It’s important for us all to remember that Tourism is a business. Yes, we all have fun and our friends are jealous of our travel. But we need to think like business people and continually improve our selves, our staff, and our surroundings.
The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan is a book that can help with that. It is easy to read and implementing some of the ideas has already made me more productive. There is a companion website as well, The1thing.com that has templates and copies of some of the helpful diagrams. Here are some of the things I learned while I read this.
Pareto’s law, or the 80/20 rule, is an important element in daily success.
I first learned about Pareto’s law in my Master’s degree program. Every time I read about it, I am reminded that it really is a universal law and it refers to the vital few actions, and the trivial many. As Keller says, ” the majority of what you want will come from the minority of what you do”. Think about that- Is there a client that brings more business than anyone else? Is there a small change you could make with your frontline staff that would make their job more efficient and easier?
Willpower comes and goes.
I thought it was just me with no willpower in the afternoon, but Keller shows how willpower has a limit and once your daily willpower is used up, there is little to no hope. So it is important to take care of priorities and tasks you might want to avoid, first thing in the day. Then the rest of the day will flow more smoothly.
Busy does not equal productive.
I find that if I don’t take regular breaks and get up from my desk and walk around, I become less productive. It’s better to work on your priorities early in the day and not waste time with other tasks.
What’s your ‘One thing’?
This book helps you determine the one thing that you can take action on now that will help you reach your goals. The formal statement he teaches states ” What is the ONE thing I can do, such that by doing it everything will be easier or unnecessary?” Are your sales down? Perhaps your ONE thing can be to sign up to attend a trade show where you will meet new tour operators that can bring you business. Are your staff members unmotivated? Perhaps they need a training program or an incentive that will encourage them to do more. As you work through this process, it will become clear what your next step is, the step after that, and 5 steps further.
For many of us, the busy tourism season is just beginning to wind down. Reading this book and enacting its principles will put your tourism attraction at the front of the field next year. And it will probably improve your personal life and your health as well. A winning combination!
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