students participating in this curriculum shall occupy a supervisory position or have currently been selected to fill a supervisory position. If not in Supervisors position student working as Lodging Supply clerks may also apply. Knowledge of Microsoft Excel is required.

Dates: 15-18 Sep 2008 at Southbridge, MA

7. Performance Analysis In Hospitality Operations.

This five day course provides an overview of financial management tools and skills and a number of fundamental financial concepts in order to provide usable information to facilitate budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis. This is a highly interactive course that features case studies and a variety of practical exercises. The course incorporates problem solving and decision making using multiple teaching methods including, but not limited to group discussions and workbook completion.

Course Goal: Students will be able to apply a number of principles of financial management in order to obtain useable information to assist with budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis.

Course Objectives:

o Demonstrate knowledge of and perform budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis functions

o Apply yield management techniques to forecast occupancy and allocations

o Distinguish data from information o Select relevant methods to obtain information o Obtain useable information to analyze performance in hospitality

operations

Prerequisites: Students participating in this curriculum will have completed the Strategic Financial Management Course and two other courses from the basic curriculum. Have a good working knowledge of Excel and MS Word. Students are also encouraged to bring a calculator.

Dates: 11 Aug – 15 Aug (Noon) 2008, Southbridge, MA

8. Effective Organizational Leadership for Hospitality Managers (Leadership Forum I and II).

This five day program begins with an opportunity for experienced managerial leaders to gain understanding, perspectives and individual feedback with respect to their personal leadership practices, beliefs and values. The program includes a questionnaire that features “360” degree feedback on practices and values critical to leadership excellence in today’s environment. This type of “instrumented feedback” provides insights and action possibilities not available through any other type of information. The program extracts key leadership principles from successful leaders in a variety of settings and makes them understandable and practical for immediate use. Leadership today extends way beyond traditional manager-employee relationships, so the program also covers the important negotiation and lateral relationship-building skills essential to building trust, credibility, winning coalitions, and deep commitment to organizational vision and values.

In an effort to provide perspective and build skills in fostering and supporting positive organizational change, the second part of this course focuses on resilience. The concept of resilience is introduced, and the confidential feedback provided through an inventory of personal resilience gives insight into areas of potential strength or weakness in dealing with the uncertainties of change. The concept of resilience is extended from individual, to group and entire organizations through case analysis and application exercises. Participants will put together comprehensive action plans for developing additional individual, group, and organizational resilience and for implementing one or a series of anticipated specific changes. The program’s focus on change will be of benefit to managers dealing with continuous

quality, reengineering or performance improvement initiatives; downsizing, reorganization or other structural changes; culture development or aligning cultures following mergers or acquisitions; or introducing major technological, procedural, or human resources changes. The course shall incorporate problem solving and decision making using multiple teaching methods including, but not limited to, role playing, group discussions, workbook completion and case studies.

Course Goal: Students will gain knowledge, different perspectives and individual feedback with respect to their personal leadership practices, beliefs and values. They will also gain insight into areas of potential strength or weakness in dealing with the uncertainties of change.

Course Objectives:

o Complete and analyze leadership questionnaire o Benefit from the experience of our most successful and admired

leaders in developing trust and building credibility even in times of high uncertainty

o Demonstrate knowledge of leadership principles o Gain perspective in effectively leading today’s workforce in a highly

dynamic and often uncertain environment o Practice leadership skills in fostering and supporting positive

organizational change o Increase understanding of resilience and forge an action plan to

improve personal, group and organizational resilience

Prerequisites: Students participating in this curriculum shall have completed the Lodging Supervisor’s Course and two other courses from the basic curriculum.

Dates: 4-8 (Noon) Feb 2008, Southbridge, MA

9. Process and Quality Leadership Tools.

The increasing complexity of work, continually changing expectations and the need for higher levels of productivity and responsiveness combine to require that managers perform in ways that are different from the past. This course will introduce an overview of the concepts, tools and techniques essential in both service quality and resource management. Course shall focus on process understanding and optimization, problem solving and project management. The course shall incorporate problem solving and decision making using multiple teaching methods including, but not limited to, group discussions, workbook completion and case studies. This is a five day course.

Course Goal: Students will be able to apply new tools, techniques and concepts to improve both service quality and resource management.

Course Objectives:

o Understand and utilize basic techniques on gathering meaningful data

o Be able to design simple surveys that provide desired outputs o Apply analytical tools that allow for better data analysis o Identify existing measurements systems within their operation o Be able to design an internal recovery system

Through the Project Management component, participants will:

o Define project scope o Plan a project with appropriate written plans o Incorporate human resource management into project management o Understand the project management control cycle o Prepare action item reports o Plan for project termination

Prerequisites: Students participating in this curriculum shall be required to identify a planned project for their lodging operation and using the project management cycle, take the project through all stages from defining the project scope to project termination. Attendees must have finished at minimum 3 courses from the basic curriculum.

Dates: 7-11 Apr 2008, Southbridge, MA

10.Value Creation In Hospitality Organizations.

The Value Creation Course is a five-day course that focuses on value creation though financial decision-making at the unit level. It introduces concepts on creating values in a hotel through financial decision making at the unit level. Managers in this advanced financial management course will explore advanced capital budgeting techniques appropriate to project decision-making in the Army Lodging environment. Participants will be expected to bring background information on an actual proposed capital expenditure project from their unit to the course and to prepare and present a detailed project analysis and justification for their project as part of the course requirements. The project must be feasible and currently under consideration for the lodging facility. The class will be conducted in a seminar fashion with integrated discussions of course issues by the participants. Participants will share the background on their unit project with the rest of the group for comment and suggestions at various stages during the course. Each participant will be assigned a laptop computer for spreadsheet, written, and

presentation assignments for the duration of the course. The course shall incorporate problem solving and decision making using multiple teaching methods including, but not limited to, group discussions, workbook completion and case studies.

Course Goal: To be able to use advanced capital budgeting techniques appropriate to project decision-making in the Army Lodging environment.

Course Objectives:

o Demonstrate knowledge of value creation through financial decision-making

o Understand the major issues involved in value creation o Understand the relevance of time value and risk in Army Lodging

project analysis and evaluation o Prepare, present and justify a detailed project analysis

Prerequisites: Students participating in this curriculum shall have completed the Strategic Financial Management Course and two other courses from the basic curriculum. Attendees will be required to prepare and present a detailed project analysis and justification for their project. Students shall have a good working knowledge of Excel and MS Word and are encouraged to bring a calculator.

Dates: 5-9 May 2008, Southbridge, MA

11.Strategic Leadership for Hospitality Managers (Leadership Forum III).

This is a five day course that focuses on organizational development with emphasis on the critical-to-success factors that comprise strategy and involving students in an examination of their own organizational cultures and needs for development. Students will be provided with insight into how to develop organizations that continue to learn and renew while attracting and retaining high quality employees. They will explore how to blend the requirements of meeting goals of profitability, employee development, and excellent customer service in order to provide a top-notch service. The course shall incorporate problem solving and decision making using multiple teaching methods including, but not limited to, group discussions, workbook completion and case studies.

Course Goal: For students to have an increased understanding of organization development in general and be able to formulate specific actions for making significant improvements in their organizations.

Course Objectives:

o Understand the fundamentals of how organizations function as living entities that behave systemically

o Be able to use “systems thinking” to map problem-solving options and their likely consequences in terms of organizational performance

o Utilize learning organization concepts to maximize the performance of their lodging facility

o Employ organizational alignment assessment tools to uncover system conflicts within their organizations, as well as design strategies for organizational alignment to enhance overall performance

o Be able to present informative and/or persuasive messages in an orderly manner

o Recognize different audience needs and how to adapt messages to these needs

o Develop effective strategies for negotiating resolutions to problems or solutions to needs at their lodging facility

o Be able to distinguish between position and principled negotiations, and be able to implement effective tactics during the course of negotiations

o Define their ethical position and responsibility vis-à-vis Army Lodging policy and procedure, and be able to choose between equally compelling courses of action when dealing with employees and guests

Prerequisites: Students participating in this curriculum shall have completed the Effective Organizational Leadership for Hospitality Managers Course and three other courses from the basic curriculum.

Dates: 12-16 May (Noon) Jun 2008, Southbridge, MA

12.Strategic Communications for Lodging Managers.

The course is designed to introduce the participant to the core concepts of communication in a hospitality organization as it relates to increasing the satisfaction levels of the internal and external customer. Beginning with the practical matters of the role of Lodging Management in small, medium and large categories, the course will focus on the steps associated with gathering the essential data that form the building blocks of a strategic communications plan. The course will then take a look at the issues making up the competitive environment and participants will learn industry best practices for customer, industry and competitor analysis and how to best position their organization for the markets they serve. The course will show how the effective use of communication can contribute to achievement of goals. The importance of an integrated communications plan will be discussed as well as an overview of the communication options available to Lodging managers. Finally the

participants will be asked to construct and present a communication plan as a group project. Participants will leave the course with an expanded view of how a well-conceived communications effort could contribute to attaining strategic goals.

Course Goal: To learn the core concepts of communication in an Army Lodging facility as it relates to improving the satisfaction levels of both internal and external customers.

Course Objectives:

o Understand the factors that most significantly impact the satisfaction levels of internal and external customers.

o Understand the strategic role of communications in a service organization.

o Learn how to set up a strategic communication effort in small, medium and large hotels.

o Understand your target markets: Segmentation and Evaluation o Explore ways to gather information for decision making and

evaluate marketing opportunities. o Learn how to determine communications objectives. o Discover the importance of an integrated marketing

communications plan. o Learn how to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate a

communication plan.

Prerequisites: Students participating in this curriculum shall occupy a supervisory position or have currently been selected to fill a supervisory position. Attendees for this course must have taken three courses from the basic curriculum.

Dates: 8-12 (Noon) Sep, Southbridge, MA

13.Operating in a Commercial Environment.

This program is designed to benefit those with significant responsibilities and outstanding records of achievement who want to enhance their ability to be effective as a general manager in the private sector. Participants will focus on hotel management issues facing general managers in order to expand their knowledge and broaden their perspectives of the business model and the general manager’s role in it. In addition to feedback provided by faculty persons at various points, these programs will include opportunities for evaluation and assessment. Participants will be required to demonstrate of proficiency in all content areas in order to successfully complete the program. The program will also include an on-line component as a supplemental learning experience in between program meeting times. The program is

aimed at helping participants achieve their greatest potential. Managers attending the program will be required to give their full personal commitment. The program requires active class participation, timely completion of in-between class assignments, and attendance at all scheduled sessions, such that the value of the educational experience will be directly related to the level of commitment. This class will be taught in three phases. Attendees must commit to all three phases of this course, or the installation will not be reimbursed.

Major areas of content will include:

1. Concepts and Components of Hotel Revenue Management and Strategic Pricing

2. Information Technology as a Manager’s Tool and Lodging Distribution Partner

3. Creating a Culture of Selling: Customer Relationship Management and Frequency Marketing

4. Financial Statement Analysis: Read, Compose, and Communicate Financial Information

5. Operations Analysis and Decision Making for Hotel Managers6. Commercial Hotel Human Resources:

Techniques/Practices/Challenges

Prerequisites: Students participating in this curriculum shall occupy a management position and have completed the following Penn State courses: Hotel Operations, Strategic Financial Management, Performance Analysis and Value Creation.

Dates: Phase 1: 22-26 Oct 2007, State College, PA

Phase 2: 28 Apr 2008 – 2 May (Noon) 2008, Ft. Belvoir, VA

14. Galaxy Refresher Training – FY 07.

This training is geared for those individuals who are trained on the Galaxy Property Management System and need an update or 'refresher.' Advanced functions in some property management areas such as 'Groups' and ‘Database Configuration’ are included in the training curriculum. These refresher-training courses are not designed for the 'beginner' level user, but span the broad scope of capabilities of the system across many lodging functions. It is anticipated that the attendee will return to their operation to share and assist in the implementation of the procedures, capabilities and functionality learned. Course Goal: Students will improve current skills and learn advanced functions on the Galaxy system. Course objectives: At the

conclusion of the course students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of Galaxy capabilities; and practice advanced functions in Galaxy property management areas. Prerequisite: Proficiency in using the Galaxy Property Management system.

MWR Academy, Alexandria, VA 13-18 Jan 2008

MWR Academy, Alexandria, VA 27 Apr – 2 May 2008

15. Army Lodging Training Seminar

Training Needs: This training is designed to strengthen management, operational, and budgeting skills. The curriculum for the training is based on program operational reviews throughout the year, analysis of opportunities for enhancing operational efficiencies, and input from Garrison and Region Program Managers regarding program training deficiencies. Providing training to managers in this forum helps ensure the consistent delivery of information and enhances Army Lodging’s commitment to furthering standardization and a corporate identity throughout the program.

Dates: TBD

16. To be able to receive Certificate in Advanced Hospitality Management from Penn State University, individuals must complete the following basic courses:

Lodging Supervisors Course Lodging Strategic Financial Management Course Lodging Customer Service Course Hotel Operations Course Supply Chain Management Course

17. To be able to receive Certificate in Strategic Hospitality Leadership from Penn State University, individuals must complete the following advance courses:

Performance Analysis Course Effective Leadership Course Process and Quality Leadership Course Value Creation Course Strategic Leadership Course Strategic Communications Course