*BORN ON A MONDAY*
*EPISODE V*

*THE SERVICE MINDSET*

There’s a legend about the man they say ‘invented’ room service & set the Gold standard for hospitality in the luxury hotel industry.

GEORGE C. BOLDT was a manager in a hotel where on an unexpected & inauspicious occasion, graciously made his own room available to stranded guests because they were fully booked & he knew that they were not likely to get accommodation elsewhere due to a convention taking place during that period.

This act of selfless service earned him the respect (and probably friendship) of the guests which eventually led to him being chosen (by their influence) as the manager of a new Hotel chain that became one of the best of its time. The guests, WILLIAM WALDORF ASTOR (or his relatives). The hotel, The Waldorf Hotel (later known as THE WALDORF ASTORIA).

In his new management position, he was said to have insisted that guests be served fresh flowers & the morning paper (not common at the time). “Make the Waldorf so comfortable they will never go to another place,” he was once quoted as saying.

They say *CULTURE EATS STRATEGY FOR BREAKFAST.* The culture of excellent service was what made George C. Boldt stand out & create opportunities in his future.

He definitely wasn’t sitting around somewhere calculating & assessing who he could give his room out to in order to make himself more successful in the future.

He had a service mindset & culture.

*HE BELIEVED THAT THE PEOPLE HE SERVED DESERVED HIS BEST.*

He was intrinsically motivated. In other words, *he was motivated more from within than without.*

Do you have a service mindset?

*Are you internally motivated to give the best in what you do?*

A study conducted by researchers at Yale University found that a person’s motivation was directly related to their performance (Kaizo).

Looking at data from more than 1,400 mid-level managers in hotel chains, the study showed that those who had a high degree of intrinsic motivation (motivation from within) were better performers than those with low levels of intrinsic motivation — even after accounting for potential confounding factors like competence and experience.

The study also concluded that intrinsic motivation generally resulted in both job satisfaction and job performance, meaning that having high levels of intrinsic motivation also makes you happier at work.

Rewards, appreciation, punishment & goals (we will talk more about them in another episode) are necessary & a reality in the workplace & are absolutely essential for any working system. Make no mistake.

However, these things cannot inspire excellence, they can only attempt to sustain it.

It is the culture & attitude of people like George C Boldt, who are intrinsically motivated & have a service mindset & culture, that inspires excellence in any organisation & ultimately results in job satisfaction as well as personal happiness & fulfilment.

Remember this:

– People love service

– People deserve service &

– People are transformed by service.

So serve & serve well.

Have a great week & see you next Monday!

#DrBen
#PersonalDevelopment
#donotacceptdefeatforwhatyoucanrepeat

Dr Ben Wayo
DrBenWayo@aol.com