Great Seasons Turned Ugly

"I hate this place."

That single statement represents the regular shift in team morale. It's sad, actually, in that we're having a great season, a ton of snow, great crowds, and business is booming with not just first time lessons. So why the negativity?

We could start with the loss of instructing staff that has happened. Myself due to injury, a senior instructor left due to their business finally taking off, one left due to outside commitments to college, another lost due to injury (although they have already returned to the line), one fired, and one mysteriously quit. Only a handful of people but in a small group each loss has been felt. I personally don't feel this is the reason for the negativity, but it certainly contributes to it.

Could it be the back to back class schedule starting from 8 am until the schedulers deem you worthy of a lunch break and then continued afterwards? Possibly. As it stands right now, most of the instructors start at 8 or 9 am with one hour private lessons that will run 4 or 5 in a row. They'll be given a 1/2 hour lunch break and sent back out for more of the same until the school closes. If you're lucky you'll get group lessons which give you an hour and half to work with people and a theoretical half hour to rest. It's theoretical in that you really never get the time to yourself, rather you spend the time talking to the students/parents wrapping up the class.

In my opinion it's the lack of respect returned from management and this season seems to have an abundance of it. When I wasn't put into the ambulance after my accident, I had to find a way down the mountain. I was in no condition to drive my own car, and had to rely upon the availability of another staffer to help me. Managements immediate reaction could be summed up to "that sucks". Several coworkers approached their managers about helping me, each turned down under threat of firing. Mine isn't an isolate case either, with several other injured staffers reporting back the same behavior when they have been in need of help. But let's not dwell on those points alone.

We're asked to be professional daily while working franticly to maintain a resort-like experience. Most of us actually enjoy it, as odd as that sounds. But after putting in so many hours, a little recognition from management would go a long way. Last season two of us parked a grill outside the ski school and began cooking meats and veggies for the entire school staff. Twice. Out of our own pockets. This season I used a friend working at a local pizzeria to deliver enough pizzas for the staff. In both these case the change in morale for the day immediate and amazing.

I'm not saying management has to do these things on a regular basis, but an occasional "yeah we know you worked hard today, thank you" would make a world of difference. It's returning the professionalism that you ask of us daily.