Management Tools
Spheres of Influences and The Five P’s
By Mark W. Healey
CEO – Virtual Hospitality Group
Article 3 of 3
Putting the 5P’s to work in an Organization
To recap, in article one we discussed that every good operating company either develops a management culture and approach, or lives and dies by the result of its individual stars and asteroids. At Virtual Hospitality Group we teach a “Spheres of Influence” approach using the 5P’s (People, Products, Process, Priority, and Performance).
The Spheres of Influence approach aids in problem solving, but more importantly the 5 P’s become the common language and guide for managers and the whole organization to more efficiently and effectively manage. Once every manager and team member understand what each “P” means and stands for, the ability to move quickly to the heart of problems and solutions is greatly increased.
In article two we discussed putting the 5P’s to work as a manager or supervisor. To use these 5P’s to see how they are influencing a problem or situation, we introduced the nine characteristics every successful hospitality manager needs to have. They are communication, creativity, initiative, flexibility, persuasiveness, persistence, decision making, understanding, and leadership.
When presented with a situation or task, we need to identify and understand the issue/problem, take action using the 5P’s to determine and weigh all the factors, consider solutions and their effect on the 5 P’s, and implement the best solution. Using and applying these characteristics follows the six-step process:
- Always review each P – eliminate any P that does not apply.
- Evaluate the rate each P factor (top to bottom).
- Adjust given the priority, then decide on solutions,
- Communicate and Implement solutions.
- Follow up to insure the solution is working
- Adjust as needed – repeat.
Now as a manager using the 5P’s, you are experiencing the value of a powerful tool to guide your planning and to solve problems. As a good manager and team leader, you are sharing your approach with peers and team members. They are quick to learn the format and present information already accounting for the 5P’s—they are even offering solutions based on past experiences.
To fully realize the value of Spheres of Influence and the 5P’s, the company or organization must embrace the 5P’s. This is accomplished in two steps.
- Every manager, supervisor and executive is taught/learns, discusses, and uses the 5P’s every day.
- The Company embraces using the 5P’s for all meetings, budgets and planning as well as incorporating the management characteristics and 5P’s into all Performance management
programs.
Company-wide implementation is achieved by organizing every internal and external meeting using the 5P’s. This makes preparation consistent and concise and allows everyone to come prepared to use the format. Recalling that each of the five “P’s” is a sphere of influence, the topics within each P may be different every meeting. For example, the “process” topics for accounting are different than the “process” topics for facilities. Often, upon review, only two or three of the five P’s pertain to a particular topic, issue, or problem, and by getting to the correct assessments and topics, meetings become more effective.
Every budget, projection, and P&L entertains all five P’s. Every management evaluation and review entertains all 5P’s. Organizations may choose not to use this approach, but they are still required to ask the questions and perform to expectations. In our experience, using the 5P’s has improved our effectiveness and promotes efficiency.
In this concluding article (3 of 3), we have shown how organizations put the concept of Spheres of Influence and the Five P’s to work for their managers and leaders. To learn more about the topic, visit article 1 – Introducing and defining Spheres of Influence and the 5P’s; and article 2 – Putting the Spheres of Influence and the 5P’s to work as a Manager or Supervisor.
Now spread the word, the 5 words – People, Products, Processes, Priorities, Performance.
The 5P’s Manager Cliff Notes:
- PEOPLE = principles & values development
- PRODUCTS = perception and expectations delivery
- PROCESSES = polices, procedures and best practices
- PRIORITIES = promotions (sales & marketing), initiatives, project management
- PERFORMANCE = player & guest experience, employee engagement, profit, outcomes
About the Author: Mark Healey is CEO and co-founder of Virtual Hospitality Group. In a 35+ year career, he has more than 17 years of F&B experience working with more than 25 Native American Casinos throughout the country. He can be reached at
m.healey@virtualhg.com