As a management educator, I impressed upon my graduate students that "There are relatively few new ideas in business, in any at all. How often can one repeat the basic advice of “Listen to your customers, provide outstanding service, train your people, look for and eliminate inefficiencies, and act like team players?” The problem, clearly, is not in figuring out what to do. Rather, the problem is to find the strength and courage to do what we know to be right.
I shared evidence, as a corporate HRD practitioner, I had expended immense efforts trying to get our managers and the workforce to do the “right” things through systems, structures, and monetary incentives. In discussing recommended courses of action with my students and consulting clients, I repeatedly find myself saying “This is not only good business, but it's the professional, ethical thing to do! When something is presented as a management tactic, it is easy to argue with and dismiss. It is harder to argue with a matter of principle. Successful firms are clearly differentiated by strict adherence to principles.
An example will illustrate the point. Last weekend, I met Ravin, a hospitality professional who served Malaysia's first-ever Holiday Inn & Suites property. They offer a seamless blend of comfort and convenience, the hotel caters to both business & leisure travelers, bringing a fresh take on modern hospitality to Penang's growing hospitality landscape. Ravin & team ensure every guest experiences a stay that's flexible as it is comfortable just like being at home.(holiday-suites-penang-prai-an-ihg.penangbeachhotels.com)
Ravin revealed that “Excellence in customer satisfaction is an enforced standard. IHG instituted mandatory customer feedback on every transaction, with the full managerial follow-up, with results to be the basis in performance counseling &compensation. Eventually, our hotel could offer an unconditional satisfaction guarantee with primary focus on relationship building. Our teamwork is mandatory in the pursuit for passionately serving with excellence.”
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