A famous sentence by the author Charles R. Swindoll reads “the difference between something good and something great is the attention to details”. Taking care of our own work, recognizing all the small aspects that define and characterize it, even on the surface, is fundamental.
According to a research conducted by Cengage in 2018, 70% of the managers and HR involved in the research (652 to be precise) believe that the ability to pay attention to detail is an essential requirement when hiring potential new employees. This ability is so much in demand and important that, always according to this study, it is second only to the ability to learn and make new concepts and notions their own.
Why is a careful and accurate approach so necessary?
In the world of hospitality, especially when it comes to luxury, detail makes the difference. A grammatical error in a brochure, a missing smile at the check-in or a small stain on the surface of a glass can undermine a hotel’s reputation in the eyes of an attentive guest. A hotel that pays attention to these aspects tends to have high levels of guest satisfaction, motivated teams and a very high quality perception.
What can be the causes of neglecting details? The five main factors are these:
- Inadequate organization: dividing roles and tasks in a clear way and planning the work are key elements
- Hurry: quality often requires adequate preparation and timing
- Lack of training: precise handover and a complete mentoring activity create the ideal environment for an accurate and thorough work
- Lack of motivation: employees with little involvement will minimize their work commitment
- Not useful emotions: a work environment that creates stress, anxiety and fear increases mistakes and distractions
Once the main causes have been defined, two questions emerge: can one learn to be attentive to details? How can one do this without falling into harmful and unproductive perfectionism?
To answer these questions, we provide five solutions that can help to develop or increase these abilities:
- Plan in the agenda moments dedicated to the review of activities, especially those in which you do not yet feel totally efficient and performing in order to become aware of mistakes or areas for improvement
- Schedule, in the multitude of daily activities, moments to be dedicated exclusively to the observation, without judgment, of other people, colleagues or guests who interact in order to recognize the dynamics that occur and arise between them
- Make questions on how to improve the approach and way of working, also consulting other people in order to get their valuable point of view and some practical advice
- Change perspective and perceptive position by putting oneself in the role of the guest (or a colleague) in order to understand needs, desires and expectations that are not recognizable if we stay in our usual way of looking at things
- Develop a systemic vision, i.e. the ability to understand how all things in the world of work are linked and connected, in order to act for the collective good and not only for the personal one
To conclude, as the writer Paul Valéry said, “those who want to do great things must think deeply about the details”. Only by recognizing the causes that generate a superficial approach and by working hard to create a careful mentality and a systemic vision, can the hotels that operate in the world of hospitality aim to become excellences in this industry.
Have a nice day,
Hospite team