Winning performanceculture

'Service with a smile' has been the hospitality credo for generations. In truly successful organisations, this principle comes naturally and both staff and management live its essence without effort. This is made possible by an intrinsic harmony among the two most important elements in the organisation; management and staff.

Anyone can fake a smile, however. It is the task of management to create an environment; that fosters a genuine feeling of passion, dedication and a desire to serve one’s guests with loving enthusiasm. A winning performance culture that guests will seek out time and time again and recommend to others.

Empire Crown can help you create that culture and environment.

Management

We believe it is management’s task to act as a positive bridge between implementing the overall business strategy and stimulating staff to exude warmth, a feeling of personal attention and dedication.

Management creates the corporate strategy, of course. For this to be implemented successfully and willingly, with all its associated values and standards, it must be communicated openly, honestly and with respect. To make this possible, management must itself feel confident, exude positivity and act as an example at all times.

We are highly skilled at identifying personal and business blockages and offering clear-cut, readily implemented solutions. Once blockages are removed, the organisation manages to improve its ‘flow’, which in turn tricklesdown the staff ladder to improve the organisation’s overall performance. This sort of transformation towards; positivity, identifying and removing obstructions, leads to greater compassion and overall understanding for everyone involved. This in turn makes room for openness, respect and trust; the building blocks for your winning performance culture.

Staff

Your staff is the face towards your guests and therefore your ticket to success or failure. It is essential that they understand the values and standards you have defined in your corporate strategy and that you create an environment in which they can function optimally. Each and every person has unique qualities that can be used to improve your organisation.

Employee empowerment and capitalising on people’s unique qualities are key components in any talent management system. The resulting sense of wellbeing and self-confidence translates directly into employee and organisational performance.

So how do you bring out the best in your people? First and foremost, by treating them with the respect and trust they deserve, and by building people who build business. If people feel respected and appreciated, they are willing to give more of themselves. This can be achieved by management’s genuine interest across the organisation – from front desk to gardener, cleaning staff to clerks, maître d’hôtel to serving staff.

Secondly, management must lead by example. Positivity, a willingness to help, a listening ear and the ability to deliver and receive feedback, both positive and critical, are key aspects here. Moreover, if you as management demonstrate your ambitions and a professional attitude, this will be reflected in your staff’s performance.

Empire Crown helps management find ways to improve communication with their staff so that employees understand the organisational wishes and ambitions. This starts by addressing management’s own behaviour, which then cascades down the organisation. By demonstrating the effect of honesty and respect, we succeed in opening up new ways of interaction and introduce a feeling of positivity and personal responsibility to everyone, which improves performance and the bottom line.

With their new-found confidence, self-respect and feeling of responsibility, it is essential that staff pay close attention to detail. Training may help here, which we can provide or organise as needed. Often, however, we manage to induce the necessary change, with a small shift in attitude or focus on a minor detail to create stylish interaction between your staff and your guests. The final objective is to ensure a caring attitude towards guests and instilling a culture of elegant hospitality in each and every employee. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Focusing on details

We would like to add another essential credo for excellent hospitality: ‘success lies in the details’. This applies both to staff behaviour and attitude-  and to the actual physical environment (see product quality). Everyone wants to feel special, and often it is the smallest detail that changes someone’s perspective.

There are, of course, a number of fundamentals. Cleanliness and hygiene, the famous service smile and tidiness are essential at all stages. Yet taking it to the next level may be as simple as a basket of unexpected chocolates, a complementary special cold beer or champagne waiting in the room. Sunglasses for an unexpected sunny day on the terrace, or candlelight and music when you enter the room. These small personal touches can easily transform someone’s stay into an experience they won’t forget.

How we can help

The strength of Empire Crown lies in instilling harmony across the two fundamental areas of your organisation:

management and staff. Once we have spent time in your establishment and spoken to the key players in your organisation, we can identify areas that may benefit from improvement. This could relate to the communications structure, (staff) attitude of infrastructural issues. Based on this analysis we will draft a plan for improvement, which through (group) training or simple (personal) instruction will rapidly lead to a winning performance culture, greater staff responsibility and a (new-found) love of the profession for all.

Empire Crown. Dotting the I’s of hospitality