Time is the key element of effective leadership, says Charlene Carter, chief development officer for The Carver Companies.
“Leaders want to be everything and everywhere for everyone. Managing people takes time and lots of it,” she said. “Leaders build trust by investing time in the personal relationships with their team members and followers. Nothing speaks more volume and support to a team member than a leader giving of their time. Making time for your people shows you view them as important, worthy of your attention and that you truly care about them as individuals.”
Carter puts that credo into practice at the Carver Hotel Group and The Carver Companies. Carver Hotel Group has a staff of 28 in its Atlanta corporate offices, with satellite locations in St. Paul, Minnesota, and LaGrange, Georgia. The company has 3,500 consultants in every hotel discipline and can fill a hotel’s short-term needs, often within 72 hours of a request. The Carver Companies provides two options for clients to fulfill hotel staffing needs.
Carver has worked to assist client hotels experiencing staffing shortages during the last year, expanding the company’s footprint into the Orlando market. The company provided 100 H2B visa candidates for jobs at hotels and resorts with staffing voids. The first round of H2B candidates were available within the Orlando market beginning October 2022 for 12-month assignments.
The Carver app launched in early 2022, allowing Carver Hotel Group consultants the ability to upload and manage invoices and availability directly from their devices.
Each endeavor and initiative comes with its own set of challenges. Carter follows a detailed plan for addressing each challenge presented to her or her team.
“My process for solving a problem is first and foremost listening and identifying the cause, finding a workable solution, implementing a plan and preparing for change,” she said. “In doing so, we must remain transparent and encourage input. Staying open-minded while being positive helps with providing guidance rather than making commands.”
Carter is involved in finding and nurturing the next generation of leaders in hotel management. She is involved with Make a Miracle students abroad, teaching hotel management courses to college students interested in a possible career in the hospitality industry. Her efforts have focused on young people in Peru. “My mission is to bring hope and lasting change to those families,” she said.
