Horseshoe Bay Resort

Mike McKeown

Michael McKeown’s career has been all about helping people and organizations grow together. With over 30 years in HR and organizational development, he’s worked with companies like Texas Instruments, Johnson & Johnson and Durham School Services and even ran his own consulting practice. Along the way, he’s led training programs, built high-performing teams and supported thousands of employees across industries. Today, as Director of HR at Horseshoe Bay Resort, , McKeown brings all that experience to creating a workplace where people feel valued, supported and inspired to succeed.+

Through this article, McKeown shares how his passion for people has shaped his 30-year journey in HR. He opens up about the real challenges of managing different generations at work with empathy.

For him, strong communication and investing in people’s growth are what hold a team together.

At the heart of it all, Mike believes in leading with purpose, integrity and a human touch.

My Journey: Roadmap to my passion in organizational development

I have over 30 years of experience working in HR, which includes roles at Texas Instruments, Johnson & Johnson and National Express. I have been at Horseshoe Bay Resort for 20 years. All of the typical HR functions are my responsibility, but my passion is organizational development. Some of the “extra” things I get to do include employee housing and transportation to and from our housing facilities.

Challenges in Leadership: Bridging the Generational Gap at Work

We are having to work harder to get the generations to work well together. Baby Boomer and Gen X managers have trouble relating to the values of Gen Z employees. We are having our managers take a softer approach while training our new employees on the importance of performance feedback (it’s not picking on them) and working out problems and conflicts in person. We have to work extra hard to make this the environment where they feel they not only make a good living, but are on track to be promoted, quite often sooner than we think they’re ready. The trouble is there are other employers who are willing to hire them without the requisite experience. The main thing is to ensure everyone feels they are getting adequate attention on their development and advancement.

“HR has to work extra hard to make an environment where employees feel they not only make a good living, but are on track to be promoted, quite often sooner than we think they’re ready.”

From Chaos to Cohesion: The Power of Communication and Collaboration

Clear, continuous communication. It is always our biggest challenge. We are moving at high speeds these days, with a barrage of constant changes. We do our best when we spend our time ensuring as many employees as possible have easy access to up-to-date, useful information that impacts their areas. As much as we hate being in meetings, we have numerous standing meetings each week that ensure that all the departments at this complex resort property are on the same page to provide a fantastic and seamless guest experience. Competition for labor is fierce and we are in a remote rural location looking for high-end service professionals. We have had to tighten and speed up our recruitment and onboarding processes, so candidates don’t slip away while we work through them. Lastly, we have invested a great amount in training and development. We recognize that not only do our employees’ skills and performance improve, our investment in their development keeps them engaged and sticking around.

Tailored Talent Approach: HR Programs Built for Our People and Purpose

We take a holistic and strategic approach to ensure they align with the organization’s goals, support our employees’ wellbeing and ensure legal compliance. There are several areas where we can add value. For example, in strategic alignment we align our talent acquisition, development and retention strategies with the workplace needs of the future. In talent management we create structured, inclusive and efficient hiring and onboarding processes, ensure we have a fair and transparent performance evaluation systems and offer continuous learning opportunities and career development paths. Our Manager in Training program, uniquely designed for the needs of our resort and the people who work here, was born out of this approach.

Key Advice: Start with People, Stay with Purpose

You must start with a people-first mindset. Do the work of learning the HR profession, then make it your business to understand the business you support. You should plan on being a lifelong learner. Learn how to think strategically so you can be a business partner, not just a policy enforcer and party planner. Be comfortable with data. You must be able to speak the language of your customers. You also need to be able to develop and track key HR metrics so you can best recommend actions that further the interests of the business. Network constantly with peers, mentors and other teams. Finally, ensure you maintain the highest integrity. You must be the model of fairness, accountability, responsiveness and respect.