Page 238 - The New Gold Standard

PRINCIPLE 5: LEA VE A LASTING FOOTPRINT
transformative benefits for Ritz-Carlton staff as well. For exam-
ple, staff members from the hotels are, at times, incorporated
into the training offered to outside businesses. Alexandra
Valentin, director of learning at the Ritz-Carlton New York,
Central Park, discusses the special nature of being selected as a
presenter for the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: “While my
main job is to offer internal training for our Ladies and Gentle-
men on our property, it is a great honor to be a certified trainer
for the Leadership Center because I am entrusted to share the
best business practices of Ritz-Carlton with other companies. In
essence, I get to help other businesses become more successful.”
Getting employees involved at this level can be incredibly
empowering. As Alexandra explains, “I have grown as a presen-
ter in this role, and in the process I have helped bring in busi-
ness and revenue to my own hotel through my presentations.
I’ve also developed relationships with business leaders and have
established repeat clients whom I can further help by determin-
ing which of our training offerings will best meet their needs. In
a way, I serve almost in a training consultant role with them.
Where else could I have that kind of influence?”
Diana Oreck, vice president of global learning and the Lead-
ership Center, explains how hotel staff members like Alexandra
are chosen as sources of “influence” for interested businesses.
“We select people who can train and share their pride and
knowledge of our Gold Standards. I do an average of two certifi-
cations a year. Those individuals who express an interest and are
selected at the property level come here to our corporate offices
and present to us. They are given a template with the core cur-
riculum, observe one of our Leadership Center staff present the
curriculum, and receive coaching as they do their presentations.
At the end of the day, they either pass or fail an audition with us.
You will find that our hotel-based staff members are a very dy-
namic group of Ladies and Gentlemen. A recent certification
group of 25 applicants had staff diversely distributed from all

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