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Monday, February 22, 2010
Discover the Power Within Yourself
"An old Hindu legend says there was a time when men were gods. But they abused their divine powers so much that Brahma, the master of all gods, decided to take these powers away and hide them in a place where they would be impossible to find. All that remained was to find a suitable hiding place.
A number of lesser gods were appointed to a council to deal with the issue. They suggested this: “Why not bury man's powers in the earth?” To which Brahma replied, “ No, that will not do because man would dig deep and find it.”
So the gods said, “In that case, we will send their divinity to the deepest depths of the ocean.“
But Brahma replied again, “Sooner or later man will explore the depths of the ocean and it is certain he will find it and bring it to the surface.“
So the lesser gods concluded, “Neither land nor sea is a place where man's divine powers will be safe, so we do not know where to hide it.“
At that moment Brahma exclaimed, “This is what we will do with man's divinity! We will hide it deep within him because that is the only place he will not think to look.“
From then on, according to the legend, man searched the world over; he explored, climbed, dove, and dug in search of something that was inside himself the whole time.
A number of lesser gods were appointed to a council to deal with the issue. They suggested this: “Why not bury man's powers in the earth?” To which Brahma replied, “ No, that will not do because man would dig deep and find it.”
So the gods said, “In that case, we will send their divinity to the deepest depths of the ocean.“
But Brahma replied again, “Sooner or later man will explore the depths of the ocean and it is certain he will find it and bring it to the surface.“
So the lesser gods concluded, “Neither land nor sea is a place where man's divine powers will be safe, so we do not know where to hide it.“
At that moment Brahma exclaimed, “This is what we will do with man's divinity! We will hide it deep within him because that is the only place he will not think to look.“
From then on, according to the legend, man searched the world over; he explored, climbed, dove, and dug in search of something that was inside himself the whole time.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
5 STAR Leadership
What does it take to be a 5-star leader?
Five-star leaders share many of the same qualities. One such quality is to believe that their team CAN be great. If they are not great, they ask themselves if the employees are incapable of being great; or if the leaders' low expectations are inhibiting the employees' potential to be great. Yes, low expectations promote average and low performance, while high expectations promote high performance. I've heard many managers of low-performing teams blame their staff for the teams' low performance. "Oh, we can't find good people", "we don't pay high wages, etc." All of those excuses are surmountable. I've seen businesses in the same city or even on the same street, providing the same product, hire from the same labor pool, and yet have vastly different service experiences. Most times, the only difference is the caliber of leadership in the building. I've even witnessed a 5-star hotel go from exceptionally high service ratings to mediocre ratings. The staff was the same, the labor pool was the same, the tools were the same...the only difference was the change in senior leadership. The hotel initially had a general manager who believed in the infinite potential of the teams' service ability and subsequently treated the team like world-class professionals. The subsequent general managers didn't believe in the team, and the hotel has not been the same ever since.
There are many employees who want to work for a leader who has high expectations and believes in them. I recently had the opportunity to stay at the Marquis Los Cabos resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. The entire experience was among the best I've ever received. During my 3-day stay, I never walked by any employee without them extending a warm greeting. Everyone was always eager to serve. One day I asked the hotel's general manager to tell me one thing that keeps the service levels so incredibly high at the resort. Without hesitation she emphatically said, "keep the employees very happy". That's it. As business leaders, you may have repeatedly heard the mantra before: happy employees lead to happy customers. But there was something different about what she said and how she said it. I got the impression that "keep the employees very happy" was not just a public relations or HR jargon. The emphasis in her voice and the intensity in her eyes made very clear that employee engagement is a top priority at her hotel. The Marquis Los Cabos general manager is convinced that there is a direct link between high employee engagement and exceptional service delivery. Engaged employees lead to engaged guests.
One of the great things about benchmarking is that there are many examples of how highly successful leaders are able to keep employee engagement high. Five-star leaders who are able to build and maintain a world-class service culture do so by keeping their team engaged.
These leaders do the following:
• They always maintain high expectations of the service they expect to see (no exceptions!).
• They always believe that each person on their team knows that they are a critical part of delivering the service experience.
• They never allow a team member to give less than 100% effort. 5-star leaders know that one under-performing team member can jeopardize the entire team's momentum.
• They talk about "excellence" everyday.
o Newsletters are commonly used to share "standard of the day", company mission statement, story of service excellence, and business results like occupancy %. Five-star leaders know that engaged employees are well-informed employees
• They reward excellent performance on a regular basis (usually daily).
• They are always an integral part of the on-boarding process (hiring, interviewing, orientation). The general manager from the Marquis Los Cabos personally meets and/or interviews every employee from the dishwashers to the front office manager. Many of the world's finest properties don't allow new employee orientation to occur without the general manager present to meet and greet the new recruits.
• They ensure that the purpose of the role is communicated during the interview and on-boarding process (ex: your job is not too open doors, it is to welcome guests and make each one feel individually cared for).
• They continuously invest in employee development (this does not have to be a training class, it can be a book club, one-on-one meetings, mentoring, or cross-training in another department.) Note: Five-star leaders know that employee development is not dependent on short-term financial woes.
• Mandate that everyone on the team serve each other with the same sense of urgency, excellence, and attention to hold as they would for an external customer.
• Make sure that everyone is fully aware of their benefits (Distributing the benefits brochure during new employee orientation is not enough. Use lunch & learn sessions, along with other ad-hoc opportunities.
• Work along side team members when needed. One of my fondest memories of a 5-star general manager took place early in my career. My restaurant co-workers and I were behind schedule in getting a room set for a large banquet function. Out of nowhere, the general manager arrived with every manager in the hotel to help us get the room set.
I heard once that if you must say that you are a gentleman, then you really are not one. Your actions should speak for themselves. The same is true of a 5-star caliber leader. Be a walking, talking embodiment of service excellence. Inspire your team with actions and words. 5-star leaders know that the delivery of exceptional customer service is only about 20% of the formula. The other 80% (employee engagement processes) are what truly builds a sustainable culture of service excellence.
Know that your team can be great, and never stop believing in everyone's potential. That is the true mindset of a 5-star leader.
Five-star leaders share many of the same qualities. One such quality is to believe that their team CAN be great. If they are not great, they ask themselves if the employees are incapable of being great; or if the leaders' low expectations are inhibiting the employees' potential to be great. Yes, low expectations promote average and low performance, while high expectations promote high performance. I've heard many managers of low-performing teams blame their staff for the teams' low performance. "Oh, we can't find good people", "we don't pay high wages, etc." All of those excuses are surmountable. I've seen businesses in the same city or even on the same street, providing the same product, hire from the same labor pool, and yet have vastly different service experiences. Most times, the only difference is the caliber of leadership in the building. I've even witnessed a 5-star hotel go from exceptionally high service ratings to mediocre ratings. The staff was the same, the labor pool was the same, the tools were the same...the only difference was the change in senior leadership. The hotel initially had a general manager who believed in the infinite potential of the teams' service ability and subsequently treated the team like world-class professionals. The subsequent general managers didn't believe in the team, and the hotel has not been the same ever since.
There are many employees who want to work for a leader who has high expectations and believes in them. I recently had the opportunity to stay at the Marquis Los Cabos resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. The entire experience was among the best I've ever received. During my 3-day stay, I never walked by any employee without them extending a warm greeting. Everyone was always eager to serve. One day I asked the hotel's general manager to tell me one thing that keeps the service levels so incredibly high at the resort. Without hesitation she emphatically said, "keep the employees very happy". That's it. As business leaders, you may have repeatedly heard the mantra before: happy employees lead to happy customers. But there was something different about what she said and how she said it. I got the impression that "keep the employees very happy" was not just a public relations or HR jargon. The emphasis in her voice and the intensity in her eyes made very clear that employee engagement is a top priority at her hotel. The Marquis Los Cabos general manager is convinced that there is a direct link between high employee engagement and exceptional service delivery. Engaged employees lead to engaged guests.
One of the great things about benchmarking is that there are many examples of how highly successful leaders are able to keep employee engagement high. Five-star leaders who are able to build and maintain a world-class service culture do so by keeping their team engaged.
These leaders do the following:
• They always maintain high expectations of the service they expect to see (no exceptions!).
• They always believe that each person on their team knows that they are a critical part of delivering the service experience.
• They never allow a team member to give less than 100% effort. 5-star leaders know that one under-performing team member can jeopardize the entire team's momentum.
• They talk about "excellence" everyday.
o Newsletters are commonly used to share "standard of the day", company mission statement, story of service excellence, and business results like occupancy %. Five-star leaders know that engaged employees are well-informed employees
• They reward excellent performance on a regular basis (usually daily).
• They are always an integral part of the on-boarding process (hiring, interviewing, orientation). The general manager from the Marquis Los Cabos personally meets and/or interviews every employee from the dishwashers to the front office manager. Many of the world's finest properties don't allow new employee orientation to occur without the general manager present to meet and greet the new recruits.
• They ensure that the purpose of the role is communicated during the interview and on-boarding process (ex: your job is not too open doors, it is to welcome guests and make each one feel individually cared for).
• They continuously invest in employee development (this does not have to be a training class, it can be a book club, one-on-one meetings, mentoring, or cross-training in another department.) Note: Five-star leaders know that employee development is not dependent on short-term financial woes.
• Mandate that everyone on the team serve each other with the same sense of urgency, excellence, and attention to hold as they would for an external customer.
• Make sure that everyone is fully aware of their benefits (Distributing the benefits brochure during new employee orientation is not enough. Use lunch & learn sessions, along with other ad-hoc opportunities.
• Work along side team members when needed. One of my fondest memories of a 5-star general manager took place early in my career. My restaurant co-workers and I were behind schedule in getting a room set for a large banquet function. Out of nowhere, the general manager arrived with every manager in the hotel to help us get the room set.
I heard once that if you must say that you are a gentleman, then you really are not one. Your actions should speak for themselves. The same is true of a 5-star caliber leader. Be a walking, talking embodiment of service excellence. Inspire your team with actions and words. 5-star leaders know that the delivery of exceptional customer service is only about 20% of the formula. The other 80% (employee engagement processes) are what truly builds a sustainable culture of service excellence.
Know that your team can be great, and never stop believing in everyone's potential. That is the true mindset of a 5-star leader.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Share Your Commitment and Attitude With Others!
You may not realize it, but you DO have an influence on people you work with. What you do (or don’t do) becomes part of the environment your team operates within and everyone is affected by it. And when it comes to influencing others you have a choice — you can be a positive influence OR a not-so-positive one. The smart thing to do is make the positive choice — and share your best practices for building commitment and positive attitudes in ways that help others build theirs as well.
Why should you? Because, first and foremost, it’s the right thing to do! We all share in the responsibility to contribute to a positive and productive environment. That’s a big key to organizational success — and therefore to your success. But you also collect other dividends. It’s a much better experience for you to work at a place where people live up to their promises and work together enthusiastically. Plus, you’ll find that helping other people is a good way to maintain your commitment and positive attitude — making you feel better while doing your job. So, start sharing now!
• “Got Attitude?” Display your positive attitude right on your face! Smile…look alert…hold yourself erect…walk confidently into your work and share your good attitude with your team members.
• Encourage others by passing along examples of specific actions team members have taken to meet commitments while demonstrating positive attitudes. This kind of good news helps all team members know what to do that is RIGHT.
• Celebrate small successes — yours and others. Add them up and they become the BIG success. When your team completes a step toward meeting a commitment, make a public announcement about it.
Why should you? Because, first and foremost, it’s the right thing to do! We all share in the responsibility to contribute to a positive and productive environment. That’s a big key to organizational success — and therefore to your success. But you also collect other dividends. It’s a much better experience for you to work at a place where people live up to their promises and work together enthusiastically. Plus, you’ll find that helping other people is a good way to maintain your commitment and positive attitude — making you feel better while doing your job. So, start sharing now!
• “Got Attitude?” Display your positive attitude right on your face! Smile…look alert…hold yourself erect…walk confidently into your work and share your good attitude with your team members.
• Encourage others by passing along examples of specific actions team members have taken to meet commitments while demonstrating positive attitudes. This kind of good news helps all team members know what to do that is RIGHT.
• Celebrate small successes — yours and others. Add them up and they become the BIG success. When your team completes a step toward meeting a commitment, make a public announcement about it.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Belive in the POWER
The Power of Belief Quote:
“Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” - Gail Devers
Success or failure often depends on belief. When you truly believe in something, it becomes truth. If you truly believe that you are a success, you ARE. If you believe that you are a failure, you are RIGHT too. A man is but a product of his thought, what he thinks he becomes said Mahatma Gandhi.
Whatever you can dream, you can achieve, if you truly want and strongly believe that you can achieve it. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You tend to get what you expect.
You can only act upon what you can think of. You can't act upon something that is out of your imagination. So, you can only achieve what you really believe you can achieve. When you truly believe that you can achieve what you want to achieve, you will sooner or later acquire or achieve them. That how powerful belief is.
Like the old saying - when there is a will, there is a way. When you really need something badly and are CRAVING for it, your subconscious mind will trigger you or force you subconsciously to find ways and means to get whatever your are craving for. Your feeling of incompleteness almost automatically force you to adjust your thinking process which moves you up to work for something that you strongly believe will satisfy your desires and needs.
The greater the thoughts and the stronger the beliefs that you can succeed, actually, empowers and motivates you. Hence, the stronger the beliefs that you can succeed, the more successful you will be in life.
“Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” - Gail Devers
Success or failure often depends on belief. When you truly believe in something, it becomes truth. If you truly believe that you are a success, you ARE. If you believe that you are a failure, you are RIGHT too. A man is but a product of his thought, what he thinks he becomes said Mahatma Gandhi.
Whatever you can dream, you can achieve, if you truly want and strongly believe that you can achieve it. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You tend to get what you expect.
You can only act upon what you can think of. You can't act upon something that is out of your imagination. So, you can only achieve what you really believe you can achieve. When you truly believe that you can achieve what you want to achieve, you will sooner or later acquire or achieve them. That how powerful belief is.
Like the old saying - when there is a will, there is a way. When you really need something badly and are CRAVING for it, your subconscious mind will trigger you or force you subconsciously to find ways and means to get whatever your are craving for. Your feeling of incompleteness almost automatically force you to adjust your thinking process which moves you up to work for something that you strongly believe will satisfy your desires and needs.
The greater the thoughts and the stronger the beliefs that you can succeed, actually, empowers and motivates you. Hence, the stronger the beliefs that you can succeed, the more successful you will be in life.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Because I CAN !
A reflection from my friend , a fifty year old female
About 6 months ago, I joined a gym. Every morning, there is one personal trainer there that works out at the same time that my little group does our workout. He does his "routine" with such a quiet determination that he makes it all look very easy; although I know all too well how hard he is working. When I am tempted to whine and quit, I watch him push himself to his own limits, and I find myself motivated to work as hard and without complaint.
A couple of weeks ago, I was watching him do chin ups. He made them look effortless. I broke away from my group and asked him if I could try a chin up. I had never tried before, but he just made it look so easy. He eagerly stepped aside and encouraged me to step up to the bar. I pulled myself up without thinking...once...then twice. That was all I had in me, I had no strength left. I told him that was all I had, so he stepped up behind me and pushed me up for a third and fourth "pull." It felt so good. I felt strong and I smiled from ear to ear.
The next day when I was done my workout, I asked him to spot me again. Again, I did two. Again on day three and so on. I thought it was pathetic that I could only do two, but when I came to the gym at the end of the week, he was standing there just shaking his head. When I asked him what was up, he said he was impressed with my chin ups. He told me that when they are training firefighters, the men are required to do 5 chin ups, and women are required to do 1 or 2. He explained that most people can't do them at all, and that he was impressed that I could. He further told me that if I practiced every day, I would be doing 5 or 6 in no time. At this point I should probably add that I am 50 years old...and female.
The moral of this story...because I didn't know any better, because he told me I could, I saw no reason to doubt. I just jumped in and gave it a try - and I did it! I didn't see it as a great accomplishment, because I didn't realize that it was difficult and it became my goal to get stronger. No one told me I couldn't do it, in fact, I was encouraged to try. Had he told me initially how difficult it was, I more than likely would not have tried at all. Or I might have tried, but given it only half an effort, because failure would have been the expectation. I applaud him for letting me believe that for me, it was not only a possibility, but that success was a realistic expectation.
How many times have we decided not to try at all because we were told that we couldn't, that we shouldn't, that we had expectations that were too ambitious? How many times have we told our children, our friends and our co-workers that they couldn't do something; that their ideas were impossible or beyond reach? How many times have we told ourselves that we would fail before we even started?
I started to ponder examples that I had witnessed and this came to mind...I recalled a conversation a friend of mine had with his daughter just prior to her heading off to university. He spoke to her (with good intentions) of how hard she would have to work in order to succeed. University wasn't like High School - this was the real world and now she would have to grow up. This child quit after two years. Another friend spoke to her daughter of the adventure she was embarking on and how proud she was. I remember how we laughed because the mother already had her outfit picked out for convocation day! This child just graduated with her degree in physiology. Looking back, neither daughter was more intelligent than the other. Was it the silent expectations (or lack thereof) that predicted the outcome?
I have a new approach now. I have experienced first hand how good it feels to rush in so innocently. To believe that we CAN do it and go on to accomplish exactly what we set out to do, because no one told us we couldn't. I've learned how important it is to support others (and ourselves) in our endeavors and to let them know that we believe they can do it rather than telling them we think that they can't.
I personally want to be like my trainer; standing there behind the people that I love, encouraging them, believing in them and being ready to catch them when they get tired. I will be the one that is there on the second and third day making sure they try again, because I know they CAN
What a powerful lesson this has been for me. I'll be doing "5" in no time at all. Because I was told I CAN.
About 6 months ago, I joined a gym. Every morning, there is one personal trainer there that works out at the same time that my little group does our workout. He does his "routine" with such a quiet determination that he makes it all look very easy; although I know all too well how hard he is working. When I am tempted to whine and quit, I watch him push himself to his own limits, and I find myself motivated to work as hard and without complaint.
A couple of weeks ago, I was watching him do chin ups. He made them look effortless. I broke away from my group and asked him if I could try a chin up. I had never tried before, but he just made it look so easy. He eagerly stepped aside and encouraged me to step up to the bar. I pulled myself up without thinking...once...then twice. That was all I had in me, I had no strength left. I told him that was all I had, so he stepped up behind me and pushed me up for a third and fourth "pull." It felt so good. I felt strong and I smiled from ear to ear.
The next day when I was done my workout, I asked him to spot me again. Again, I did two. Again on day three and so on. I thought it was pathetic that I could only do two, but when I came to the gym at the end of the week, he was standing there just shaking his head. When I asked him what was up, he said he was impressed with my chin ups. He told me that when they are training firefighters, the men are required to do 5 chin ups, and women are required to do 1 or 2. He explained that most people can't do them at all, and that he was impressed that I could. He further told me that if I practiced every day, I would be doing 5 or 6 in no time. At this point I should probably add that I am 50 years old...and female.
The moral of this story...because I didn't know any better, because he told me I could, I saw no reason to doubt. I just jumped in and gave it a try - and I did it! I didn't see it as a great accomplishment, because I didn't realize that it was difficult and it became my goal to get stronger. No one told me I couldn't do it, in fact, I was encouraged to try. Had he told me initially how difficult it was, I more than likely would not have tried at all. Or I might have tried, but given it only half an effort, because failure would have been the expectation. I applaud him for letting me believe that for me, it was not only a possibility, but that success was a realistic expectation.
How many times have we decided not to try at all because we were told that we couldn't, that we shouldn't, that we had expectations that were too ambitious? How many times have we told our children, our friends and our co-workers that they couldn't do something; that their ideas were impossible or beyond reach? How many times have we told ourselves that we would fail before we even started?
I started to ponder examples that I had witnessed and this came to mind...I recalled a conversation a friend of mine had with his daughter just prior to her heading off to university. He spoke to her (with good intentions) of how hard she would have to work in order to succeed. University wasn't like High School - this was the real world and now she would have to grow up. This child quit after two years. Another friend spoke to her daughter of the adventure she was embarking on and how proud she was. I remember how we laughed because the mother already had her outfit picked out for convocation day! This child just graduated with her degree in physiology. Looking back, neither daughter was more intelligent than the other. Was it the silent expectations (or lack thereof) that predicted the outcome?
I have a new approach now. I have experienced first hand how good it feels to rush in so innocently. To believe that we CAN do it and go on to accomplish exactly what we set out to do, because no one told us we couldn't. I've learned how important it is to support others (and ourselves) in our endeavors and to let them know that we believe they can do it rather than telling them we think that they can't.
I personally want to be like my trainer; standing there behind the people that I love, encouraging them, believing in them and being ready to catch them when they get tired. I will be the one that is there on the second and third day making sure they try again, because I know they CAN
What a powerful lesson this has been for me. I'll be doing "5" in no time at all. Because I was told I CAN.
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Ant and the Elephant
Excerpted from The Ant and the Elephant
Before anyone can reach his full potential as a leader, he must first be a leader to himself. He must capitalize on innate talents and strengths, challenge the habits that hinder his growth and manage the fears and negative emotions that frequently keep him from realizing his goals.
As you know, our minds function in two distinct spaces—conscious and subconscious thought. Our “ant” is the intentional part of the brain—houses our critical, analytical thoughts. Our “elephant,” however, is the instinctual, impulsive part of the brain—it houses emotions and memories and even guides the body to perform its vital functions. While we tend to know our conscious minds—or ants—rather well, we often overlook the power of our elephantine subconscious minds. Unfortunately, when we do, we squander a wellspring of human potential.
Imagine a tiny ant on the back of a massive African elephant. No matter how diligently that ant marches east, if the elephant he sits upon travels in the opposite direction, the ant will end up even farther west than his starting point. Similarly, we will find ourselves receding from our goals if our conscious and subconscious minds are not aligned. What elephant-like aspects of our personalities hold us back from meeting challenges? How do our emotions get in the way of our ability to act and communicate effectively? What does it truly mean to commit to realize a dream?
A good leader may recognize that he indulges elephant-like habits that keep him shy of his goal—but a great leader does something about it. He confronts the behaviors and routines that keep his subconscious stuck. He works to refashion deep-seated beliefs, attitudes and truths so that they support his conscious efforts. The great leader conquers his hidden fears, antes up and makes an emotional investment in his vision to show others the way to success.
Before anyone can reach his full potential as a leader, he must first be a leader to himself. He must capitalize on innate talents and strengths, challenge the habits that hinder his growth and manage the fears and negative emotions that frequently keep him from realizing his goals.
As you know, our minds function in two distinct spaces—conscious and subconscious thought. Our “ant” is the intentional part of the brain—houses our critical, analytical thoughts. Our “elephant,” however, is the instinctual, impulsive part of the brain—it houses emotions and memories and even guides the body to perform its vital functions. While we tend to know our conscious minds—or ants—rather well, we often overlook the power of our elephantine subconscious minds. Unfortunately, when we do, we squander a wellspring of human potential.
Imagine a tiny ant on the back of a massive African elephant. No matter how diligently that ant marches east, if the elephant he sits upon travels in the opposite direction, the ant will end up even farther west than his starting point. Similarly, we will find ourselves receding from our goals if our conscious and subconscious minds are not aligned. What elephant-like aspects of our personalities hold us back from meeting challenges? How do our emotions get in the way of our ability to act and communicate effectively? What does it truly mean to commit to realize a dream?
A good leader may recognize that he indulges elephant-like habits that keep him shy of his goal—but a great leader does something about it. He confronts the behaviors and routines that keep his subconscious stuck. He works to refashion deep-seated beliefs, attitudes and truths so that they support his conscious efforts. The great leader conquers his hidden fears, antes up and makes an emotional investment in his vision to show others the way to success.
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