Page 258 - The New Gold Standard

PRINCIPLE 5: LEA VE A LASTING FOOTPRINT
Becky Gill, a participant in food drives on behalf of the Atlanta
Food Bank, relates, “I love the opportunity to contribute. It’s
gratifying to facilitate that process of getting donated food items
and helping get food to where it needs to be. It’s also fun to see
how many pounds of food our team has sorted at the end of the
day. Besides the outcome, I love the camaraderie my team expe-
riences when we go there. While the tasks are repetitive, it allows
us time to talk with one another outside of work and to pull to-
gether for a common goal.” The sense of pride and the team-
building skills of corporate volunteerism are a part of the overall
benefits that are derived from these activities and that go back
to the Ritz-Carlton staff. On a broader scale, these volunteer ac-
tivities reinforce the culture of Ritz-Carlton and create a foun-
dation of collegial support.
By structuring opportunities, leaders encourage their staff
to look beyond personal gain and toward the broader well-being
of their community. For example, staff members at The Ritz-
Carlton, Grand Cayman, were recipients of the Community
Footprints Property of the Year for cleaning and making repairs
to the Grand Cayman Family Crisis Center, as well as volunteer-
ing at a number of other nonprofits in the area. Additionally,
staff participated in many environmental projects including beach
cleanup, glass recycling, and rainwater collection.
This external focus helps employees also look out for the
greater good of coworkers and the economic needs of the busi-
ness. To that end, staff members at Ritz-Carlton have a rich his-
tory of serving their fellow Ladies and Gentlemen and others
caught in the throes of natural disaster. Paul Westbrook, senior
vice president of product and brand management, has been
witness to some extraordinary circumstances. “Post–Hurricane
Katrina, in New Orleans, we offered every employee the oppor-
tunity to relocate with his or her family and have a job at another
Ritz-Carlton hotel. Clearly there was a cost associated with that
decision. But it was the right thing to do. People had been dis-
placed; many employees lost their homes. There was no immedi-

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