Term paper
Four Seasons: The story of a business philosophy was written in 2009 by Isadore Sharp, an architect by profession who decided to venture into the hospitality business. In this book, he details the history and philosophy of the company he founded known as Four Seasons. The first Four Seasons hotel was built in Toronto, Canada in 1961 and had 125 rooms.
Four seasons style of leadership is different from other hospitality businesses because it’s more people oriented. This type of leadership requires that leaders treat all employees with no favoritism but rather in a friendly and kind manner resulting in team work among employees. Employees working under a leader who is people oriented tend to be more productive as they are assured that there leader will readily provide support in case they need it. It is with no doubt that service delivery is a key aspect of the hospitality industry. However the mode of delivery of this service is equally important. Isadore considers Four Seasons service as being an exchange of mutual respect performed with an attitude of mutual respect.
Another leadership style that he employed was motivating. Sharp believes that a leader should aim to inspire and motivate his or her people by bringing out the best in them. He believed that a leader had the crucial task of exploring the full potential of his employees. Given the delicate nature of the hotel industry, hoteliers should always be motivated to deliver quality services. The success of the hotel business is not only linked to the top management but to the lower cadre employees as well.
Another unique aspect of the leadership at his company is that it incorporated responsibility. Sharp notes that responsibility and authority go hand in hand. A leader in the hotel industry ought to be responsible. With great authority comes greater responsibility. According to sharp, responsibility is the most important leadership quality and also the most overlooked one. Employees that see their leaders take responsibility for their actions will become more faithful. This will in turn contribute to employee retention. Four Seasons company adheres to integrity. According to him, integrity and openness is the measure of a good leader. Integrity calls for incorporating ethical values and principles when doing business. The overall success of the business lies in the integrity of all people in the organization .
How does the company care for internal customers/ employees?
Isadore Sharp believes in treating employees right so that they in return treat customers right. It’s this golden principle that has enabled his company to have successful employee retention rates. Through the leadership styles that he practices in his company, his employees feel more valued and appreciated. This serves to motivate them to achieve more. Employees who are valued are happy employees who are more responsible and accountable in their duties.
The company also rewards employees by providing them with opportunity to go for holidays with their spouses in countries of their wish without paying a cent. Four Seasons also endorses career development inside the company as well as worker welfares such as free room nights, superannuation plans as well as rewards for those who perform excellently in their duties. Each month, outstanding employees are recognized and rewarded by their supervisors. The rewards range from cash prizes to attaining the title of the employee of the year.
After a relatively short span, employees who joined the company in junior positions progress steadily thanks to the existing career planning and development system. The needs of employees are taken care of by offering them competitive packages and allowances .
How the company serves external customers?
Four seasons provides a superior level of customer service to its external customers. Seasons Four under the leadership of Sharp was the first in the hotel industry to introduce shampoos as well as other services like 24 hour room service, laundry services, telephone services in the rooms as well as shoe repair services. According to Sharp, service delivery was more important compared to the excellent architectural designs of hotel buildings. He endeavored to make the quality of their service the factor that distinguishes them.
The quality of service is achieved by hiring the best staff. At the firm, staff recruitment is basically a personality or character search. Interview sessions occur in four sessions with thorough assessment of an individual’s behavior. According to Sharp, having the right attitude is way more important than one’s experience. This is because, after selecting the people with the right attitude, he can take them through on-job training. The interviewing panel looks out for posture, communication skills, attitude to service, self-esteem, eye contact and body posture. Once the right people have been selected, they will ensure customer satisfaction by delivering high quality services .
How will you apply what you learned from the book in your future professional life?
There is no limit to which the ideas of Isadore Sharp can be applied into our real professional life. As a professional in a leadership position various qualities that you are expected to portray have been highlighted by Sharp. Adopting this leadership styles will ensure that your employees enjoy working under you and they also are motivated to execute their duties/ tasks. For instance I will adopt the leadership style that is people oriented and also motivate my juniors whenever they do something that is commendable.
The knowledge acquired from the book Four Seasons will provide guidelines on how I can start a small business and see it grow into a household name. Isadore Sharp did not have any training in the hospitality industry when he decided to venture into this business. He however became successful in the hotel industry by applying the tips he has shared in his book. Similarly, if am to follow the set guidelines he provides in his books, I can venture into a business not necessarily in the hospitality industry and succeed.
Definition of service management
Service management can be understood as the approach that focuses on the customer with the aim of improving the customer relationship while at the same time improving its value. Service management incorporates information technology in the efficient delivery of services not just to the internal but also the external audiences as well. Service management entails all the activities, policies and procedures that are executed by the organization in an effort to provide excellent services to the customers. In service delivery, the organization has to ensure that the customer needs are met.
The supply chains of services are considered to be more complex as compared to those of products or finished goods. Service management has the goal of ensuring that there is a reduction in the cost of these products and services.
References
Sharp, I. (2009). Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy. Penguin Publishing Group.
