There are some who would argue that there is no such thing as ‘business ethics’. Sharp is not one of those people. In outlining the credo with which he wanted to run his company, Sharp declared that the ‘Golden Rule’ was going to be one of the cornerstones of the corporate culture that he was trying to create. “We aimed to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves,” says Sharp. “Enforcing our credo was the hardest part, and senior managers who couldn’t or wouldn’t live by it were weeded out within a few years.” It was a painful process, says Sharp, but one that had to be done.
From its customers to its staff, Sharp wanted to create a culture of service that was based on the Golden Rule. How can something like that be put into action? First, says Sharp, get the right people on board your team. For instance, before you can work for the Four Seasons, you must be scrupulously screened through a series of five interviews. “To be at the top we get service standards down to the bottom of the pyramid, and that process begins for us with our hiring policy,” he says. “We hire for attitude. We want people who like other people and are, therefore, more motivated to serve them. Competence we can teach. Attitude is ingrained.”
According to Sharp, the driving force behind his success has been his desire to treat Four Seasons employees with the same level of respect that they in turn are expected to give their guests. The success of this policy has shown itself not only in terms of employee engagement and satisfaction. For the past nine consecutive years, the Four Seasons has been the only Canadian company to land on Fortune magazine’s list of the 100 best companies to work for in the U.S.
“Businesses are all relationships, based on common values, values such as staying true to your word,” says Sharp. “Every religion also enshrines those values, so you can have different religious beliefs, but underlying those beliefs, you’ve got people who must have similar values, and can work together.”
Sharp’s commitment to his employees has been tested in the aftermath of many well-publicized events. In the aftermath of 9/11, the hotel industry began to suffer the effects; people were not flying and traveling as much, so there was a severe downturn. However, whereas its competitors were laying off staff to reduce their costs, Sharp refused to let the Four Seasons go down that same road. He refused to lay off his staff or lower his hotel’s high quality of service, demonstrating his commitment to both customers and employees.
The tsunami crisis in Southeast Asia was a similar test of Sharp’s commitment to his credo. Waves pounded the Four Seasons hotel in the Maldives and within 24 hours, all employees and guests were safely evacuated from the island. But, the damage didn’t stop there. With the resort now closed, hundreds of employees were all of a sudden out of work “at the moment when they needed income most as they started to rebuild their lives and communities,” says Sharp. “We couldn’t let that happen.” Sharp subsequently sent all his employees to other Four Seasons hotels around the world in order to keep them employed. “In true Four Seasons fashion, they have become a dynamic part of the teams at these hotels, embracing our guests with their caring service.”
Lesson #4: The ‘Golden Rule’ Is Your Golden Ticket To Success
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