Mahmood Khan invited to Armenia as instructor for senior level hospitality training program

Mahmood Khan, professor, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Pamplin College of Business, National Capital Region, was recently invited to Armenia for the fourth time as instructor for a hospitality and restaurant management training course from the American National Restaurant Association (NRA) Educational Foundation's ManageFirst Program. The five-day training program was sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS) and the Armenian Restaurant Association and focuses on setting high management standards and enriching the skills and abilities of the workforce within the restaurant and hospitality industry. Some 36 restaurant owners, CEOs, and senior level managers attended the sessions and took an exam to earn a certificate from the program.

Khan began the first day of training by instructing the group to "Always smile. Be hospitable and friendly in every situation. It is the only way to please your guests and it is a key to success." Khan elaborated on the dynamics of leadership in the hospitality and restaurant industry, explained goal setting and effective communication strategies as a leader and manager, and discussed how to manage compensation. The topic of employment planning skills included win-win scheduling practices, how to plan and conduct effective meetings, and the dimensions of problem solving. Workforce development skills, such as motivation, employee development, new employee induction, and termination management and the importance of teamwork were also included in the training sessions.

During an interview with Armenian internet TV slaq.am, now posted on You Tube, Khan said that the basic principles in the training program are applicable to any country. He also explained that while people tend to think of restaurants when they think of hospitality, it is a more wide field than that. "The hospitality industry includes airlines, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and any place else that provides food service," Khan said.

In addition to this most recent trip to Armenia, Khan has traveled to the country a number of times during the last two years for meetings with Yerevan State Armenian-Greek College of Tourism, Service and Food Industry (AGC) in Armenia. USAID/CAPS has posted a success story about the significant impact the Virginia Tech/AGC partnership has made in the transfer of experience and curricular and development of new skills building programs at the AGC.

Posted December 9, 2010