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From Sheep and Sodas to Success: How Marriott Became a Name We Know

Article Overview: With a guiding philosophy of hard work and clean living, Marriott rose from the sheep fields of his father’s farm to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in America’s history. He built one of the fastest-growing and most profitable companies in the difficult food and lodging business. How did he do it?
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From Sheep and Sodas to Success: How Marriott Became a Name We Know
With a guiding philosophy of hard work and clean living, Marriott rose from the sheep fields of his father’s farm to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in America’s history. He built one of the fastest-growing and most profitable companies in the difficult food and lodging business. How did he do it?
Management: “If you don’t hire the right kind of people, we can never make anything out of them,” Marriott once said. On the other side of the coin, Marriott also knew that if he did not treat them well, he would never make anything out of even the best people. To that end, he maintained a focus on communication with and respect for his workers.
Innovation: “Cashiers should not be sorting checks during a busy time,” Marriott believed. “I saw one cashier who was terribly busy, holding up a whole line of customers because she was trying to sort her checks. Tills can be done after the busy hour.” Marriott never missed a chance to find ways to improve his business.
Hard Work: Marriott was a strong believer in setting the pace for his business and his employees, and that pace was a fast one. Whether it was working six and a half days a week to get his business off the ground, or visiting each and every one of his Hot Shoppes to carry out inspections, Marriott put his heart and sweat into his business.
Details: “There is not enough follow-up by management on service, planning, getting things done when they should be,” believed Marriott. Whether it was seasoning hamburgers or flipping hash browns, no detail was too small for Marriott to follow through on. It was his attention to detail that let him spot crucial areas for improvement and innovation.
Action: Marriott never stopped seeking perfection. Even if a customer was satisfied with his product, Marriott refused to be, believing there to be always more room for improvement. Despite all the setbacks and challenges, it was Marriott’s eagerness to keep on going that allowed him to stay the course.
Throughout his long and successful career, Marriott strove to stay in touch with his all of his operations, employees, and customers, to achieve high standards, and to set a good example. From his regular interaction with staff to his constant attention to detail, it was the little things that continually set Marriott apart from his competitors. Above all else, nothing was more important than customer, employee, and personal self-satisfaction. And, it was not until the first two were achieved that Marriott could recognize the last and feel happy in his accomplishments.
“In all the years that we have been testing for quality, we have found that there is very little difference between top quality and second and third grade,” said Marriott. “But I have found this - if you take second- and third-grade quality, even though the difference is hardly discernible, you will end up with a second- and third-rate quality product.”
Because Marriott never settled for second quality, he never wound up with a second-rate product.
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