Management is hospitality

There's an important overlap between hospitality and management. Viewing management through a hospitality lens can transform leadership, boost team morale, and improve workplace culture.

Just as restaurants create magical escapes for guests, managers can craft enriching environments for their teams.

I was inspired to write this post as I'm reading Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara right now. One particular quote stood out to me:

The moment you pursue service through the lens of hospitality, you'll understand there's nobility in it. We may not be saving people's lives, but we do have the ability to make their lives better by creating a magical world they can escape to, and I can see that not as an opportunity, but as a responsibility and a reason for pride.

Sure, this quote (and the book) is about the restaurant industry, but in reality, every manager is in the service business.

The five pillars of hospitable management

1. Create a welcoming environment
   Just as a restaurant's atmosphere sets the tone for a meal, a manager sets the tone for the workplace. This goes beyond physical space to include emotional and psychological comfort.
   
   Action item: Regularly assess and improve your team's work environment, both physical and cultural.

2. Anticipate Needs
   Great hosts anticipate their guests' needs before they arise. Similarly, proactive managers foresee and address their team's requirements.
   
   Action item: Schedule regular check-ins to understand evolving team needs.
   
   Here's an example: We're working under some really tight deadlines right now, and the work my team does tends to be at the end of a project. That means if the other teams' work runs over, it shortens the time my team has to be able to complete their work.
   
   One of my engineers acknowledged this struggle on a project they're on right now, so our 1:1s morphed a little bit into checking in on how I can best support keeping things moving along since I'm not the engineering leader in charge of this project. Doing so has already highlighted some areas where we can cut unnecessary work and set a more realistic deadline on the outstanding work.

3. Problem-solve quickly
   In hospitality and management alike, issues require quick, effective solutions to maintain a positive experience.
   
   Action item: Develop a problem-solving framework that encourages rapid response and learning from each challenge.

4. Personalize your attention
   Top restaurants tailor experiences to individual guests. Managers can apply this by recognizing each team member's unique attributes and aspirations.
   
   Action item: Create individual development plans that align with team members' personal goals and strengths.

5. Craft meaningful experiences
   Hospitality aims to create magical moments. In management, this translates to making work meaningful and connecting daily tasks to larger purposes.
   
   Action item: Regularly communicate how each team member's work contributes to broader organizational goals.

The impact of hospitable management

Adopting a hospitality mindset in management can lead to:

1. Increased employee engagement
2. Higher retention rates
3. Improved team performance
4. Enhanced workplace culture
5. Greater job satisfaction for both managers and team members

Challenges and considerations

While the hospitality approach offers many benefits, it's not without challenges:

• Balancing individual attention with fairness across the team
• Maintaining professional boundaries while being approachable
• Avoiding burnout from constantly prioritizing others' needs

Key takeaway: Hospitable management requires a delicate balance and ongoing self-reflection.

Implementing a hospitality mindset

1. Start with self-assessment: Reflect on your current management style.
2. Seek feedback: Ask your team how you can better "serve" their needs.
3. Set clear expectations: Communicate this new approach to your team.
4. Practice and iterate: Implement changes gradually and refine your approach.
5. Lead by example: Encourage other leaders in your organization to adopt this mindset.

Viewing management through the lens of hospitality isn't just an opportunity - it's a responsibility. By creating a "magical world" for your team to work in, you're not just improving their professional lives, but potentially enhancing their overall well-being.

Remember, as Will Guidara suggests in Unreasonable Hospitality, there's nobility in this service. Embrace it with pride.