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the best strategy; in fact, it’s no strategy at all. Leaders their best qualities. Rathbun deliberately challenges don’t have the luxury of unlimited time to explore directors to identify technical and functional exper- talent continuity solutions, nor do they have one- tise and the interests of team members within their size-fits-all talent for impromptu promotions. Your departments during the annual talent review process, team members want to know how they fit into your concluding, “People are going to be good at things plans. They, as much as resort leaders, need to be they are interested in.” guided by the same roadmap and objectives. Rathbun has not hesitated to combine roles and responsibilities for high-potential team members, Getting the People Process Right citing one person in particular as an example. “Amy Season after season ski area operators prove they are Ohran in snowsports was a quiet leader with the best extraordinary at managing unforeseen weather issues culture in the company,” he says about the woman and the peaks and valleys of business levels. Their who would steadily ascend to the upper tiers of resort efforts can be categorized into three important over- management. lapping functions (see figure): the Strategy Process, Former lift operations manager Jordan Elliott which includes investing in marketing initiatives agrees. Under Ohran’s supervision as director of the and designating capital to update infrastructure and snowsports school, the working environment was amenities; the Operations Process, which involves “a regular love fest,” Elliott says, pointing out that increasingly sophisticated contingency planning to Ohran fostered an atmosphere in which instructors anticipate and respond to daily challenges; and the respected each other and recognized one another’s People Process, the strategic discussion and planning contributions using a peer program called “Caught for developing talent in the organization. in the Act.” Ohran created buy-in by including In their bestselling book, Execution, the Disci- instructors in developing innovative guest products, pline of Getting Things Done (Crown Business, 2002), such as one of the first multi-day lesson packages, authors Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan assert, “The “Ski or Ride in Five,” a beginner conversion program People Process is more important than either the that helped Mt. Bachelor win the NSAA Conver- Strategy or Operations process; if you don’t get the sion Cup in 2012. She also orchestrated snowsports People Process right, you will never fulfill the poten- school parties that were widely regarded as the tial of your business.” biggest and best among the entire resort workforce, Someone who clearly subscribes to that philoso- further instilling the sense of camaraderie and fun. phy is Dave Rathbun, president and general man- Ohran’s inclusive, successful management ager at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon. Although the resort approach didn’t go unnoticed. Although recognizing receives just under 500,000 skier visits—and with that the challenge would initially fall outside Ohran’s the conglomerate POWDR Corp as its owner— comfort zone, Rathbun promoted her to director of Bachelor acts small and entrepreneurial in terms of staff resources and development in addition to her how it identifies leadership potential, cultivates these duties with the snowsports school, confident that skills, and promotes people to positions that elicit she would help spread the positive working culture throughout the resort. In another important move, Mt. Bachelor Organizational Processes decided to change the catch-all name of its Human Resources Department to “Staff Resources and Development,” signaling emphasis on the cultural change. Ohran sees the “development” part of the The People title as a core element that drives engagement, noting Process that Bachelor has gained a reputation for developing snowsports professionals. “It’s why applicants sought us out, stayed, and progressed through their careers with us,” she says. The Execution The In Ohran’s case, tackling the new opportunity Operations Strategy Process Process helped prepare her for a promotion to president and general manager at Boreal Mountain Resort, Soda Springs Resort, and Woodward Tahoe for POWDER Corp. Ohran underscores the benefit of developing employees at all levels, adding, “We gain greatly G 42 | NSAA Journal | EARLY WINTER 2014 w w w.nsaa. org A Ann Annnn NSAA Early Winter 2014 prepressed v5c.indd 42 11/5/14 11:51 AM