Meet John Lim | 2022 General Manager Finalist
Following an extensive career spanning over 30 years and multiple countries – Malaysia, Singapore and China – we are excited to share this inspirational interview with 2022 General Manager Finalist, John Lim! Currently holding the position of Regional General Manager – Sichuan Cluster, and hotel-based General Manager at the InterContinental Chengdu Global Center, John shares his insights into managing the current stop-and-go pandemic situation, leading a successful hotel in today’s climate and much more.
Please share a short introduction about you and your career.
I was born and raised in Ipoh, Malaysia, which is known for its rich local cuisine. I am happily married with two teenage children and love spending quality time with my family – we often enjoy driving around Sichuan and other provinces to explore the local scenery, cuisine, art and culture.
I have been working in hospitality for the past 30 years, across Malaysia, Singapore and China. My career first started back in 1994 in Singapore, where I worked in the Food & Beverage department for several international hotel brands, including the Beaufort, The Ritz-Carlton, and the Millennium Hotels Group. Thereafter, I took up a role in Food & Beverage Management at the Crowne Plaza Shenzhen, China, in 2002.
Over the course of my 20-year career with IHG, I have taken on a number of different roles across multiple departments: from Food & Beverage and Public Relations to Sales & Marketing, before then progressing to General Manager, Area General Manager, and finally, my current position, Regional General Manager –Sichuan Cluster, where I oversee 16 properties.
Over the last 7 years leading the InterContinental Chengdu Global Center, the hotel achieved a number of awards and accolades including a full IHG Winning Metric Score in 2015, the IHG Golden Dragon Award, and I myself was also awarded the IHG Silver Dragon Award in 2018 for outstanding cluster performance as Area General Manager.
What best practices have you implemented to manage the stop-and-go pandemic situation in China?
First, based on experiences of the past 2+ years dealing with a pandemic, I consolidated and developed a guidebook called “Be-Ready”. This guidebook is comprised of the specific steps hoteliers can implement during a pandemic situation, for example, forming a Task Force team to champion the execution of pandemic prevention and monitoring measures. The guidebook has proven to be a very useful tool for many, and has since been shared with all IHG Greater China Hotels as ‘best practice materials’.
Secondly, I have spent more time engaging with hotel team members during this challenging period of time, with a particular focus on organising internal team-building activities and a care program. In addition to this, we have also initiated a care program for medical and community volunteer staff. During the sudden lockdown of the Global Center, we offered medical staff and community volunteers hot beverages and snacks – from afternoon right into the early hours of the morning – while they handled the thousands of people queuing to be tested during a cold November day last winter.
What is it you are most proud of in your career to date?
There are four things that I am very proud to have achieved thus far:
Leading Career Growth within the Hospitality Industry
Following my own experience as a General Manager within the hospitality industry these past 10 years, part of my mission involves helping to nurture the next generation of hoteliers. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of helping six young managers develop their careers through first-hand experience working side-by-side – including hotel managers, executive assistant managers, and resident managers. I am honoured to have provided them with the knowledge and tools they needed to progress their careers and to see how they have now become successful General Managers themselves.
2. Event Initiatives
I have initiated the launch of, and championed, several unique events for both the InterContinental Chengdu Global Center and IHG West China. A few highlights would be:
- The World is Awesome, featuring a visit from a realistic Santa Claus, and A Christmas Celebration Dinner which became world news across Europe.
- A Night of Live Boxing: A unique corporate wine dinner and ticketed live boxing event that attracted mass interest and really made an impact within the market.
- Holiday Destination: A marketing program highlighting local insights for travel connoisseurs.
- Central Retailing Center (CRC): Whereby I developed a system for Food & Beverage seasonal retailing for IHG West China. This CRC supported hotels in lowering their costs, maximising overall revenue and centralising its market image.
3. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives
As a strong believer in “giving for good”, I initiated the launch of a number of charity events in China:
A Time For Sharing – Held in support of disabled children in 2004 while I was living in Shenzhen.
You Can Change Their Destiny – After the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan we held a fundraising event on the anniversary of the earthquake (May 12), and we were able to generate several million CNY across China to support the less fortunate children with their basic needs and education through the IHG Foundation Project School in China. I am proud to see this legacy continue to this day.
My Birthday Wish – Every year on my birthday since 2017 I encourage colleagues, friends and family members to donate an amount equivalent to that of my age to less-fortunate children in China instead of sending me birthday gifts.
4. Personal Achievements
Finally, on a personal note, since entering the hospitality industry over 30 years ago, I believe I have gone from strength to strength in my dedication, commitment and passion for serving in the industry which has brought my career to where it is today. I believe this success is because of the support of my parents, and I hope they are proud of their son.
Can you share what you believe is key in leading a successful hotel today?
The hospitality industry is very much a people-focused business. Some of the most fundamental aspects to ensuring successful management is being able to bring out the best in every associate.
Management is about persuading people to do things that they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.
Understanding the younger generation – especially when it comes to their behaviour and adaptability to the hospitality industry – is what will help further shape our economy. What’s more, exploring the digital world further is crucial to the success of a hotel.
I strongly believe that the best strategy to win customers’ business and employee loyalty is to win their heart first. Focusing on both guest and employee experiences is fundamental to operating a successful hotel business; a satisfied customer is the best business strategy!
As a leader, how do you manage to continue energising and motivating your team throughout a crisis [pandemic] that has lasted years?
When the pandemic emerged in early 2020, there were so many uncertainties that we had to face, such as the safety of family members and staff, hotel business and operations. We had no idea what would happen next and could only hope that this crisis would end soon. Everything seemed to go on pause and this made all of us feel very uncomfortable because, for many of us, this was the first time ever experiencing such a challenge.
Throughout this period of time, I began meditating in order to remain calm and focused. This allowed me to look out for opportunities rather than focusing on the negative aspects of a stressful situation. I had a number of direct reports and managers approaching me who only focused on the negative factors – layoff rumors and the possibility of an impending recession – and during these moments, I tried to offer words of wisdom and inspiration, and bring a sense of calm to my team:
“You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power comes in sitting back and observing situations with logic. True power is restraint. If words control you, that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass”.
People inspire you or they drain you – choose wisely!
What is a book, podcast, or media resource that you have recently read / listened to that inspired you?
I just finished reading ‘The Ride of a Lifetime’ by Robert Iger, ex-CEO of The Walt Disney Company. This was a truly inspiring read and provided a lot of insightful guidance on what fundamental leadership qualities are needed in this ever-changing market to stay ahead of the competition and to remain courageous when facing crises.
If you could invite anyone over for dinner, who would it be and why?
Jack Ma, Alibaba Group – Over the years, I have read a lot about his achievements and successes. I have always been so inspired by how he has reshaped consumer behaviour in China, as well as how determined he is when it comes to achieving his goals. Jack Ma would be my dinner guest of choice as I regard him as an inspiration – though I was fortunate enough to have at least already met him in person!