Page 241 - The New Gold Standard

Aspire, Achieve, Teach
a commodity industry is through service delivery—service be-
ing either the way the work is performed on the line or the way
an issue is handled when a customer calls in with a problem. My
goal was to benchmark our business and get ideas in creating
customer experiences from a true leader.”
Mike continues, “The training was well rounded, applica-
ble to our day-to-day activities, and enriched with a pretty
healthy dose of pragmatism. I was struck by the Ritz-Carlton’s
emphasis on staff empowerment, what that empowerment re-
ally looks like, and some of the mechanisms for achieving it.”
For attendee Paula Enrietto, executive director at Balfour Se-
nior Living’s independent living community, The Lodge, The
Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center training has resulted in efforts
to incorporate Ritz-Carlton best practices within her company.
Paula notes, “We have a very clear mission, but we had never
really outlined in detail what our values are, and so we’ve begun
the process of defining those values in a management training
setting, engaging the managers and line staff in that process.
While I went to the Leadership Center in Washington, D.C.,
my colleagues at the Balfour assisted living and memory care
communities are also thinking about bringing some Ritz-
Carlton training into their properties and have them on site.”
While the original intent behind the Leadership Center was
to fill the needs of those who wanted to benchmark themselves
and learn from a leader in service excellence, the quality of sen-
ior leadership’s commitment to the program produced a finan-
cially profitable business line. The Leadership Center is a classic
example of what happens when leaders appreciate the unique
value offerings of their business and place high-level executives
in charge of serving a growing consumer demand. From a dollar
perspective, Vice President Diana Oreck reports,“We’ve grown
like gangbusters despite having not spent any money advertising.
Zero dollars. It’s all word of mouth. Not only do people in the
audience fall in love with this brand but they also become
enchanted by the dynamism and passion of our speakers. It’s

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