The need for better communication is the number one challenge that workshop participants want to address when I consult in organizations both large and small. I usually smile, because I am sometimes unclear on what “better communication” means. It seems I am not the only one.
My friend and brilliant hotel consultant Nanci Sherman tells a story about the time she ran the Housekeeping department at a large hotel in Atlanta. She was dinged on an employee opinion survey in the area marked “Communication” because her housekeeping staff said they didn’t have good communication. Nanci was shocked, because as the housekeeping supervisor, she had daily meetings, memos, information boards and follow-ups with supervisors. After that experience, she prefaced every meeting with the statement, “This is communication.”
My friend Michael Romei, Concierge at The Waldorf Towers in New York City, designed a newsletter when he worked at the Boca Beach Club called the NETMA News, which stood for Nobody Ever Tells Me Anything.
Recently, I was consulting at Bacara Resort and Spa, an 80-acre property with many challenges in the area of communication given the layout and diversity of department responsibilities. One of the ways they are working to keep the lines of communication open as well as provide the inside story is by providing Bacara TV in the cafeteria. I realize this is not breaking news, as many hotels have such channels. What did impress me about their programming were the many interesting aspects of the resort it highlighted. It was a showcase for employee introductions, groups in house, new initiatives, reinforcement of training, birthdays et al…
What communication strategies have been successful in your company? I would love to hear from you.