My new organizational chart is a bit revolutionary inasmuch as it does away with the General Manager. No, not the individual, just the title. The individuals will continue to be needed, more than ever, yet I propose to call them something else.

In my New Hotel Organizational Chart, the power is equally shared by two Executive Directors: one is the Executive Director of Revenue and Profit, the other is the Executive Director of Product and People.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Revenue and Profit are the following departments: Finance/Accounting, Revenue/Sales, Marketing/PR, Security, Technology. It is a small population of highly specialized technicians responsible for generating revenue and controlling costs.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Product and People are the following departments: Food and Beverage, Rooms (including Front Office, Housekeeping, Guest Services), Human Resources, Engineering, Spa (in some properties it can be part of Rooms Operations). Product and People is a labor intensive group of less specialized employees responsible for delivering the product.

I know what some are going to tell me: a two-headed structure cannot work. There can be only one captain on board. I disagree and would love to get your feedback.

I was at the New York Hotel Show last week and, as usual, picked up a number of business cards. Usually, when I get back to the office, we update our database with contact names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and the like. Lo and behold if one of the cards I picked up this year no longer features a phone number. The card belongs to an international executive with one of the leading hotel groups (in fact, I will tell you, it is Accor Sofitel) and he claims that, since he travels the world four weeks a month, having a phone number on his card would not do him all that much good. E-mails reach him on his Blackberry wherever he might be, and he can call back if needed. What is next? A card with no company name, in case you get to keep the same e-mail address when you change employers? That would definitely help me keep track of industry people.