(Fourth in a series of reflections relating to sustainable properties.)

One of the hallmarks of our industry is that generally speaking we are, to put it in business terms, a “high touch” versus a “high tech” group. There are, of course, exceptions, but generally people in these parts are a warm, convivial, and welcoming bunch. We here at Lodgepole have to be a good balance of both groups since we design technology to benefit the organization and the people in their day-to-day work as well as long-term planning.

In spite of the general good nature of people in this business, occasionally we do encounter situations in our travels where some aspects of the operations aren’t seamless, which in turn often affects their ability to provide a quality experience to their participants. Over the years, it has become apparent that one of the main reasons for the rough waters is a lack of communication, specifically in the form of insufficient knowledge sharing among the team members. Not sharing information can happen for many reasons, but the most important point is to detect the dynamic early on and implement changes. On a positive note, we also recently observed a situation quite the opposite: a new site manager took over a property that had been poorly managed and pulled his team together by including them all. He also made sure that all members knew the facts of the current situation, their respective roles and responsibilities, how to develop channels to share pertinent information, and what was expected from each of them during the turnaround period.

Lodgepole software users have the distinct advantage of being set up to succeed in the area of shared knowledge. Having the information centrally stored and up-to-date enables the sharing of the data with everyone on the team who has access to the system. Having the ability to share information is a huge plus when working with maintenance and maintenance schedules, but we’ve also seen great value added in long-term projections, finance, insurance claims, master planning, and regulatory compliance. Another important feature is that facility information and history so critical to pass down from departing employees to new ones becomes a breeze with Lodgepole. Realistically, most new employees don’t have an overlap with their predecessors, so the software becomes even more critical to a smooth transition. Lastly, and arguably most importantly, sharing knowledge and information takes care of any property’s most important asset—its people! We’ve noticed a well-informed and included team member makes for an engaged, productive, and content one.

The Lodgepole team is committed to helping you make your property the very best and most successful it can be. It’s our passion, and we thank you for the opportunity to fulfill that role and take the journey with you!

Happy trails and enjoy these longer days as we begin to detect hints of Spring in the air….

“The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today’s work superbly well.” – Sir William Osler