Page 122 - The New Gold Standard

PRINCIPLE 2: EMPOWER THROUGH TRUST
people through people. Since our greatest threat is mediocrity,
we safeguard our business by being so committed to our exist-
ing staff that we will have lines of the best people who want to
join us.”
Just as Ritz-Carlton seeks to be relevant to changing con-
sumers, it also needs to attract a changing global workforce,
which it does through employment-specific Web sites, targeted
hiring strategies, and branded employment messages that appeal
to workers who have a desire to be a part of an organization that
is both respectful to its employees and committed to excellence.
Ken addresses this issue of relevance by noting, “The way
our leaders treat people transcends culture or age. We treat them
with respect and integrity. It’s not just words; it’s acted out every
day in our interactions. We pride ourselves in providing employ-
ees with a value system that is universal. The Employee Promise
is so impactful to employees in all parts of the world that they
quote passages and truly expect it to live in every interaction that
you have with them. I think it’s a lot of why we were able to pro-
duce the operational excellence we have today. It emerges from
our structural foundation.” Promising to meet a clearly defined
set of expectations that serve the primary needs of all human be-
ings promotes a lasting legacy of caring.
Leadership at Ritz-Carlton essentially commits to develop-
ing the talent of its people in a manner consistent with the com-
ments of Ken Rehmann—and more explicitly in the ways stated
in the Employee Promise. This involves creating an environ-
ment of “trust, honesty, integrity, and commitment.” While
these terms can sound like platitudes in some work environ-
ments, they are viewed as the DNA of interpersonal relation-
ships within Ritz-Carlton, and they set the standard for the
actions to be taken by employees at every level. Allan Federer,
general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, com-
pares leadership tactics: “In my days growing up in the hotel in-
dustry, it was not unusual to have a manager scream and berate
staff. While I will grant you that such behavior on the part of

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