At the heart of every successful venue—whether a bustling city restaurant, a boutique hotel, or a vibrant café—is a capable venue manager. These individuals are the linchpin of the organisation, often translating strategic vision into daily operational excellence. They directly impact staff morale, guest satisfaction, and ultimately, your bottom line. Yet when promoting someone, we often fail to give them the skills they need to thrive as a leader and drive an effective team.
This is a challenge frequently faced by general managers and group operations leaders, often working alongside their HR and training teams. They see their most talented frontline staff—the master barista, the most efficient head chef, the most charming front desk agent—promoted into management, only to struggle under the weight of their new responsibilities.
Why? Because the skills that make an excellent individual contributor are fundamentally different from those required for effective leadership. Promotion may be the right next step, but many new venue managers lack the operational and people-leadership skills to succeed.
Bridging the gap from operational pro to leadership novice
The traditional path to management in hospitality often relies on internal promotion, which, while beneficial for morale and institutional knowledge, frequently overlooks critical leadership competencies. A manager might be an expert at handling work schedules or managing reservations, but they might lack the traits of a good leader.
This "gap" is not a reflection of the individual's intelligence or dedication but rather a failure in providing targeted, relevant leadership development. The result? Stressed managers, disengaged teams, high turnover rates, and ultimately, a compromised guest experience.
Training should be provided to equip leaders with operational skills as well soft skills to cover these four areas.
To be a good venue manager you need to have the following leadership abilities. These can be grouped into four categories: Lead yourself, Lead communications, Lead a team, Lead operations
Lead yourself
- Build resilience: How to thrive under pressure, boost focus and explore your strengths.
- Inspire and motivate: Foster high performance culture and build a cohesive, high-performing team.
- Model behaviour. Leaders have to do more than pay lip service but embody the correct behaviour in front of staff. An enthusiastic leader's passion is infectious, serving as a powerful force for boosting team morale and driving performance.
Related courses: Lead Yourself learning plan
Lead a team
- High performance teamwork: Getting your team motivated and aligned to the organisation’s goals.
- Handle conflict: De-escalate a heated customer complaint or mediate a disagreement between team members.
- Mentoring: Helping the team grow and develop their skills.
Related courses: Lead a team learning plan
Lead communications
- Provide constructive feedback: Guide an underperforming employee towards improvement without demotivating them.
- Inclusive, cross cultural dialogue: Having productive conversations and supporting an accessible workplace culture.
Related courses: Lead Communication learning plan
Lead operations
- Coordinate business operations: An understanding of how to execute operational plans, and monitor operational performance.
- Strategically plan: Look beyond the current shift to anticipate future needs, optimise staffing, or implement new procedures.
- Critical thinking: Ability to apply critical thinking to develop well-justified solutions and proposals.
Related courses: Lead Operations learning plan
Each category covers specific micro-skills that are essential for the role of venue manager.
Essential hospitality leadership training micro-skills
Effective hospitality leadership should be built on a foundation of repeatable, observable micro-skills that can be learned, practised, and mastered. These are the practical competencies that empower managers to confidently navigate their daily challenges.
Giving effective feedback
Giving feedback is arguably the most powerful tool a manager possesses. In a fast-paced environment, there needs to be time allowed to provide feedback. But this shouldn’t be an annual event. Venue managers should be able to offer continuous and constructive feedback to their team members.
- What managers need: The ability to deliver specific, 360-degree micro feedback that is continuous, real-time and actionable. This includes techniques for praising good performance effectively and addressing areas for improvement without causing defensiveness.
- Example micro-skill: The "Situation-Behaviour-Impact (SBI)" model. Managers learn to describe the specific situation, the observable behaviour, and the impact of that behaviour, then collaborate on solutions. For example: “During yesterday's dinner rush (Situation), when you prioritised preparing drinks before clearing tables (Behaviour), the dining room became messy, and guests waited longer for their food (Impact).”
- Why it's crucial: Builds trust, clarifies expectations, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement, directly impacting service quality and team development.
Rostering
Rostering is more than just filling slots; it's a strategic exercise that impacts labour costs, team morale, and compliance.
- What managers need: Understanding of labour laws, budget constraints, staff availability, and individual skill sets to create fair, efficient, and compliant schedules.
- Example micro-skill: "The Fairness Filter." Managers are trained to review rosters not just for coverage, but through a lens of equity, asking: "Is this fair to everyone? Are shifts balanced? Are breaks allocated correctly?" They also learn how to communicate roster changes transparently and address concerns.
- Why it's crucial: Prevents burnout, ensures legal compliance, controls labour costs, and significantly boosts employee satisfaction and retention.
Strategic shift planning
Shift planning, however, looks at the execution of a shift and how to balance the day's tasks, staff, and customer demands. Effective planning and delegation are paramount.
- What managers need: Skills in anticipating peak times, allocating resources efficiently, assigning tasks based on team member strengths, and clearly communicating expectations for the shift.
- Example micro-skill: "Pre-Shift Huddles with Purpose." Managers learn to run concise, impactful daily briefings that outline goals, potential challenges, and key assignments, ensuring everyone is on the same page and feels empowered.
- Why it's crucial: Enhances operational efficiency, reduces stress, optimises staffing costs, and ensures a smoother guest experience.
Conflict resolution and de-escalation
From guest complaints to internal disagreements, conflict is going to be inevitable. A manager's ability to handle it effectively is a hallmark of strong leadership. This is a core micro-skill that should be incorporated into your hospitality leadership training.
- What managers need: Techniques for active listening, empathy, remaining calm under pressure, and guiding parties towards a mutually agreeable solution.
- Example micro-skill: The "L.A.S.T." Method (Listen, Apologise, Solve, Thank) for guest complaints, or "Mediated Discussion Framework" for internal issues, where the manager facilitates a structured conversation between conflicting parties.
- Why it's crucial: Protects the brand's reputation, resolves issues before they escalate, and fosters a respectful work environment.
Related course: Our Lead Communication learning plan develops the advanced skills leaders need to resolve workplace challenges, while the De-escalating Conflict course provides strategies specifically for customer-facing situations.
Time management and prioritisation
Venue managers need to juggle multiple tasks. The ability to manage time and prioritise effectively is essential for their productivity and well-being.
- What managers need: Strategies for organising tasks, setting clear deadlines, delegating effectively, and protecting time for strategic thinking and team development.
- Example micro-skill: "The Urgent/Important Matrix" (Eisenhower Matrix). Managers learn to categorise tasks by urgency and importance, focusing on high-impact activities rather than just reacting to immediate demands.
- Why it's crucial: Reduces managerial stress, improves overall operational flow, and allows managers to dedicate time to coaching and strategic initiatives rather than just fire-fighting.
Related course: Help leaders take control in the planning and prioritising of their workloads with our two courses on Designing Your Personal Work Plan and Updating Your Personal Work Plan.
Team motivation and engagement
A great manager doesn't just manage tasks; they also craft a culture that helps engage and motivate people.
- What managers need: Skills in recognising and celebrating achievements, understanding individual motivators, fostering a sense of belonging, and creating a positive work environment.
- Example micro-skill: "Impact Recognition." Managers are trained to move beyond generic praise ("Good job!") to specific recognition that highlights the positive impact of an employee's action ("Sarah, I really appreciated how you handled that large party; your calm demeanour ensured they all had a great experience, and we got a fantastic review.").
- Why it's crucial: Boosts morale, increases productivity, and significantly improves employee retention by making staff feel valued and appreciated.
Related course: Leading A High Performance Team, Build Effective Relationships and Positive Leadership In Action equips leaders with the skills to build trust, foster collaboration, and drive team performance.
Customise your learning to your vision and goals
The most effective leadership programs are customised to reflect your brand's unique culture, values, and operational realities. Consider blending e-Learning with customised leadership programs that mix classroom-based learning with workplace projects.
A tailored hospitality leadership training learning program can also meet specific skill requirements of your business with projects based on actual business problems.
That was the experience of Dooleys, a leisure, dining, and entertainment destination with three venues in central western Sydney, that had a customised training program from Allara Learning.
“You come out of the course with a better understanding of other departments and their challenges, which helps you to better support each other to accomplish what you’re trying to achieve in your roles.” Saray Tuy, Events Operations Manager
W. Short Hospitality also invested in a customised leadership program focussing on soft skills to help prepare younger staff members for leadership roles.
“Almost every employee we have trained through this course has in some way progressed further within their hospitality career in our group.” Shaun Chapman, Group People & Culture Manager
Having a customised leadership program enabled companies like Dooleys and W. Short Hospitality to retain key talent and build a pipeline of future leaders by providing a clear hospitality leadership pathway.
Why investing in hospitality leadership training pays off
Investing in robust hospitality leadership training is not an expense; it's a strategic investment with an unbeatable return. Well-trained managers are proven to:
- Reduce turnover: Engaged and supported teams are less likely to leave, saving significant recruitment and training costs.
- Improve guest satisfaction: Strong leadership leads to consistent service quality and a better overall customer experience.
- Boost productivity: Efficient planning, clear communication, and motivated teams result in smoother operations.
- Create a talent pipeline: Developing managers from within fosters loyalty and ensures a steady stream of capable future leaders.
Ultimately, your managers are the direct link between your strategic goals and the daily reality of your venue. Equipping them with the precise leadership micro-skills they need, delivered through accessible and engaging digital platforms, transforms them into the powerful asset they are meant to be. By investing in effective hospitality leadership training for your venue managers, you can also build a more resilient, profitable, and thriving hospitality business.
Ready to build a better team?
Whether you’re upskilling a new manager or mapping a clear pathway for a rising star, we offer an end-to-end solution:
This unified approach does more than “tick training boxes” — it develops confident leaders who drive consistent performance, retain great people and keep guests coming back.