Rocio Montero Dominguez, mistakes are the best way to learn

Giving students personalized attention and moving them out of their comfort zone. Combine this with practical courses, and you have the recipe for guiding students to the top, according to Rocio Montero Dominguez.

Can you share your background with us?  

A hospitality professional with more than twelve years of operational and sales experience in hotels. Certified Revenue Manager by Cornell University; graduated English philologist by the University of Seville, and MBA graduate at Liverpool University.

What made you want to teach?

Since an early age in primary school I wanted to be a teacher but the paths of life diverted me into hotels, although I never lost the desire to teach others for their self-development. When you see your mentees grow thanks to your teaching, it is quite rewarding.

Why did you choose Les Roches?

Les Roches provided me with a higher closeness to the student, making me feel part of a big family.

How would you define Les Roches? What makes Les Roches unique?

At Les Roches you make connections that endure for your whole life. It is a never-ending family, as it is always growing.

When you see your mentees grow thanks to your teaching, it is quite rewarding.

Has the atmosphere of Les Roches influenced the way you prepare your courses?

Each intake is different, and in these last 10 years, I have seen a few. The new generations do not learn as the generations we were receiving in the past. But the excellence and the desire to improve the knowledge of new generations is present in each course that we prepare.

What is your definition of the transmission of knowledge?

More than knowledge, I like to talk about growth. Although you find resistance, our duty as teachers is to move our students out of their comfort zone to achieve new skills that will make them the best professionals, without fear of uncertainty and with a flexible, open approach to daily routines at work.

Beyond the technical aspect, what do you try to transmit to your students?

Be a service leader that supports the growth of your colleagues. If you support the growth of your team, you will shine as a manager and leader.

Do you have a secret for getting the best out of each student?

Personalized attention is the key to adapting to their personal needs. My courses are always quite practical because I consider that theory cannot stand alone without practice. I have always learned from mistakes, so I prefer that students investigate how to do the practical exercises and commit mistakes, because that will help them better understand the procedures and theory.

In your opinion, are there any fundamental values that a student should possess if he or she wants to work in hotel management?

Being humble to learn from anybody, being flexible, being a quick thinker, and fearless in front of uncertainty.

I have always learned from mistakes, so I prefer that students investigate how to do the practical exercises and commit mistakes, because that will help them better understand the procedures and theory.

In your opinion, are there any fundamental values that a student should possess if he or she wants to work in hotel management?

Being humble to learn from anybody, being flexible, being a quick thinker, and fearless in front of uncertainty.

Be inclusive, be caring, be open. In your opinion, will these notions, which are essential for the new generations, change the face of the hotel industry?

In hospitality we work in a multicultural ecosystem, both in relation to our working colleagues and our guests. Learning about others’ cultures is the most respectful and caring sign you can show to the people that surround you.

In your opinion, what can and will the new generations bring to the hotel sector? On the world of work in general?

New generations seem not to have constraints on their creative side. That, together with the new advances in technology, will open the door to new developments in hospitality businesses that will adjust to more demanding guests.

In your opinion, what are the challenges facing the hotel sector in 2023 and 2024?

I think that the main concern this year, and the following, is the staff shortages that we have been carrying since the Covid times. Now more than ever it is necessary to maintain a healthy talent pool in hotels. Staff motivation, and support for staff self-development, is becoming crucial to staff retention nowadays.

New generations seem not to have constraints on their creative side.