Celebrate Service with Jon WakemanCelebrate Service Week at IHG with Jon Wakeman

The week of May 22, 2017, marks the 8th year of Celebrate Service week at IHG.  It is a week dedicated to recognizing and celebrating hospitality providers across the world.

As part of the calendar week-long celebrations at IHG properties, staff will participate in various activities that are planned and coordinated past the hotel management or ownership.

Jon Wakeman joins me in this episode to discuss the origins of this very successful plan and to share stories of what hotels have done over the past 8 years to bring Celebrate Service to life.   Jon is currently the Bands and Marketing Teaching Manager at IHG.  In 2012 Jon joined the project team for Celebrate service and in 2014 he served as the global projection lead.

Originating in 2010, Celebrate Service was born out of the collaborative efforts of Lynne Zappone, the former SVP of America'south HR and Global Learning and Mark Carrier, who was the IHG Owners Association president at the time.  They recognized the need to lift morale and boost the spirits of hotel teams as the economic downturn that began in 2008 had taken its cost on hotel staff.  As hotels began operating on tighter budgets, more and more responsibilities were being added to their roles.

Every hotel, eating house or any other business whose success is a direct event of the quality of service that the frontline team delivers should dedicate time to recognizing those individuals. Nosotros often don't take enough time out to say thanks to the people who work tirelessly to evangelize slap-up experiences to the guests. This is a great way of appreciating team members on a calendar week fix aside that's all about them.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

  • How Celebrate Service has grown over the years.
  • The number of hotels who participate in this global event.
  • The types of activities and recognition ideas that have been successful.
  • How to ensure every staff fellow member is included.
  • The benefits to employee engagement.
  • And much more than!

Jon is a passionate spokesperson on this topic every bit you will hear in the episode.  He feels strongly that this week is so special and that as a leader, in that location's so much that you can do to assistance people empathise that they really are appreciated. That expression of appreciation can be as one thousand as you'd like to make it.  But the real gauge is reflected in how true appreciation equals truthful hospitality.

In an industry where profitability is so closely tied to the guest experience, which is primarily provided by your line-level staff, it just makes skilful financial sense to recognize and reward your squad. To quote Dale Carnegie:"People work for money merely go the extra mile for recognition, praise, and rewards." That extra mile is the difference between an boilerplate hotel and a bully hotel.

Of import Links, Mentions, and Resources From This Episode

  • Connect Jon on LinkedIn
  • Share your celebration activities on social media using hashtags:#IHGCelebrateService and #TrueHospitality
  • IHG Owners Association
  • Hr Contour: Lynne Zappone via SHRM
  • Marker Carrier with B.F. Saul Hospitality Group
  • Connect with me on Twitter!

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