I just returned from a vacation, the first real one where I got to go away and relax since February 2020. This trip was exceptional for personal reasons and ranked at the top in the column, “savor the memories; the stars were aligned.”
From a business perspective, each day was a reminder of the power of solid leadership, an embraceable purpose, and teamwork for the good of each other and the customers served. I was fascinated by the level of superior service demonstrated by each employee, all 930! Forget Level 5; this crew of 930 people functioned at Level 10 for an entire week. The team made it their mission to engage with the passengers, learn names, recognize people, and have fun doing their work.
How did they do it? They excelled in relationship mastery:
- Focused on attention and intention, not time.
- Shared a common customer experience mantra.
- Always reflected a positive attitude.
- Demonstrated kindness and appreciation.
- Enjoyed their roles by having fun and laughing in the moment.
I knew we were in safe hands because of the above, but there was more! Happy people perform best. People united by a shared purpose work well and hold each other accountable. They seek to help each other improve. They know their roles inside and out: they are dependable, confident, and human. Most importantly, the leadership allowed the crew to do their best work. So I was able to talk with several members of the operations team, which supported my observations.
Top of mind key points:
- Execution of each role was a requirement; lives depended on it.
- Doing something they love = success and happiness.
- Structure was vital: the right leaders, the right people, a sensible business model, and a functioning culture.
The size of an organization is irrelevant to customer service, which was proven time after time during my trip. I observed that some people worked in two different locations during the day. The crew was in sync, followed guidelines to keep passengers safe, and did their work effortlessly. After all, with 2100 passengers in the middle of the ocean, you better get it right.
Is this true in your business? Of course, this crew experiences the same difficulties most companies face. What was amazing was that it did not interfere with daily operations. With 2100 people around, it would have been easy to spot.
Is this mission impossible or mission possible in your business?