A Major Piece of London Can Be Found at This Lake Town
A Major Piece of London Can Be Found at This Lake Town
Susan Weber/Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/arizona/experiences/news/a-major-piece-of-london-can-be-found-at-this-lake-town
From endless outdoor activities to a surprising history, this Arizona town is a gem waiting to be discovered.
You don’t have to go all the way to the United Kingdom to see the London Bridge, to the Bahamas to lie beachside under palm trees, or even to Jordan to swim in the middle of a desert. Instead, unbeknownst to many, you can just visit Lake Havasu, Arizona.
Once known as an MTV Spring Break destination, Lake Havasu has grown beyond its party-centric reputation into the destination it has become today. It’s a place where generations return year after year, staying in the same room at the Nautical Beachfront Resort, Lake Havasu’s only beachfront resort, returning for the promise of endless outdoor adventures. With an extended recreation season stretching from Valentine’s Day through Thanksgiving, it’s easy to see why families keep coming back decade after decade.
For those with an affinity for water sports, Lake Havasu is especially worth your time. What I loved most about Lake Havasu was the myriad activities to enjoy the water (a must in 100-degree summer heat). From paddle boarding to jet skiing, swimming to kayaking, and even boating, there are countless ways to explore this freshwater lake.
Thanks to relatively stable water levels and warm temperatures, Lake Havasu has become a year-round playground for boaters. In fact, Lake Havasu played a major role in the rise of jet skiing, becoming a hub for riders and racing and industry events that helped shape the sport as it grew in popularity. But the story of Lake Havasu began long before watercrafts ever hit its waters.
The name Havasu comes from the Mohave word for “blue-green water,” and the lake itself was created when the Parker Dam was completed in 1933. Then in the early 1960s, boating mogul Robert McCulloch, Sr. arrived in search of a testing ground for his outboard motors, but his vision extended far beyond business.
McCulloch saw the potential for an entire community in Lake Havasu, a vision that helped shape the city’s future. By developing the Nautical Beachfront Resort and inviting prospective buyers from across America on all-expense-paid trips to experience the area for themselves, they hoped many would choose to call Lake Havasu home. To bring even more attention to the growing city, McCulloch purchased the London Bridge—originally built in the 1830s, once spanning the River Thames—and had it dismantled in London, shipped across the Atlantic via the Panama Canal and onwards to Long Beach, California, where it was then transported to Lake Havasu and reassembled in the center of town. Today, Lake Havasu’s London Bridge remains the city’s most recognizable landmark.
Exploring Lake Havasu at sunset with Sunset Charter & Tour Co was one of my favorite experiences. As we cruised along the peaceful shoreline, I learned there are more than 100 Bureau of Land Management campsites tucked around the lake, only accessible by boat or hiking trail. It’s easy to see why so many return year after year—there’s always another cove to explore, another sunset to watch, and another day on the water waiting. Lake Havasu proves that, from mild to wild, there’s an adventure here for everyone.
Businesses to Support in Lake Havasu
I noticed throughout my visit that Lake Havasu City places a great emphasis on supporting local businesses. From restaurants and coffee shops to tour operators and outfitters, there’s a genuine effort to support the people who call this community home. A few of my favorites were:
Southwest Tried to Shame Passengers Online. It Backfired Spectacularly
Ashlee Duncan/Southwest Airlines
https://www.fodors.com/news/news/southwest-tried-to-shame-passengers-online-it-backfired-spectacularly
Southwest is not winning any points right now.
It was a valiant attempt to be cheeky on the social media platform, but Southwest shot itself in the foot. On Threads, the airline’s profile shamed people who got up instantly after the seat belt sign turned off. Users were having none of it. They called out the budget airline for its cramped seats, overpriced tickets, and changes to its checked-bag policy.
To backtrack a little, Southwest has implemented many changes in the last few years that have left passengers frustrated. It ditched its free checked-bag policy, started assigning seats after five decades of open seating, and changed its plus-size seat policy (which it later rolled back). It was once a favorite among travelers because it differed from other airlines; now, it’s just another nickel-and-diming airline.
With its popularity so low, now might not have been the best time to mock people online. People will bite back. Southwest posted on Threads last week: “You 👏 won’t 👏 get 👏 off 👏 the 👏 plane 👏 faster 👏 by 👏 standing 👏 up 👏 .001 👏 seconds 👏 after 👏 the 👏 seatbelt 👏 sign 👏 turns 👏 off 👏”
People were not happy with the condescending tone of Southwest, and they made it known with hundreds of comments mimicking the airline.
Users brought up the need to stretch their legs after sitting in a cramped seat for hours. Some mentioned connecting flights they might miss if they don’t deplane quickly enough. Many referenced a valid reason that requires no justification: injuries. People have back issues, hip issues, and cramps, and they need to stand.
Funnily, the retorts came in the same style as the original post.
One user wrote, “As👏🏼someone👏🏼with👏🏼knee👏🏼problems👏🏼we👏🏼don’t👏🏼stand👏🏼up👏🏼to👏🏼get👏🏼off👏🏼the👏🏼plane👏🏼faster👏🏼!👏🏼 We👏🏼stand👏🏼up👏🏼because👏🏼we👏🏼have👏🏼been👏🏼sitting👏🏼for👏🏼so👏🏼long👏🏼!”
And a reply from @milehighprophet said: “With👏 👏the 👏 elimination 👏 of 👏 free👏 checked 👏 bags 👏 and👏 now 👏 the 👏added 👏 benefit 👏 of 👏rising 👏 ticket 👏 prices 👏 and 👏 condescending👏 customer👏 service 👏 there’s 👏 fewer👏 and 👏 fewer 👏 reasons 👏 to 👏 fly 👏 Southwest.”
To be fair, there were also some who agreed with the airline and said they found the behavior annoying, too. However, those voices were drowned out by the critics who clapped back at the airline.
It may not have been received very well, but it was still one of their most engaging posts, with 1.5 million views and 5,900 reposts.
There is a term for people who crowd the aisle in a hurry to disembark: aisle lice. These are the people who push in front of others in a bid to leave more quickly, often antagonizing other passengers. No one generally minds someone standing just to stretch their legs—regardless of what Southwest said—but it’s the people who want to skip ahead who often get glares and sharp words.
If you’re in a hurry for any reason, let your neighbors know and apologize for rushing. A simple apology goes a long way. And if you’re annoyed by this behavior, take a few deep breaths and let it go. It is not worth getting into a fight as you’re just getting ready to walk away.
Related: ‘Aisle Lice’ Are Enraging Passengers
Tenures Keep Falling in the C-Suite—Here’s What You Can Do to Save Your Position
https://ivyexec.com/career-advice/2020/tenures-keep-falling-in-the-c-suite-heres-what-you-can-do-to-save-your-position/?
Executive search and leadership advisory firm Spencer Stuart shows that average tenure dropped in 2019 for the second year in a row. Voluntary turnover is common, but force-outs also seem to occur more frequently today than in previous decades. Tenures vary between C-suite positions—in order from longest to shortest, here’s a breakdown of the average tenure roles:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
- Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
The difference is most remarkable between CEOs at financial agencies, who served an average of 9.7 years in their position, and CMOs in life sciences, who typically served 3.1 years (The Wall Street Journal). Generally speaking, CMOs seem to have the briefest tenures—across industries, the average CMO only stays in their position for about 41 months (3.4 years), according to Spencer Stuart consulting.
Christine Moorman, professor of business administration at Duke University, explains marketing can be even more volatile than other verticals because conditions regarding consumer behavior, competing strategies, and overall economic trends change continuously. CMOs today are also likely to face steep budget cuts and even greater pressure because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
7 Tips for Defending Your Executive Title
If you’re a C-suite executive, you can take steps to protect your status within an organization. Ultimately, performance varies by the individual and their environment, and there is no one-size-fits-all rule for executive recruitment. Sometimes external forces create hardships that are practically unavoidable, no matter who’s positioned at the company helm. In these cases, the difference between a temporary setback and the beginning of long-term decline is a matter of conjecture, and the board of directors doesn’t always respond methodically.
To offset these biases, executives must take proactive steps to manage economic disruptions and maintain their command.
1. Hone your leadership skills.
In the C-suite, leadership skills are arguably more important than technical expertise. Invest time and energy into improving your soft skills and business acumen to develop credibility and executive presence.
2. Work in a sector that’s resilient.
Industry trends also affect tenure length. According to data from Korn Ferry, the following industries have the longest on-average tenures:
- Financial services
- Professional services
- Life sciences
The same study, which was conducted using data from 2017, shows the industrial, energy, and consumer sectors have the shortest tenures on average. By breaking into a new industry, executives could find greater stability, particularly as the pandemic has affected many of these markets.
Can you transition your career during a crisis?
3. Connect your work to tangible company value.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Christine Moorman, professor of business administration at Duke University, says executives—and CMOs in particular—need to prove the effectiveness of their work using metrics. Visibility is just as important as data gathering, and executives must help board members understand the broader context of their work within the industry overall. It’s also critical to prepare for setbacks, even during periods of growth, as most organizations are subject to occasional periods of deceleration or stagnancy.
4. Never grow complacent.
It’s common for executives to hit a wall several years into their tenure. They might have started the position with a clear vision for the company, for example—but after all their initial ideas have been implemented, some struggle to identify the next steps.
To avoid this problem, seek out new perspectives. You might consider interviewing employees at various levels or partnering with an outside firm to gain insight. There are always opportunities to explore new literature and research your competitors to expand your worldview. Taking these initiatives will help you adopt an entrepreneurial spirit to drive operations further and bring fresh ideas to the table.
5. Push through temporary setbacks.
Conventional wisdom among board directors is that most executives plateau after 9–10 years. But the Harvard Business Review’s annual list of 100 top-performing CEOs shows this assumption is often wrong. For example, Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, has held his position for almost 27 years and was HBR’s highest-rated CEO in 2019.
Other professionals named in the list include:
- Marc Benioff, Salesforce CEO (19 years)
- Shantanu Narayen, Adobe CEO (13 years)
- Nancy McKinstry, Wolters Kluwer CEO (17 years)
- Richard Templeton, Texas Instruments CEO (16 years)
In fact, the average tenure of the best-performing CEOs is approximately 15 years—more than twice the overall average tenure for CEOs at S&P 500 companies.
This data proves conventional wisdom isn’t always correct, and many executives continue to have significant influence over the success of their organization. Try not to let yourself feel discouraged.
6. Be honest with the board of directors.
Never underestimate the power of goodwill. If you treat your colleagues and board members with respect and behave ethically, they’ll be more likely to respond positively. Transparency is key to winning the board’s trust and nurturing healthy, two-way communication.
7. Pay heed to social justice advocates.
Movements like #MeToo, #EqualPayForEqualPlay, and #BlackLivesMatter, combined with a robust public emphasis on cultural representation, environmental sustainability, and social justice, have contributed to greater accountability in the C-suite. According to a report from outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas, turnover jumped by 13% in 2019 compared to 2002.
Andrew Challenger, Vice President of the organization, attributes much of this development to evolving social standards for professional and personal conduct. “What may have gone unrecognized or been downplayed in the past was not overlooked by boards, shareholders, or the general public in 2019,” Challenger says in an interview with the U.S. News and World Report.
An executive role comes with public scrutiny, and, as a result, today’s leaders need to stay informed about issues related to politics, equality, and identity.
Hoteliers should avoid the AI hype, integrate useful daily tools, tech exec says
Cybersecurity training needs to adapt as threats quickly evolve
(Getty Images)
https://www.costar.com/article/1514142514/hoteliers-should-avoid-the-ai-hype-integrate-useful-daily-tools-tech-exec-says
Within the hospitality industry, everyone from ownership to on-property staff seems to be talking about artificial intelligence and the impact it will have on hotels.
But it's important not to get caught up in the "AI hype echo chamber" that's currently at an all-time high, said Max Spangler, vice president of technology at third-party hotel management company Charlestowne Hotels. Spangler was a guest on this week's episode of the "CoStar News Hotels Podcast."
Rather than get swept away by the big, exciting uses of the technology, hoteliers should be focusing on some of the less flashy applications of AI.
"Most of what people hear about AI right now is either too broad or too vague," he said. "The useful version is actually much more specific, and it helps with the first version of work — drafting, summarizing, comparing, rewriting, organizing, analyzing and getting unstuck — and that's what we constantly are telling our team members."
Charlestowne Hotels has team members using AI across the board — from the corporate office to on-property employees, Spangler said. But the company has emphasized where AI can help and what tasks need the human touch.
"The way we're framing it to our teams is that AI is really great at the first 80%, and our teams own the last 20%," he said, "and that last 20% is where our hospitality teams live. That's the judgment, it's the tone, it's the context, it's the guest sensitivity, it's the owner expectations, it's things like compliance, and then, of course, our hotel's reputation."
Rather than enforcing some corporate-led policy, Spangler said his focus is to provide the tools for employees to use at their comfort level — which ranges widely, from people proficient in AI use to those who still struggle logging on to check their email. According to Spangler, 350 of Charlestowne employees report using AI on a daily basis.
Another element of AI adoption is increased cybersecurity threats. Hackers are able to use AI tools to enhance their processes, and it's upended how Charlestowne trains its employees to catch potential attacks.
"If you just take phishing emails as an example, the old warning signs are completely disappearing," he said. "We're modifying our training as a result [from just advising] people to look for bad grammar, strange wording, typos, obvious red flags in phishing emails because that advice isn't enough anymore."
Just as Charlestowne employees can use AI to enhance the writing of emails, so can these bad threat actors, Spangler said.
"It is an arms race for every tool we put in. The threat actors are looking at that and trying to race past it," he said.
The key is to keep ahead and up to date on this rapidly developing technology space. Spangler said his team does that by staying curious and taking AI implementation step by step.
For more about the types of AI applications Charlestowne is implementing, listen to the podcast episode embedded above.
DUHC&S | Strategic Hospitality Consulting & Advisory
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