Like it or not… say it or not… by all definitions according to a lot of very smart people… we are in a recession. In times like these, there are many possibilities and leaders are faced with a series of challenging decisions as they find themselves at the fork in this road.

So what are great leaders and the organizations they inspire doing that allows them to outperform and leverage the economic storm into success? Of course ensuring that your operation is staffed effectively and making the operating cuts based on your business realities up front and immediately is vital. Once you have your expenses under control, it is time to get your revenues and productivity working smarter than ever. Here are some approaches from the most successful organizations and their leaders:

1. Get curious. Ask your leaders (from managers to influencers) questions to get them thinking. Start listening and get them talking. Talking about solutions. Talking about ways to keep the work fun even with the added pressure. Talking about what they think your Community can do. Great leaders stay open to possibilities and stay curious. If you have all the answers there is no one else participating or owning what needs to be done.
2. Look close to your front door. Being a good neighbor is a great way to stay top of mind when business needs come up. Get all your leaders calling on clients they have worked with, people they know in your backyard.
3. Ask each person to come to a staff meeting with 10 people they believe you can secure business from, 5 ways they think they can improve productivity and 2 people that might improve the work experience for your Community. Be sure they get their team involved.
4. Keep recognizing top performers. Saying "thank you" goes a long way.
5. General Managers…if there is a proposal pending, take the time each week to call and thank the potential client for considering your hotel. Help close the business. Your competition is not doing this.
6. Great food is a competitive advantage. Stop doing that "baked chicken" the same way and showcase your Chef during site inspections. Bad food is one of the top 10 nightmares of meeting planners – show them up front the quality of the distinctive food offerings they can look forward to when they visit.
7. Take a look outside. Instead of having your staff meeting in the same room you always do with people sitting in the same seat, thinking the same way, take them outside and in through the front door and have them think of 3 ways they can improve curb appeal and the first impressions.
8. At each staff meeting give your managers a weekly challenge they can think of and get their staff involved. These challenges can be from how to attract walk-in business to what can be done to increase wine sales. Take small revenue opportunities and find ways to think differently and improve on them.
9. Understand that the Internet is your friend whether you are 1 or 5 stars. Take a look at what Trip Advisor is saying about you; see how you and your competitors are performing on the various channels and use these distribution opportunities to help you optimize revenue.
10. Field Trips: Take your team to a local mall and have them explore the shops and mall experience to identify what they are doing or not doing to improve the customer buying experience. What is one store doing to stand out, allowing them to outperform? What can they learn and model from another industry?
11. Ask your housekeeping team to find 2 ways to improve the guest's first impression when entering their room that will allow them to show how much they care.
12. Cross utilize people. Now is the time to train people so they have skills in a variety of positions. Everyone should be going through a solid customer service program a minimum of 2 times per year and it should integrate the ways they can personally deliver in their area of responsibility. Once this is in place, you can start cross training skills and tie compensation into the number of positions effectively cross scheduled.

The ideas are plentiful and the true secret is to ensure that the 6 pillars of a great community are being strengthened and focused on everyday.

1. Stay connected – people need to know you care and that they can trust you.
2. Real talk and active listening gets people inspired. If you listen, you won't believe how many answers people have.
3. Stop denying the state of the economy. Not talking about it does not make it go away. Your people have real fears about how they will pay their bills, if their job may be downsized and how to fill the tank up with gas. Give them hope that they will get through the storm if we all pull together and find ways to be smarter, improve the guest experience and use our money wisely. Use this challenging time as a motivator.
4. Remind your team of the higher purpose of their existence. Everyone knows they need to make money for ownership and this is not inspiring to most people who work for you. Find a purpose that will create pride, participation and enthusiasm.
5. Get everyone involved. When people participate they feel great and you create a culture of leadership and ownership.
6. Ask people what they are doing specifically to find that extra business or clean that extra room. Create personal responsibility in a positive way and people will show up.

There is no greater opportunity for those who lead to show their ability to inspire and deliver performance than now. And if you are still doing the same things, you won't get different results. Now is the time to change it up.

Renie Cavallari is CEO and Chief Inspiration Officer for Aspire, an international training and consulting company positioning organizations to achieve optimum performance. Aspire provides innovative learning, strategic marketing, leadership training and cultural alignment for increasing revenues, growth in market share, a re-energized sales force and lasting changes in attitudes and outcome. Founded in 1995, Aspire has headquarters in Phoenix with a network of inspiring professionals across the country.

For more information on how to be a great leader during these challenging times, visit www.aspiremarketing.com e-mail Renie directly at renie@aspiremarketing.com, or call Aspire at 602-392-0700.