Leader ship & social skills
Enthusiasm. perhaps the
single most important
characteristic of successful guides is passion
, both for the subject matter and
the travelers. This enthusiasm will not only make the traveler s
experience more compelling, but will sustain
both guide & visitors through mentally & physically exhausting
experiences.
Enthusiasm is
not easily feigned : to great
extent, a guide either has it o
does not . Certainly, enthusiasm
is not
taught or learned in any traditional sense, but many believe it can be acquired.
In fact many guides feel studying a
region and guiding
tours in the region has
deepened their enthusiasm
for that area.
Peggy wood , a Washington , d c , guide since
1980, says, when I moved to the area
,I didn’t like
it at all. A friend
suggested that I would
like it more if I
learned more about it , so enrolled
in a guide training course . and she
was right , now
I love it here
An outgoing and affable nature:
As guides are in
the business of meeting , welcoming ,
and working for strangers , it is essential that they
be approachable open , and comfortable in many types of situations and
with a wide range of regard it as the
most interesting aspect of their work.
Cherem
and others go so far
as to say that individuals with
highly introverted or non-public
personalities should be activity
discouraged from the field of interpretation . Others point out that
introverts can survive even thrive – in
guiding, nothing that shy individuals often come alive in front of a group. Indeed many successful
guides’ that addressing the public is a continual challenge. Whatever a guides nature,
it is essential that he or she possess the ability to be
friendly, to initiate conversation , and to encourage others to do the same.
Self- confidence:
Developing
self confidence in a
career requires a
basic level of self-esteem combined
with ex patience . Self-confidence enables guides to carry out their duties assertively and effectively . To put people at ease. And to help create enjoyable
experiences.
A proactive nature. One of the hallmarks
of a true leader is the belief
in ones
Own ability to affect change
and the willingness to assume
responsibly
For initiating change. Such a belief is
usually accompanied by commitment to imagine
rive solutions and
a contagious sense of optimism ,
this proactive as opposed to reactive behavior is vital for
success in guiding , as guides
are regularly thrust into un predictable and challenging situations for which they must find quick, amenable
solutions
Sensitivity.
Extremely important the term sensitivity is
used here to include the wide range of human understanding required of a
successful guide. Beyond liking people,
successful guides are compassionate, respectful tactful& observant. They
are sensitive to other’s needs and understanding of other perspectives.
Guides must be attuned to such occurrences as injuries
, illnesses , disabilities or friction
among passengers . New
Orleans guide &author Joan Garevy
says people will forgive many shortcomings in guide even lack of knowledge
about the region but they won’t forgive
the guide who doesn’t care about them
Flexibility:
In the domain of travel, where even the best-planned itineraries go awry, flexibility
patience are vital. This includes the ability to convince others to be flexible &patient
as well.
Authenticity:
Few qualities will offend or alienate people
more quickly than phoniness or dishonesty. Most people are instinctively drawn
to and trust people who are genuine and who have an honest, open aura about them.
A
pleasant, professional appearance
It is often
said that people decided whether they like or value a person within the first
few seconds of meeting them
First impression many people may assume that
those who are clean, well groomed and care about their work. Moreover, people make
assumptions’ about others both accurate &inaccurate based on other aspects
of appearance, such as posture Wight and stylishness
Sense of humor
A good sense of humor can bring people closer together,
put them at ease and help make the inevitable glitches of travel amusing
instead of stressful and un pleasant. Since most people like laugh, they will
usually appreciate guides who bring humor to experience. Using humor
appropriately however requires sensitivity: a joke that makes one person laugh many
offend another.
Knowledge
A well rounded body of knowledge about a wide array of topics is fundamental. Subject areas differ
for guides in every region and it is wise for guides’ to investigate its local
educational programs. in recent years
many more programs are available throughout the world on such relevant
subjects as the travel industry , cross – cultural understanding speaking
techniques and marketing.
Good communication skills:
The most knowledgeable and sensitive person
will not succeed as a guide without the ability to communicate well. Good
communication skills include articulation eye contact natural gestures and a
clear pleasant speaking voice. Moreover, the absence of any one of these
features can create difficulty for a guide. a nasal voice, a thick accent
annoying inflections, or a constant nervous gesture for example, can be distraction
as so eclipse the many other positive
traits a guide possesses.
Organization: time management and
organization skills are understand essential skills keeping to a schedule
despite delays meeting appointments. And moving visitors along without their feeling
pushed or herded is one of the balancing acts a guide must perform daily.
Behind the scenes of every tour is an abundance of paperwork:
instructions &bookkeeping tasks.
Apart from the demanding tasks of
interpretation and interactions maps appointment and confirmation letters
passenger information and bookkeeping
from the demanding tasks od
interpretation and interaction with passengers , guides are often charged with
writing and recording checks , confirming reservations. Coordinating routs
with drivers and updating their agencies about the tour s statue. As with so
many other professions, the best measure of guides’ success is to make these
entire tasks look effortless and even imperceptible. Coordinating all the
tasks requires consistent planning.
Careful time management and meticulous attention to detail
Decisiveness:
Ultimately
the guide must be knowledgeable and confident enough to make quick decisions— decisions
which are sometimes unpopular or costly. Occasionally a tour emergency may
require quick difficult decisions that involve spending a company’s money or
altering an difficult decisions that involve spending company s money or
altering an itinerary. Guides often find that it is more advantageous to make decisions
on behalf of a group than to use the democratic method as voting may alienate
those in the minority.
Good health. Many prospective guides
underestimate the rigors of guiding. Such elements as walking, long and
irregular hour’s different diets and eating schedules, and the stress of constantly
being in spot light demand considerable energy and resilience.
Personal
integrity as for all professionals, a strong sense of ethics is crucial to
success. Guides have a moral responsibility
to themselves, their employers, colleagues, travelers, and even to their
regions
Charisma. Charisma has been defined as
a personal magic of leadership arousing popular loyalty or enthusiasm- charisma
is synthesis of many of the traits listed above and evokes the respond Cherem describes,
as I want to be near that individual
While not all l guides have all of the traits
described here , some
level of the charisma is evident in the most successful
guides some of the traits
described here can be
taught , some evolve over
time , and others one
either has or
does not. Although the ideal guide would
embody all of these
traits having or achieving them an d leaning to apply them to the diverse
unpredictable experiences of guiding is extremely difficult . Indeed as
Cherem notes - the achievement of such
a level of interpret or sophistication
is a long – term process. Quite frankly the interpret or should be
prepared for a lifetime
of personal and professional developing- “a lifetime of becoming”
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