ABOUT:
Dedicated to continuous innovation and the highest standards of hospitality, Four Seasons invented luxury for the modern traveler. At one stage, 17 Four Seasons properties ranked in the Top 100 List, including five in the top 20 and each year it receives multiple awards.
DESIRE:
Andrew and Gaia Grant were chosen to speak on the importance of creative thinking and innovation as the only external presenters for the Four Seasons Hotels International Management Conference to 150 executives, including the CEO, Executive Leadership team and all Four Seasons GMs and RVPs. (The bar was set high, with previous speakers including John Cleese and Jim Collins).
SOLUTION:
The chosen session was based on their book “Who Killed Creativity?… And how can we get it back”” with a strong hospitality focus. The 3-hour interactive keynote that was fast paced and relevant, making sure all were actively involved.
Gaia Grant presenting at the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts International Management Conference (CEO, Ex-Com and GMs)
Success with Local Properties:
- Singapore: Four Seasons. Requested by HR and the GM to help develop programs to empower their leaders, and to ensure the empowerment process could be transferred down the ranks in a way that the company’s powerful values could be lived out in everyday actions. Shortly after the customised intervention, this hotel was voted the best place to work in Singapore.
- Singapore: Regent hotel. Requested to design & deliver a 6-month integrated program to reinvigorate an older hotel, in a way to match the mindset with the new renovations taking place. Tirian developed a program to internally and externally re-brand and re-position the Regent hotel in Singapore. This was done through helping the staff understand the embodied Four Seasons brand and vision, and through reenergizing the team to cascade this throughout the whole organisation.
- Doha: With a new property in a strategic position (first in the Middle East), the GM wanted to ensure his executive team were all aligned to deal with the new market and the cultural diversity in the staff. Tirian helped align the newly formed Doha executive committee.
- Bali: Tirian was asked to assist with the alignment of the highly successful executive team to ensure it could continue to maintain the hotel’s number one position.
OUTCOMES ACHIEVED:
Staff properties have learned to appreciate how the Four Seasons brand can be leveraged internally and externally to develop and empower leaders and their teams. Some specific measures of success have included:
- Regent Hotel (Singapore): Moved from 7th to 2nd in its competitive set, demonstrating 100% improvement
- Doha: The GM created a strong aligned team and was voted on the Condé Nast Traveler ‘Hot List’.
- Bali: The hotel was voted best resort in the world for 4 years in a row.
“Tirian successfully helped our team understand our company promise of ‘intuitive personal service’ and then worked with us to agree on ways to develop this in delivery terms.”
“You quickly and perceptively understood our strong company culture. What you gave us was a better understanding of the group dynamics and a better way to benefit from unrecognized strengths, opening up important sources of talent and energy that we had not recognized. Even to this day your input still has an impact on how we solve problems and work together as a team.”
“Since the course (6 months ago) we have been able to successfully implement it throughout all departments, and have watched a 100% improvement on our hotel ranking. Very creative and innovative. A different presentation for what actually could be a “dry” topic.”
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“A 100% improvement on our hotel ranking.”
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“Your input helped us become voted as the best resort in the world, and we achieved this for 4 years in a row.”
