Top Take-Aways from Bart's Message:  

Here's a summary of the major points, takeaways, learnings, and next steps from the Leadership Strategy Session at EVEN Hotel Pittsburgh:

Major Points & Takeaways

1. The Power of Purpose and Passion

• Employees like Butch exemplify passion and purpose by taking pride in their work, even when they don’t “own” the business.
• Personal pride, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to excellence set exceptional employees apart.
• Passionate employees should be celebrated, and their stories should be shared to inspire others.

2. Defining Service & Excellence

• Basic service is delivering what’s expected.
• Excellence is over-delivering—going beyond expectations in ways that surprise and delight customers.
• Most service stories were “nice” but not “goosebump-worthy.” The goal should be to create moments so memorable that guests feel compelled to talk about them.

3. Leadership & Employee Recognition

• Leaders should invest time in one-on-one meetings with team members to build relationships and show appreciation.
• Recognition should be personalized (e.g., knowing what employees like and making birthdays/engagements special).
• Employees should feel valued not just through policies but through genuine interactions.

4. Effective Communication Strategies

• Seek to understand without judgment – Assume good intent and listen before reacting.
• "Other person's shoe" strategy – Consider situations from different perspectives (e.g., front desk vs. housekeeping vs. sales).
• Respond to every message – Even a simple “thumbs-up” acknowledges communication.
• Proactive communication – Ensure the right people are informed at the right time.
• Ownership mentality – Own both successes and mistakes.

5. Experiencing & Teaching Service Excellence

• Many employees (and even leaders) haven’t experienced truly exceptional service.
• To deliver goosebump-worthy service, employees must first see what it looks like.
• Leaders must model service excellence so frontline employees understand what "above and beyond" looks like.

6. Team Collaboration & Problem-Solving

• The team-building exercise (car assembly) demonstrated:
  • The importance of planning and strategy.
  • The impact of teamwork and resource allocation.
  • The necessity of adapting when faced with challenges (e.g., missing tools, broken parts).
• Lessons applied directly to daily hotel operations: teamwork, communication, and problem-solving under pressure.

7. Over-Delivering in Every Department

Each department brainstormed ways to over-deliver:

• Housekeeping: Recognizing platinum guests by name and offering additional service.
• General Manager: Dedicated one-on-one time with each employee.
• Sales: Enhancing guest experiences with personal touches (e.g., bringing in a personal speaker for a client).
• Engineering: Leaving a personalized note and small treat after fixing something in a guest’s room.
• HR: Customizing communications and making employees feel valued.
• Front Office: Doing and using their "homework"—learning about guests and making their stays special.

8. Creating a Culture of Over-Delivering

• "Most People Don’t… But You Do!" – The mindset shift from meeting expectations to exceeding them.
• Storytelling as a tool – Employees need to see examples of great service in action to emulate.
• Daily stand-ups or recognition boards could help highlight and reinforce service excellence.

Next Steps & Action Items

✅ Show employees "the picture" of service excellence – Use stories, training, and recognition to create a clear standard for what “over-delivering” looks like.

✅ Implement daily/weekly recognition of great service stories – Whether through a bulletin board, a meeting, or a digital system, highlight and celebrate moments where employees went above and beyond.

✅ Enhance onboarding & training – New hires should immediately learn the hotel's commitment to exceptional service and how they can contribute.

✅ General Manager’s One-on-One Employee Meetings – Set a timeline to meet with every employee to build relationships and remove obstacles.

✅ Personalized Guest Interactions – Ensure all teams utilize guest data to customize interactions (e.g., remembering names, recognizing special occasions).

✅ Strategic Over-Delivering in Sales & Marketing – Consider tactics like branded photo opportunities (e.g., a volleyball tournament step-and-repeat) and creative appreciation gestures (e.g., signed volleyballs, local gifts).

✅ Ensure Team Collaboration – Encourage departments to work together on creative solutions, recognizing that small details (like ensuring pens work) contribute to the guest experience.

✅ Create an “Over-Deliver” Playbook – Document and share best practices for exceptional service so new and existing employees have a tangible guide.

Final Thought

This session reinforced the importance of intentionality in service and leadership. The key to sustainable excellence lies in consistently over-delivering—not just for guests, but for employees too.