So I sat on the curb in the middle of the night with my three girls.
And no one came to tell us what was going on or when we could expect to get back to bed.
Frankly, I wasn’t surprised.
Oftentimes, we miss opportunities to lead that seem obvious later. Of course, it seems reasonable to expect that a representative from the hotel would come outside to tell everyone what was happening. Common sense, right?
But it didn’t happen. Why not? Although I can’t know for sure, here is my one best idea, and some suggestions to apply in your workplace.
It’s not part of the plan. I assume that employees that hotel have a procedure to follow in emergency situations. There may be phone calls to make, areas of the hotel to secure. When the alarm sounded, it is likely that the employees present followed the protocol. My guess, though, is that communication with guests is not part of the plan. So it didn’t happen.
When making a difference in the lives of others is a part of the plan, we think beyond procedures and protocols to add value to others. Organizations can’t include every possible positive action in their policy manuals. Instead, they need leaders at all levels who can think beyond following protocol to find a path to greatness.
Plan to lead. Making a difference starts with having a plan to positively influence others. It’s an attitude, a mindset, and an intention. With a plan to lead, you will view every situation as an opportunity to add value to others. More than that, you will look for and find those opportunities.
But it all starts with a plan.
Join the conversation!
Can you think of any other reasons why the hotel employees did not choose to communicate with us?
What can you do to help others understand the need to plan beyond policies and procedures?
Is leading a part of your plan?
This was originally posted at Mountain State University LeaderTalk and is re-posted with permission.
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.
How about:
They were supposed to communicate with guests but didn’t want to tell you the reason you got up in the middle of the night and were sitting on the curb was that a staff person made a mistake.
or…
They communicated very effectively…with the people who went out the door on the other side of the hotel. It never occurred to them there were multiple doors.
or…
Due to budget cutbacks there was only one hotel employee there that night and she was busy dealing with the fire and rescue team members who were rather grumpy themselves for being called out of bed.
or…