Training & Development

Flight School is a program offered for all new leaders at White Lodging. It develops them and helps them to be the very best version of themselves. I get the privilege of hanging out with these leaders for two and a half days and helping them tap into their potential that they may not see. Some of the topics that we cover in Flight School — we always start with emotional intelligence, because it has to start with us. Other topics include recruiting in your market, hiring management, Gallup CliftonStrengths. The CEO comes in; he carves out a schedule to attend every single class, and it sends a very clear message, setting the example. Seeing the light bulb go off for them, and seeing the impact that it makes on them in the future — Flight School is the Associate Promise brought to life.

The School of Revenue is our opportunity as a commercial team to share with our commercial folks in the field — revenue, marketing and sales — as one organization. It’s exciting and it’s fun, and the relationships that we build matter. We felt it was really important for folks to understand sales, marketing, and revenue. From a White Lodging perspective, each piece has something different. Sales is going to be that relationship piece. Marketing is going to be the placement piece, and revenue management is going to be the pricing piece. To be able to share from an above-property commercial perspective with those that are in the field is critically important to me. I want them to feel that we’re as involved with them as they are with us. White Lodging is developing the next generation of hospitality leaders that will make a lasting impact on our industry.

I am so excited about Flight School, because I love learning everything I possibly can. White Lodging has supported me so much with my growth. Having someone to almost sit down and hold your hand — where do you want to go? What do you want to do? — having that, it’s been incredible.

Here at the School of Revenue, it sort of opened the door to where I can peek behind the curtain, to be able to get an inside look and deep dive and ask very pointed questions. What I learned here at the School of Revenue is helping me to become the leader I’m meant to be.

In the LAUNCH program, I think it’s the difference between what makes somebody great and super great. We call it an immersion program. The best way to put it is a management training program. A big part of LAUNCH is giving students a platform to rotate throughout a hotel and figure out which areas they really connect with. The first stage is we place a student either in food and beverage or rooms. They may start in front of house, or they may start in back of house. They’re going to get certified on every position. Once they’ve gone through the basic levels of certification, we start teaching them supervisory tasks and duties within that given department. One of the many benefits is the firsthand experience, getting to know a lot of other people in the industry. We send people off to see other hotels. We work with other people. We have corporate leaders come and talk to the students. They have access to our senior leadership at White Lodging. They’re willing to come and mentor these associates, so they get a level of accessibility that I think most hospitality students do not get. In LAUNCH, you’re going through the whole training before you step into the role, so then when you graduate, you’re going to this property and you feel confident, you feel knowledgeable, that you can just step in and really start making an impact immediately. Really, what we’re doing is we’re helping the student to continue their education. They’re getting a great education in the classroom, and they have the opportunity to take what they learn in the classroom and put it in practice. The skills that they learn while working with us will carry them through a lifetime.

The LAUNCH program prepared me for my career at White Lodging. They laid out a nice path for me to learn and slowly take my steps into hospitality. One of the best things about LAUNCH is, after a semester you feel comfortable in that position. You feel like you have enough experience, and then they put you somewhere else, right back at the bottom, and you’re learning all over. The advantage that LAUNCH and White Lodging provide is that you do get that hands-on experience and personalized training, which I think is a huge part of hospitality, and that’s something you really can’t teach in a classroom. You actually have to be there physically.

Something that stood out to me from Purdue was that Purdue really focused on wanting to make a manager out of you and their students to be successful. Getting to see those different departments, I can understand and have empathy for every department, because I have sat there and been through what they’ve been through. Something that does set White Lodging apart with the LAUNCH program was I got to have a greater chance of being a manager right out of school, which is what I wanted. The LAUNCH program really helps you grow as a person and a leader to be able to take on that responsibility in that role.