Ask people why they return to a hotel, or to any business for that matter, and you rarely hear about square footage or the best wi-fi. Guests remember how a front-desk agent made a frazzled family feel welcome at 2 a.m., or how a waiter made a birthday unforgettable without being asked. Those seemingly small gestures are the visible edge of a larger truth: memorable experiences begin long before a guest crosses the threshold. They start with culture.

Environment = Culture, Culture = Behavior

Leaders spend a lot of time talking about “experience design.” We prototype lobbies, simplify apps and tweak coffee aromas. All those matters, but none of it works if the people delivering the service feel anxious, undervalued or disconnected. The real “environment” we create for our teams is cultural, not physical. Culture, in turn, is nothing more than the sum of our daily behaviors. If we want guests to feel cared for, we must first make sure our people experience that care themselves.

The Two Behaviors That Matter Most

I always challenge my team to make selflessness and generosity non-negotiable when they lead.

• Selflessness; the willingness to put collective goals ahead of individual convenience.
• Generosity; the instinct to give more than is strictly required, whether that is time, expertise or praise.

These traits sound lofty, yet they show up in simple, repeatable actions: a housekeeper leaves a handwritten note because she understands the power of personal connection; a maintenance engineer swaps shifts so a colleague can attend a child’s concert. They are small sacrifices that ripple outward, creating a workplace where people feel safe enough to think beyond their job description.

Trust cannot be mandated; it is earned in increments. Leaders earn it when they admit gaps in their own knowledge, when they show up for a night shift just to say thank you. Collaboration follows naturally because people gravitate toward colleagues who make them feel valued.

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Inspire Your People: Find the Why

To sustain selflessness and generosity, leaders must go deeper than skills training or incentives. We need to help every team member discover their personal “why.” When people connect their daily tasks to a purpose that resonates, their work becomes an act of self-expression rather than obligation. My job, and yours if you lead a team, is to share the organization’s purpose clearly and often, then invite colleagues to link it to their own ambitions. Purpose fuels inspiration; inspiration fuels service.

Safety First: Why Belonging Drives Performance

Great leaders make people feel safe. Not in a patronizing “everything is fine” way, but through consistent signals that mistakes can be discussed, ideas can be challenged, and contributions will be recognized. Safety fosters belonging and belonging unlocks energy. When employees trust that the team will catch them if they stumble, they feel empowered to turn routine service into unforgettable moments for the guests.

At Radisson Hotel Group, one of the simplest barometers of safety is when we have fun in all that we do, which if one our core beliefs, walk through a back-of-house corridor: if you hear jokes being traded between departments, collaboration is alive. If the space feels tense, no amount of digital wizardry at the front desk will compensate.

Turning Culture into Competitive Advantage

Selflessness and generosity are not soft virtues; they are hard drivers of repeat business. In properties where employee engagement scores sit at the top, we see a consistent correlation in guest satisfaction and significant drops in staff turnover.

Connect to purpose. Purpose is the best fuel for generosity. Create a culture where people feel they belong, help them find their way and their why, and they will create moments your guests always will remember.

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