#MarkOfProfessionalism: Excelling in the cut-throat hospitality sector

We bring to you the second interview in our series of #TheProfessional. Here, we discuss the best practices for a professional, and ethics involved in unconventional careers and the modern corporate world. “For some strange reason I always knew that I would be a part of the hospitality industry. Perhaps it was the combination of living a good life and an eye for detail which motivated me to be a part of it,” says Karna Timbadia. [caption id=“attachment_1757803” align=“alignright” width=“321”]  Karna Timbadia, Director, Saj Resorts Pvt. Ltd, Partner - Auriga Hospitality[/caption] A man driven by conviction and self-belief, Timbadia, 32, Director, Saj Resorts, Mahabaleshwar, has now completed a decade in the hospitality industry and to cap this decade, Saj Resorts has recently won TripAdvisor’s coveted Traveller’s Choice Awards for 2014 under his leadership. Timbadia is also a partner with Auriga Hospitality, which has given Mumbai very popular restobars and pubs Bonobo, Jam Jar Diner and now Mumbai’s latest hot spot, Café Nemo. Despite tasting success, Timbadia has not run out of appetite for risk and we at Firstpost were keen to know what motivated him to innovate, dream up new hospitality ideas and how he succeeded in this extremely tough industry. In the past decade, the hospitality industry has evolved so much. How do you stay updated with constantly changing trends and tastes and what’s the secret of your success? I travel a lot, read a lot of books on culinary art and constantly stay tuned to the buzz on the Net. I keep a close tab on what my clients want because innovation in serving the customer is often the key to success. For instance, we recently opened Café Nemo, and since the location is not easy to find, we designed and marketed it as a quiet, classic place to chill for people who want a short break from Mumbai’s chaos. So we turned a disadvantage into an advantage. What does professionalism mean to you in your line of work? Professionalism is the key for growth and progress. It’s about being organised and systematic and to be organised, you need to be disciplined. Once you start practising professionalism by first building and then following systems and processes, you can end up going beyond your targets because the end result of professionalism is excellence. Part of a professional’s ethos is to replicate his beliefs in his environment. Does this happen in your industry? Well, in hospitality, it happens often, almost every day that one of your staff members will make a mistake somewhere. The staff we have, it is not possible that each one of them will be trained. We have to be very careful to not just order them, but lead by example and show them how a particular task is done practically. It is hands-on training on-the-job. When we have patience and teach them by example, we motivate and inspire them to excel. Can you tell us about a person who has had a tremendous impact on you and what you have learnt from him/her? My uncle, Mr Rahul Timbadia is my mentor. He has been my inspiration and he motivates me. I l have learnt from him to stay calm, no matter how grave the matter really is, and that is a critical trait in the hospitality industry. And when you stay calm, the solution is always around the corner! That’s what I’ve learnt from him and it has helped me tremendously.