Page 217 - The New Gold Standard

Turn Wow into Action
tum that motivates employees to look for ways to have a large
impact even in more routine situations.
Yet not all Wow stories are over the top; Ritz-Carlton leader-
ship selects stories that are less heroic in nature. Leadership re-
alizes that in the end, every individual must be able to make the
line-of-sight connection between what he or she does and how
what he or she does can wow guests and advance the business. In
an effort to balance the size and scope of notable service, leader-
ship also shares everyday examples of a single individual doing the
small acts of kindness necessary to make a guest’s stay memorable.
One example that was selected as a companywide Wow story
involved the actions of Mark D. Nadonza, concierge agent on
duty at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel and Spa. A guest was
getting ready for an early morning meeting that was to happen
in a matter of hours when the guest realized he had forgotten his
formal dress shoes. The man asked Mark if there was any place
that he could get a pair of shoes at that hour. Mark advised that
no stores were open prior to the start of the guest’s meeting. As
Mark searched for a solution, he found out that the man’s shoe
size matched his own. Mark offered to bring the guest a pair of
formal shoes that he had worn only at his wedding. When the
guest accepted the offer, Mark raced home and brought the shoes
back to the hotel.
Leaders are most effective when they can remove themselves
from the day-to-day management of their people and instead of-
fer an inspirational vision of how their staff can enliven corporate
values in the service of others. The power of service is magnified
when leadership acknowledges teamwork and efforts that break
down traditional departmental-based or location-based “stove
pipes,” as we’ll see in the next section.

C Inspiring Teamwork D

As suggested in the previous chapter, most business leaders want
people throughout the organization to work with one another

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