Too many chiefs and only one Indian
Facing your employers from time to time is one of the inevitable consequences of doing paid work.
In most organisations, the employees outnumber the bosses by a considerable margin. Pride of Britain is different. As the hired hand, I am accountable to all our members and commercial partners, and report to the chairman and board of the consortium at regular intervals.
The last such occasion was at the Devonshire Arms in Yorkshire recently. Imagine being the one employee trapped with your nine employers for a day and two nights. The risks are enormous. Fortunately, we do seem to get on well, but in the course of a relaxed dinner, for example, one inadvertent insult could jeopardise the whole relationship.
It was clear that deferential politeness could not be maintained for such a long period and, I regret to say, it was not. To avoid unkind remarks being taken personally, the only option was to offend each and every person around the table. As soon as retaliation came in equal measure, I knew all would be well.
My last memory of the second evening was bidding goodnight to a highly respected hotel proprietor with the words: "You must go and see to your bitch," recalling that he and his lovely wife had brought their young canine companion with them and thinking an evening stroll might be on the cards.
Free time was limited, especially as some of us dropped in at the offices of our maritime member (the Hebridean Princess) near by.
Nonetheless, we were exposed to the diverse eating experiences available in the hotel's bistro and dining room. It was good to see a country establishment, full of happy customers on a Sunday night, able to come up with top-class victuals and service to match.
The meeting itself was conducted most professionally, of course, and followed a series of five gatherings with members throughout the UK. We reached agreement on several issues and had a wide-ranging discussion about the future direction of the consortium.
Particular attention was given to the next big step for Pride of Britain - online reservations combined with effective representation on the GDS system used by travel agents all over the world to book hotels.
Our chairman deftly demonstrated alternative systems while his fellow board members watched eagerly, except for one who had found some compelling magazine to read (Caterer, I presume).
In marketing, one can never "succeed", because the journey has no end. One can only hope to fail less or to deliver greater value. If the meetings this year are anything to go by, we can claim to be doing this.
As one wise associate put it: "In your job, no complaints is as good as it gets."
Peter Hancock is chief executive of Pride of Britain Hotels
Next diary from Peter Hancock: 5 September
