By Geraldine Ree, member of The Travel Institute’s Professional Educators Program (PEP) and keynote speaker and business coach.
Travel agency owners have a superpower. When high demand and business is booming, they can swoop in and save the day. When a lead comes in late in the day and the team is swamped, our superhuman agency owners will do anything to lessen the burden on their teams. Yet, the question the moment calls for is, “Should I be doing this?”
What would happen if that customer went unanswered and, instead, you stepped back to consider what the real problem is you are facing?
Keep reading if you can feel your pulse rise at the mere thought of letting a lead drop. Saving the day is not as simple as closing a big lead when running shorthanded. The problem runs much deeper than that.
Unfortunately, it also means you are busy doing a hundred other things: Posting on social media, attending meetings, dealing with the line at your door, invoicing, reconciling commissions, finalizing groups, chasing suppliers for commissions and getting clients out the door.
Here are 5 suggestions on how to build capacity in your team and shift your approach to leadership in your agency.
1. Put your team first.
Most leaders run their teams with an 80/20 principle. They have a few superstars, including themselves carrying the load. Putting your team first and believing in their success can greatly improve those odds.
2. Embrace a growth mindset.
Trust that you can coach someone through a difficult situation, rather than do it for them. Over time, they will get better and better. They will also have the pride of accomplishment, that only comes when we do things for ourselves.
3. Engagement is essential.
If your advisors are not engaged, don’t ignore it. Dig in to find out what is really going on with their goals and their conviction to achieve them. Lack of engagement is rarely what we think it is on the surface.
4. Leverage technology.
Lean into simple tools that save time. AI can be both a thinking partner and a time saver when it comes to setting up your business for success. Everything from managing customer inquiries, time blocking, generating ideas for social media content, marketing, and training can be simplified and improved with the right tools.
5. Focus on learning and development.
The best leaders create an ongoing learning and development strategy. It can feel overwhelming to get new advisors up to speed. Create a step-by-step learning plan for learning how to be a superstar advisor, one important principle at a time. Reach out to The Travel Institute for training programs that are available at any career level.
BONUS: Empower your team.
Look for areas where you are the bottleneck. Empower your team with the tools and resources they need to run their business without you stepping in. Your role is to be there for encouragement and direction rather than doing it for them.
