Imagine if every person acted like a lady or gentleman….. Etiquette Tip: Ladies and gentlemen are courteous when out in public. In today’s fast-paced world, courtesy seems less and less common. However, there are small ways that each of us can and should express courtesy each day. Whether you’re running errands or running for an airplane, a lady or gentleman still has time to say, "thank you," "please" or "excuse me." These simple niceties convey respect and recognition of others. Your waiter, your barista, your store check-out clerk are doing his or job—but that doesn’t mean you can’t express kindness and gratitude for their service. Courtesy is often neglected when there are crowds. An "every man for himself" attitude can prevail, and yet, the very fact that you are in a crowd shows that you are not operating alone. You are functioning within a group of people, and the nicer we are to each other, the better it is for all of us. At The Ritz-Carlton, the employees, referred to as Ladies and Gentlemen, make it their mission to meet "the expressed and unexpressed" needs of our guests as well as our colleagues. Our Ladies and Gentlemen are continually looking for ways to assist others—whether it’s providing lateral service for a colleague who needs to set up a banquet room or dressing up as the tooth fairy to surprise a young guest. When you make it your practice to be attentive to the needs of others, you naturally express courtesy—no matter where you are. ∞ The motto of The Ritz-Carlton is "We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen." This motto sets a tone of goodwill and grace for all. The Blog Post Etiquette & Engagement: Courteous appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

By 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator. (source) Advice from John Cashion, Corporate Director, Culture Transformation at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: There is something that everyone wants no matter where they are going, no matter what they are purchasing and no matter the location—an exceptional experience.  The caliber of customer experience is becoming increasingly more important than price or physical product.  You can replace a product, you can replace money, but you can never replace a great and lasting experience.  Our guests around the world have become accustomed to The Ritz-Carlton experience, and whether it be for business or pleasure, people and companies know that our employees—known as our Ladies and Gentlemen—will provide an exceptional experience. Our goal is for our guests’ experiences while at our hotels to stay with them through fond memories of their trip. ∞ Join us for a one-day symposium on November 12th. The day includes a Ritz-Carlton executive panel with Herve Humler, president & chief operations officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. The Blog Post Significant Stat: The Growing Value of an Exceptional Experience appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

  The best gifts are the ones that are a delight for the giver as well as for the receiver. At The Ritz-Carlton, our employees—known as our Ladies and Gentlemen—are encouraged to look for ways to surprise and delight customers every day. The guest story below illustrates the reciprocal nature of giving. A Musical Gift A family went on vacation to The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan, and upon arrival they asked if the hotel’s piano was available for practice. Their son, a talented pianist, needed to prepare for an upcoming recital. The hotel was pleased to give the young musician access to their baby grand piano. The young pianist practiced world-renowned classical selections that amazed all the Ladies and Gentlemen who heard him. The In-Room Dining Server asked the young musician’s mother if her son could take some time to play a few selections on a Sunday afternoon for the Ladies and Gentlemen who would be on break at that time. His mother was delighted because she knew her son preferred to play for an audience. She told the In-Room Dining Server that she wanted the impromptu concert to be a surprise for her son. Mutual Appreciation In gratitude for the small concert, the In-Room Dining Server went to the Pastry Chef and asked him to prepare a special dessert. The Pastry Chef created a confection with musical notes to be presented to the pianist at the end of the concert. In addition, the Group Reservations Coordinator planned to present the young musician with a book of "Danzas Puertorriqueñas" that included a selection of island classical pieces. On the day of the concert, the young musician was overjoyed by his audience and appreciated all the thoughtful gifts. He played nine selections for the group of Ladies and Gentlemen, and everyone was delighted by this special concert. A Final Note After returning home, the musician’s mother wrote the following message to the hotel: "[The In-Room Dining Server] arranged for our son to give a performance on Sunday to some staff who were on break after lunch, and it was really nice to be able to see so many friendly faces and have this wonderful opportunity for him to practice before the charity event comes. "We are back at home safely, but we really miss all the fun we had at The Ritz-Carlton! We will cherish this experience forever and can’t wait to come back again next year if not earlier. My son is eager to practice the Danzas so he can play soon. I will upload the pieces on YouTube and send you the link once he is ready to record it. Please say Hi to everyone for us and thank them one more time!" The Kindness Kickback Ralph Waldo Emerson noted, "It is one of the beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely help another without helping himself." When you make the effort to be thoughtful to others, your actions seem to naturally boomerang back to you. In business, one may be concerned about the cost and efficiency of going out of the way to enrich the customer experience, but in truth this leads to an engaged customer who is loyal to your brand. The Ritz-Carlton hosted and delighted a young pianist and his family, but tomorrow our hotel may host him when he plays professionally. Or we may have the pleasure of hosting him when he’s raising his own young pianist. Either way, the value of showing genuine care to your customers will always benefit your customer and fulfill your employees as well as support your bottom line. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation. The Blog Post Guest Story: Giving and Receiving appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Imagine if every person acted like a lady or gentleman….. Etiquette Tip: Ladies and gentlemen are concise when expressing themselves. There’s a famous quote that goes: "If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter." This quote hints at a general tendency to go on longer than needed. A lady or gentleman should communicate clearly and concisely. Whether you’re talking to customers, writing an email to a colleague or speaking to a friend over the phone—you should be respectful of the other person’s time. Your colleague probably doesn’t need to know every detail of your project and certainly doesn’t have the time to read an email that rivals the word count of a Harry Potter novel. Your customer may be a dog lover, but that doesn’t mean your customer wants to hear about every Halloween costume you’ve sewn for your golden retrievers. Your goal may be to connect with your customer, but your customer’s goal may be to drop off a package before the post office closes. At The Ritz-Carlton, our employees, known as our Ladies and Gentlemen, listen for verbal clues and look for non-verbal cues. When you economize your speech and edit your writing, you become a more effective and concise communicator. ∞ The motto of The Ritz-Carlton is "We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen." This motto sets a tone of goodwill and grace for all. The Blog Post Etiquette & Engagement: Concise appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Only 35% of managers in the United States are engaged in their jobs. (source) Advice from Jeff Hargett, Senior Director, Culture Transformation at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: If only 35% of your Managers are engaged in their job, what are the remaining 65% doing? 51% of those leaders are disengaged (lukewarm at best) and 14% are actively disengaged (giving your customers and employees the cold shoulder as they push them toward the exit). This study from Gallup as documented by Amy Adkins also shares how this affects companies financially. It is in the billions (that’s with a "B") each year. At The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, we are all about engagement, both customer and employee. It is imperative that leaders are engaged because part of their role is to engage their teams. When a manager has "checked out," it is much easier for an employee to follow suit. Oftentimes when we see leaders who are disengaged, we find there is confusion around their responsibilities, their purpose, the expectations of their leader and most importantly, a feeling that no one cares. Ms. Adkins shares some great insight as to how an organization can help a leader be more engaged: Clear and consistent communication around the progress of the company - what we’ve accomplished and where we are going; Focus on learning and growing - when we stop learning, we become stagnant and disengaged; and, Emphasize Strengths - going to work every day to do what you love and are passionate about allows a leader to find new ways to stay engaged. When customers become disengaged with a company, it is probably because they feel the company doesn’t care about them any longer. Interestingly, leaders have that same feeling, "If they don’t care, why should I?" ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation. The Blog Post Significant Stat: Leaders are Disengaged appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Did you know that bees are empowered workers? Dr. Michael O’Malley, author of The Wisdom of Bees, notes in his book that "The bees’ highly decentralized form of government allows the workers who are closest to the information to act upon it immediately and make the most informed decisions." When empowerment is done correctly—in nature as well as in business—it produces an organized, efficient colony of activity and results. The Ritz-Carlton empowers its employees—over 35,000 Ladies and Gentlemen—and this has resulted in a legacy of legendary service. The idea of empowerment may seem frightening at first, but here are seven clear advantages of employee empowerment: 1) Employees are more accountable When employees are empowered, they have to accept responsibility. They can no longer claim, "that’s not my job." They don’t have the luxury of shirking work because they’re autonomous. They have the resources and the authority to step up and take action. 2) Employees are more attentive Because employees are empowered, they cannot be asleep at their posts. They must be ready and reactive because they are able to make a difference. Empowered employees can even be proactive and recognize when there are small issues that need to be solved. This prevents small issues from turning into big problems. 3) Employees will feel more valued Empowering your employees shows that they are trusted. Employees who feel valued and trusted tend to be more engaged. Studies suggest that companies with engaged employees outperform those without by up to 202%. Engaged employees are more likely to use discretionary effort—to go above and beyond—to impact the customer experience. 4) Employees will be more invested in work Empowered employees recognize that their decisions are contributing to the organization’s success and consequently, they care more about their work. Additionally, they can express initiative and creativity without asking permission from a superior, and this allows them to feel a pride of ownership in their work. 5) Problems are resolved faster According to a survey commissioned by LivePerson, "82% of consumers say the number one factor that leads to a great customer service experience is having their issues resolved quickly." When employees are not empowered, customers must work their way up the chain of command in order to get their problems resolved. Often times they have to wait while someone in a position of higher authority is located, and sometimes your upset customers must repeat their sad story to several people. Waiting and repetition do not lead to happy customers. Empowered employees can resolve issues immediately—eliminating the need for repetition and waiting. 6) Customers experience better service As already noted, empowered employees tend to be more engaged, more proactive, more attentive to customers and more invested in their work. Is it any wonder that all of this leads to a better customer experience? When employees enjoy their work, they share that joy with their customers. 7) Organizations are more nimble Empowered employees are attuned to your organization’s culture and recognize their role as brand ambassadors. Therefore, they care about representing your organization correctly. When your organization needs to make a shift, your empowered employees can help ensure that the change actually happens. Dr. O’Malley explains it this way: "organizations that push decision-making out into the field are more agile and responsive to changing circumstances." Organizations that want to embrace employee empowerment may want to begin by creating written empowerment guidelines. It’s also important to offer employees ongoing training so that they’re prepared and capable of resolving any customer issues. Truly empowering employees is granting them freedom to build genuine customer relationships and to create memorable moments for your customers. ∞ Enroll in "Excellence in the Patient Experience" to benchmark the business practices of The Ritz-Carlton and discover how a service excellence culture results in engaged employees and legendary service. The Blog Post Seven Advantages of Employee Empowerment appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Imagine if every person acted like a lady or gentleman….. Etiquette Tip: Ladies and gentlemen are generous when working as part of a team. Teamwork is an essential part of today’s workplace, regardless of where you work and what you do. Effective teams can make better decisions, generate more creative products and improve efficiency compared to the work of a single person. That said, all of your team members should be committed to the team’s goals and ready to fulfill its needs. This means that each individual must view his or her team members as internal customers—they deserve an excellent experience just like the customer who will ultimately enjoy the products and services generated by your team. A lady or gentleman therefore is always ready to anticipate and fulfill the needs and wishes of his or her team in order to support his or her team members as well as the goals of the group. At The Ritz-Carlton, we articulate our commitment to teamwork in the following way, "I create a work environment of teamwork and lateral service so that the needs of our guests and each other are met." Not only does a Ritz-Carlton employee—known as a Lady or Gentleman—bring generosity to his or her own team, but he or she is equally committed to assisting other teams when it is needed. For example, a Gentleman who works in the restaurant may be able to leave his post for a few moments to assist in serving dinner at a banquet downstairs. Similarly, a hospital administrator typically seated at a desk may be able to assist in cleaning an area or engaging with patients in a waiting room. Showing generosity to your teammates demonstrates that you are engaged and entices your team members to do the same. With everyone personally invested in the team, your clients will experience a consistently excellent experience. ∞ The motto of The Ritz-Carlton is "We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen." This motto sets a tone of goodwill and grace for all. The Blog Post Etiquette & Engagement: Generous appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

93% of employees who feel valued by their employer are motivated to do their very best for their employer. (source) Advice from Joseph Quitoni, Corporate Director, Culture Transformation at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: At The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, there is a defined and deep-rooted culture of service excellence, referred to as our Gold Standards. One of the components of the Gold Standards is our 12 Service Values, which create engagement at both the employee and guest level. These were developed not only to underpin leadership’s commitment to driving a positive culture, but also to acknowledge a variety of important and unchangeable aspects of our company’s past and future success. An integral part of that success is our employees and allowing them to feel valued. One of our Service Value states, "I am in involved in the planning of the work that affects me." This Service Value comes from the Total Quality Management perspective of being involved in the work processes that directly affect us. It boosts employee motivation and prevents employees from becoming a "warm bodies" at work. It actively engages employees to volunteer ideas, approaches and solutions in those areas where a meaningful contribution can be made. When leadership involves employees, it shows that they respect the opinions and contributions of their employees. All of this contributes to a sense of value, pride and joy in the workplace. We all have a desire to learn, to grow and to contribute. We also like to know that others have noticed. When someone asks for your opinion, essentially they are confirming the respect they have for you—that your opinions count and that you are a valued asset of the organization. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation. The Blog Post Significant Stat: Employee Motivation appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

One of the biggest challenges managers face is communicating effectively with employees. Your employees most likely have different communication styles. One employee may be more assertive, another employee may be more emotional and another employee may be very quiet. Knowing how to interact and connect with each employee can take intuition, experience and practice, but there are some basic guidelines that typically work well for all employees. DO praise often and make it meaningful Your employees are working hard, and yes, they are being paid for their work. However, you should still take the time to recognize and praise your team for their efforts. According to research by Gallup, recognition and praise at work has many benefits including increased individual productivity, improved safety records, better employee retention and more motivated employees. Your employees will appreciate it even more if your compliments are specific and meaningful. "Good job" is not memorable feedback and is quickly forgotten. At The Ritz-Carlton, our employees—known as our Ladies and Gentlemen—write out "First Class" cards when they want to recognize colleagues and staff. DON’T criticize in public When an employee makes a mistake, you may want to correct the employee right away—even when colleagues and customers are in the room. Yet, when you criticize an employee in public, you potentially shame them. Being reprimanded in front of colleagues is embarrassing and awkward for all. In addition, when you admonish an employee in public, you damage team dynamics and erode trust. The employees who aren’t being reprimanded realize that they could be next, and consequently, your team will be less open and more guarded. DO make communication a conversation—not a monologue When you are speaking with employees, you shouldn’t just be talking at them. You want to give your employees a chance to communicate as well. You have to remember to be quiet and listen—and also to pay attention to their body language and tone. Bob Kharazmi, Global Officer, Worldwide Operations at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. shared the following in an interview: "When people come to me with issues, I try to really truly understand by using good listening skills. I don’t jump in and ask questions too early. Once they are finished talking, if I’m not totally clear, then I will ask questions. After I completely understand the issue, I ask them what they think the best solution is—and only after listening to their solution will I provide my advice." DON’T avoid difficult communications The authors of Crucial Conversations note: "We’ve become masters at avoiding tough conversations. Coworkers send e-mail to each other when they should walk down the hall and talk turkey. Bosses leave voicemail in lieu of meeting with their direct reports….We use all kinds of tactics to dodge touchy issues." When you send an e-mail or leave a voicemail, you’re not only hiding behind technology, you’re not giving your employees a chance to have a conversation with you—to respond, to react, to ask questions and clarify. You’re also creating suspicion by hiding. Employees may wonder, "What else am I not being told?" Important communications should take place face-to-face and sending a follow-up e-mail will help ensure that everyone heard the same message. DO communicate frequently You may sit down with employees for performance reviews once or twice a year, but that doesn’t mean you should store up all your feedback for those meetings. It’s important to communicate any challenges in a timely fashion. If you wait three months to tell an employee about a mistake, the employee may not remember the incident, or worse—he or she has spent the last three months repeating this error. You should also try to communicate news about your department or your organization before your employees hear it from other sources. Frequent, honest and transparent communication puts a stop to the rumor mill. DON’T put employees on the defensive You want to talk to employees about their mistakes, without making them feel condemned. The words you choose will either make employees feel safe or defensive. This is particularly true when you’re talking to an employee about a problem. It’s important to focus on problem resolution rather than assigning blame. The Ritz-Carlton has a process known as MR. BIV (Mistakes, Rework, Breakdowns, Inefficiencies and Variations). Through this process, The Ritz-Carlton impersonalizes problems and shifts the focus from blame to solutions. The Ripple Effect Managers tend to play a large role in an organization’s success. They help move projects forward and ensure their team is operating efficiently. Communicating thoughtfully with employees may feel like one more thing on a manager’s ever-growing task list. It may even feel like a luxury item—since things will get done even if you are not kind. However, when you express kindness, consideration and gratitude to your employees, they will learn from your example—and then they will extend kindness, consideration and gratitude to each other and to your customers. If the benefits of effective employee communication are greater employee engagement and improved customer experience, isn’t effective employee communication worth prioritizing? ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation. The Blog Post DOs and DON’Ts of Communicating with Employees appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Imagine if every person acted like a lady or gentleman….. Etiquette Tip: Ladies and gentlemen are encouraging when in a leadership role. When leaders are absorbed in their own ambition, they can forget that part of their jobs as leaders is to bring out the talent of others. An encouraging leader mentors employees and supports their growth and development. Leaders should recognize their employees’ strengths, help them improve their weaknesses and prepare them for the next steps in their careers. Some leaders may wonder what’s in it for them. Why should they spend their time helping others succeed? Bob Kharazmi, Global Officer, Worldwide Operations at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., answers this question when he notes: "When leaders look back on their careers, the biggest accomplishment they will see is how many lives they have impacted in a positive way. That is the best reward we can have." The Ritz-Carlton is dedicated to encouraging our employees—known as our Ladies and Gentlemen—to progress and grow. Our Employee Promise states "By applying the principles of trust, honesty, respect, integrity and commitment, we nurture and maximize talent to the benefit of each individual and the company." Encouraging leaders are true ladies and gentlemen when they support the career goals of others. ∞ The motto of The Ritz-Carlton is "We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen." This motto sets a tone of goodwill and grace for all. The Blog Post Etiquette & Engagement: Encouraging appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.