Reflections: Isadore Sharp

By Staff -- HOTELS Magazine, 8/1/2006

Isadore Sharp, founder, chairman and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels& Resorts

It has been 45 years since the first Four Seasons opened in Toronto. When I think back to the enormous changes that have happened, not just in our industry, but in the world, that seems like a lifetime ago. Even with the currents of change, throughout the history of our company, there has been a consistent thread—the commitment to service and to the employees who deliver the service product every day. It is what propels us forward today as we continue to grow globally. Increasingly, it is something that matters greatly to every business and every brand, not just hoteliers, but truly anyone who wants to aspire and reach to be the best. It may seem obvious that in the hospitality business our objective is to provide great service—the trick is pulling it off successfully.

We cannot pre-check service or sample it—production and consumption are simultaneous. Those few moments of service delivery are a company’s make or break point, when reputation is either confirmed or denied. And the outcome in our industry normally depends on frontline employees: doormen, bellmen, waiters, maids—the lowest paid people, and often, in too many companies, the least motivated.

What I believe has made the difference for us can also make a difference for the industry as a whole. Our front line staff desire the same things we all do to be successful: to work for leaders who demand and inspire their best, and most importantly, a sense of purpose, and a feeling they are working for more than a pay check.

In our experience, performance rises to meet expectations. The resultant customer satisfaction boosts employee confidence and self esteem—and living up to that growing self image keeps raising performance levels.

This requires managers who are less bosses than mentors and communicators— whose role is to bring out each individual’s best, and coach them to become a winning team. And communication is crucial. For employees to act on their own initiative, they have to know our priorities. And we have to know what our customers are saying to them. We have to recognize their contributions and listen to them consistently.

The cornerstone of our corporate culture, to treat all others—customers, employees, partners, suppliers—as we ourselves would want to be treated, is the Golden Rule of Four Seasons, but also, the Golden Rule of life.

We have yet to go into a location where upholding the Golden Rule hasn’t brought employees on side. By nurturing the full potential of every willing worker from top to bottom, I believe that the hospitality industry can tap a unique source of leadership and success for the 21st century. And by committing to these simple principles of service and care for the employee, companies across the spectrum have the ability to become true success stories.