How an 'impersonal email' mistake transformed a company president's leadership
Ronan Harris who was the president of a company transformed his leadership approach after his father challenged him to replace impersonal thank-you emails with handwritten notes and face-to-face recognition.
That bit of advice came from his dad – not something he learnt from a business book or the company boardroom and it happened years ago when Ronan Harris was in-charge of a rapidly growing team at Google and was keen to show his appreciation to top performers.
“Every performance cycle I’d look for the top 5, 10% of people, and I’d send them a little email and go, thanks for all the hard work,” he recalled, going on to say “My intention was well-intended, but looking back, I guess it was off the mark.” Asked why? He explained that when he told his father about his approach, the elder Harris didn’t mince words. “You’re a f—ing idiot,” his dad said. “Go and talk to them and tell them in-person rather than sitting at your desk”.
That blunt outburst from his father resulted in Harris to no longer let his keyboard do the talking. Instead, he began writing handwritten ‘thank you’ notes, delivering them in person, and spending a few minutes sitting with each employee to enlighten them about exactly what they had done that made a difference.
He would usually tell them face-to-face, beginning with a simple, “Thank you so much for your hard work. I’m aware that you did this, this and this and you went above and beyond your call of duty.” Since then, he has followed this practice throughout the rest of the career, from nearly 18 years at Google to his current role. Shifting that approach to the simple act of personal gratitude left a lasting impression on employees - many of whom still remember it many years later.
One of the most overlooked elements in the hospitality industry is satisfying your employees. The happier employees are, the better they can serve their guests. Not giving recognition and incentives to employees is another driving factor behind the resignation of employees. A recent survey from Gallup suggests that 75% of the reasons for employee turnover are highly influenced by the hotel manager.
In the hospitality industry, where warm service and memorable experiences matter most, motivated staffs are the key to delighting guests. As Richard Branson rightly said, Employees come first; clients do not come first. All you have to do is appreciate your staff because if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your clients and vice versa.
But how do you build a happy, well-appreciated hotel team when there are so many expectations to meet? The answer lies in thoughtful every-day employee appreciation efforts, have frequent, casual chats with staff. Ask a team member how their day is going or what they’ve been up to. Speaking to your employees casually can help you appear more accessible and help them feel more valued as individuals. Developing hotel staff appreciation ideas is a strategic way to combat staffing issues including attracting and retailing hotel staff for longer periods. Big-picture appreciation such as monthly award-recognizing events / employee of the month felicitations, is essential, but the little things matter too, so turn staff appreciation into a regular occurrence by making recognition part of your everyday life.
Integrate the above tips into your daily walkabouts which are your opportunities to get to feel for what is going on with your guests and your hotel. It is also a chance to genuinely connect with your employees, motive them, and redirect them if and when they need it.
Shafeek Wahab - Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Motivational Speaker, Mystery Guest Auditor, Ex-Hotelier
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