A trained eye and ear can tell much about an organization by listening to a weekly staff meeting…as a training provider we make it a point to as often as possible to attend our client’s staff meetings. This is one of the many reasons why the training and consulting we do actually sticks.
The Sheraton Four Points Biloxi is a great example of a staff meeting done right. Six months ago this organization won the Signature Worldwide $50,000 Hotel Sales & Service Training Makeover Contest. Hundreds competed across the United States – this is just one of the reasons why they won.
Their weekly staff meetings like most organizations address the weeks operational & commutative specifics: Four Points by Sheraton – Biloxi has re-prioritized their meeting agenda making employee development primary and operations secondary.
Signature Worldwide has preached for years “if you don’t move your people forward – you can’t move your business forward” Here’s proof positive! Senior management now holds their departmental leaders responsible to report weekly on the utilization of coaching, monitoring, and employee action planning…in all departments – across departmental lines. This staff meeting was not only motivational but positioned the customer as the key to success.
I came to this meeting armed with the latest on-site property evaluation in hand that reflected a narrative and scored criteria of skills trained for 5 specific areas of guest contact – arrival, departure, guest request, passing by, and complaint handling. As I reviewed data, the leadership response was not defensive but responsive. There was an attitude that reflected and reminded me exactly why this organization won the contest. They simply want to be the best. Yes, indeed there were a few hiccups in the report…no excuses were made, no protective posturing – just quick discussions followed with a corrective plan, personal commitment and a due date. Departments helping Departments – what a concept.
I left this staff meeting knowing that in the weeks and months to come, as Signature Worldwide introduces new skills, the Four Points Biloxi will keep challenging themselves to be the best. It’s for sure that the market and world will keep changing, the leadership of this organization has chosen to adapt, grow, and lead.