HTM 480 Leadership and Coaching in Hospitality
Kalidoscope 2 (K2) Spring 2016
Music 245
Professor:
Mark R. Testa, Ph. D.
mtesta@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours:
PSFA 443
Tuesday-10:00 - 11:00, 3:00 - 4:00 & Thursday- 10:00 - 11:00 or by appointment
Course Description
This course is designed to help Hospitality and Tourism Management students to
develop “people savvy” competencies as assessed in HTM 301 Service Leadership
Development. More specifically, this course focuses on developing the student’s
Interpersonal Communication and Coaching & Training Skills in order to maximize
employee performance in the service setting. The course identifies the process leaders
use to set service expectations, train and develop employees, develop employee
relationships, motivate and inspire, assess service performance and provide feedback.
In addition, strategies for developing a service climate and an effective service team are
covered.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Understand the role of “people savvy” leadership behaviors as a means for
creating outstanding service quality
2. Understand the various components of the HTM coaching cycle and their
connection to employee performance and service quality.
3. Demonstrate competence in interpersonal communication and coaching &
training through various course activities
4. Develop a personal leadership philosophy as it relates to people in the service
setting.
5. Understand practical methods of creating a successful service team
Competencies
Creative Decision-Making
Interpersonal Communication
Expressive Service Quality
Coaching & Training
Spirit of Optimism
Self-Development
Professionalism
Resources
Kouzes, J. M, & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The Leadership Challenge, 4th ed.
Current articles will used to provide background information on each of the topics covered in this course.
Several articles and other research materials will be distributed throughout the course. Current Webbased articles will be assigned from a variety of sources including Fastcompany.com, Businessweek.com
and Wallstreetjournal.com.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used to supplement lectures and for students to obtain additional
materials. All students should get a Blackboard account and visit the HTM 302 course
site each Monday morning before class. Visit http://courses.sdsu.edu.
Structure and Assessment
This course will use a variety of teaching methods including, lecture, case studies, role
plays, small group activities, paper & pencil assessments, guest speakers and videos to
address a variety of learning styles. Active participation is strongly encouraged so that
you can maximize your learning experience.
Leadership
Experience
10%
Peer
Mentoring
Experience
20%
Leader
Shadow
15%
HTM 480
Exams
40%
Active
Contribution
&
Participation
15%
Assignments
Peer- Mentoring Experience
Students will be responsible for creating and maintaining a mentoring relationship with
an HTM student in HTM 301. Following the process mapped out in class, you will
establish a relationship, set goals, develop trust and assist your mentee over the course
of the semester. Your grade will come from a reflection assignment and an evaluation
by the mentee.
Leader Shadow
To provide specific examples of positive and negative leadership behaviors you will be
responsible for arranging and executing an 8 hour job shadow of an industry manager.
Consider past employers, friends and your professional network. Choose a manager in
an industry segment that interests you. Your goal will be to identify lessons learned from
your experience.
Leadership Experience
As another method of helping you develop your people savvy skills, you will have the
opportunity to engage in a leadership experience of your choice. This could include
taking a leadership position, volunteering for community service, working with a
community organization, engaging in a team activity or working with industry. The
experience should force you to actively deal with others engaging in several of the
behaviors listed on the coaching cycle.
Point-Counter Point Debates
As part of the participation and contribution grade, small groups will engage in debates
relating to the topic of the current week. The debate will take place in class for up to 10
minutes with each team taking an opposing side. For example, does employee job
satisfaction lead to greater customer service quality? One team will argue that it does,
while the other will argue against. The remaining students will judge the debate and
award the winner. Please be FLEXIBLE. Be ready on the date assigned but we will
actually conduct the debates depending on how we progress.
Exams
A midterm and final exam will be given midway and at the end of the course
respectively. The midterm will focus on the first half of the class, while the final will be
cumulative. The information will come from class lectures, readings, and discussions.
Both poor attendance and failing to read the assigned material will make it difficult to do
well on the exams.
Contribution and Active Participation
Students are expected to treat other students and the instructor with respect. Disruptive
behavior such as excessive lateness, texting in class, using a computer for nonclassroom activities, sleeping, or any other activity that negatively impacts the
classroom environment is not acceptable.
“Just showing up isn’t good enough”
Grading
Evaluation
Peer-Mentoring Experience
Leader Shadow
Active Contribution & Participation
Exams
Leadership Experience
94 and above
90-93
87-89
84-86
80-83
A
AB+
B
B-
77-79
74-76
70-73
60-69
Below 60
Weight
20%
15%
15%
40%
10%
C+
C
CD
F
Academic Integrity
The faculty and staff demand the highest levels of academic and professional integrity
in all work at San Diego State University and especially in the HTM program. Positive
leadership cannot exist without integrity and your actions determine your level of
integrity. Plagiarism, cheating on exams or any other type of academic dishonesty, will
be referred directly to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for disciplinary
action.
Optional Industry Experiences
You will have opportunities throughout the semester to get involved in the industry. San
Diego professionals in the HTM industry are solidly behind the HTM degree program
and will offer job shadows, training sessions, meetings, and other mentor opportunities
throughout the semester. Students are encouraged to make contacts early, learn about
the tremendous array of opportunities in the field, and engage themselves in practical
experiences to complement the classroom experiences.
The Nitty Gritty

To receive full credit for assignments, they must be submitted on time in a complete
and error-free fashion. All assignments must be typed, conform to 1” margins, in
12-point font, and double-spaced. All assignments are due at the beginning of
class on the due date specified in the attached course outline.

I will be available to discuss papers and presentations with you before they are due.
I can be used as a “sounding board” for your ideas and outlines and, as time allows,
I can read rough drafts and make suggestions.

All papers and presentations will be graded based on content (how deeply you have
thought about the topic, integration of your experiences with course concepts,
communication of insights, accuracy of concept application, etc.) and presentation
(organization, grammar, spelling, style, etc.). Remember, you will be evaluated on
both what you say and how you say it.

No make up exams will be given after the fact. If you know for certain you cannot
make an exam, please see me prior to the test day.

Please inform me if any special circumstances arise for you during the semester.
That is, if you are having difficulty in class due to extenuating outside circumstances,
please talk to me as soon as possible so we can minimize the effects of these
circumstances.
Remember, HTM is all about exceeding expectations!
HTM 480 Course Schedule
Day
Date
Topic
Reading & Assignments Due
Th
1/21
T
1/26
Introduction and Course Overview
Leader Shadow Overview
Conduct Leader Shadow
Th
1/28
Conduct Leader Shadow
T
2/2
Coaching Overview- They Cycle
XY Assessment and Examples
Th
2/4
Reading Roundtable Ch. 11-4
T
2/9
Role Modeling and Mentoring
Point-Counter Point Assignments
Mentoring Experience Guidelines
Mentoring Questionnaire
Reading Roundtable
Credibility, Values, Example Takeaways
Th
2/11
The HTM Coaching Cycle 1- Creating a
Shared Vision
Discuss Readings
Articles: Awakening Leaders, When to
Lead
Leadership Challenge Ch. 5
Point Counter Point 1
T
2/16
The HTM Coaching Cycle 2- Developing
a Service Climate, Setting Service
Expectations and Standards
Article: The Effects of Service Climate
and the Effective Leadership Behavior
(p. 1-6),
Th
2/18
Point Counter Point 2
T
2/23
Th
2/25
Climate and Service Expectations
Continued.
Discuss Readings
The HTM Coaching Cycle 3- Developing
Employee Relationships- Trust Building
Role Plays Assigned
Win As Much As You Can
T
3/1
Trust and Ethical Scenarios
Th
3/3
The HTM Coaching Cycle 4- Developing
Employee Relationships- Practical
Communication
Article: More Effective Leadership Can
Bring Higher Service Quality
Article: Leadership and Employee
Commitment to Service Quality (Only
P.209-214)
Complete XY Assessment on BB
Read: Leadership Challenge Ch 1-4
Article: Building a Successful
Mentoring Program
Leader Shadow Due
Leadership Challenge Ch 6
Article: Creating Trust
Point Counter Point 3
Point Counter Point 4
Bring role plays and be ready!
Take empathy quiz:
https://psychology-tools.com/empathy-quotient/
T
3/8
Communication Continued
Reading Roundtable
The HTM Coaching Cycle 5- Developing
Employee Relationships- Conflict
Resolution
Th
3/10
Mentor Meeting
Leadership Challenge Ch. 9 & 10
Point Counter Point 5
T
3/15
Trigger Reports
Th
3/17
Midterm Exam
T
3/22
The HTM Coaching Cycle 7- Teaching
and Training for Service Quality
Point Counter Point 6
Point Counter Point 7
Th
3/24
Complete Training
The HTM Coaching Cycle 8- Practical
Motivating and Inspiring for Service
Quality
Point Counter Point 8
T
3/29
Spring Break
Fun
Th
3/31
Spring Break
More Fun
T
4/5
Reading Roundtable
Motivating and Inspiring Continued
The HTM Coaching Cycle 9- Assessing
Service Performance/KRAs
Leadership Challenge Ch. 11 & 12
Point Counter Point 9
Th
4/7
Training Team Meeting
T
4/12
Service Performance Debrief
Th
4/14
Mentor Meeting
T
4/19
The HTM Coaching Cycle 10- Providing
Feedback
Assign Older Worker Interview
Leadership Experience Due
Article: Providing Feedback
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/17/f
eedback.html
Point Counter Point 10
Th
4/21
Mentor Meeting
T
4/26
Other Topics Managing Difficult
Employees and Older Workers
Th
4/28
Team Development
T
5/3
Course Recap and Exercise
Leadership Challenge Ch. 13
Th
5/5
Final Meeting
Peer Mentoring Experience Due
Articles: Service Sabotage.
Point Counter Point 11Debrief Older
Worker Interviews
Note: This is a tentative course schedule and may shift at my discretion according to class needs,
availability of guest speakers, and the like. Additional readings and assignments will be given in
class.
Point-Counter Point Sign Up
No.
Names
Topic
1
For:
A compelling vision is essential
for service quality.
Against:
2
For:
Against:
3
For:
Against:
4
For:
Against:
5
For:
Against:
6
For:
Against:
7
For:
Against:
8
For:
Against:
Although intangible, a service
climate is necessary for
enforcing service standards.
Employees will either trust or
distrust their leaders based on
their past experiences. Leaders
can do little to impact this.
As a leader, I must make sure
that I’m telling my employees
exactly what to do. Otherwise
they will not know what I expect
from them.
Collaboration is great, but real
collaboration cannot be
achieved in the fast paced
hospitality industry.
People fundamentally want to
learn and develop on a job.
Even an hourly service job.
Providing tips and suggestions
on how to satisfy customers is
critical to motivating my staff
and getting the best levels of
service quality.
Leaders cannot motivate
unmotivated employees.
Especially in an hourly service
job.
Date
9
For:
Against:
10
For:
Against:
11
For:
Against:
If service employees know you
are watching their job
performance, it will only make
them tense up which hurts
service quality.
People only want to know abo
ut the good things they do at
work. Critical feedback for
hourly service employees
doesn’t help service quality.
Managing employees who are
older than you is exactly the
same as managing others who
are your age. Especially in the
service environment.
J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Student
Center for Professional Development
Pathways to Excellence
Behaviors
Attitudes
We Expect You. . .
To strive for excellence
To be honest- live honor and integrity
To practice self-reliance- take responsibility
To be engaged in your education
To have realistic expectations
To be prepared
To demonstrate good manners
To practice punctuality- being on time is
being late
To wear professional attire
To practice professional communication
To have a plan
To not over commit
We Promise . . .
To put you first
To challenge you
To make learning fun
To provide opportunity
To be honest with you
Going Above and Beyond
Stay
informed
Study/work
abroad
Seek
scholarships
Be active in
associations
Volunteer