Walk a Mile in their Shoes
As the famous proverb goes, one cannot know another’s reality unless one walks a mile in their shoes. Home Depot recently took that concept to heart, announcing that senior management will be required to work a full-shift on the floor at a Home Depot location once a quarter in order to get a more nuanced understanding of what their employees are facing and what the consumer is demanding.
As I read the article, I chuckled…because I did something similar 30 years ago when I was CEO at what is today known as Destination Madison. In order for my professional staff to experience what the consumer was saying (beyond meeting them on the trade show floor), we all (me too) were expected to pick up a couple of noon hours at the front desk each month. I know that some groused a bit, but no one could dispute that we all had a better understanding of the consumer…and a greater appreciation of the role our receptionist played as part of the team.
Like most DMOs, the professional staff at Newport Beach & Company worked from home during those early and dark days of the Plague. But CEO Gary Sherwin noticed something. As much as their remote productivity was high, their spacial awareness of the product they were selling was slowly diminishing. Because they weren’t driving to the office from their respective homes across the community, they weren’t seeing the businesses along their route that were closing (or, more importantly, opening). Gary quickly realized that driving to work each day was a competitive advantage.
When David DuBois took the helm of Visit Fort Worth, he did something pretty remarkable. And, pretty intentional. As he and his wife searched for a house, they stayed in the hotels he would be ultimately selling as part of the destination package his team was marketing. Knowing what a grind it is to move from hotel to hotel, a lot of incoming CEOs would prefer to settle at one hotel or arrange for a condo rental during the transition. But by bouncing from hotel to hotel each week, David not only experienced each property but had the chance to interact with the GMs and staff on a much more meaningful level.
Which brings me to an associated concept. There have been several times in my career as a consultant that spends alot of time in hotels (in which the client CEO puts me up) that they believe I will enjoy. And, I appreciate and thank them for that. However, while the hotel may have just spent millions on their public space, the room is an embarrassment. But, it’s not the DMO CEO’s fault, as they rarely see the room; they only marvel at the public space. So, here’s my suggestion. Carve out a few thousand dollars in the budget to clandestinely send staff into your top 5 hotels a few nights a year to secret shop the joint. As Todd Rundgren once said, you may be surprised. And, you’ll know what you’re selling.
And this, from our friend Doug Price, CEO of Visit Colorado Springs. The more time a CEO spends with Board Leadership, the better the working relationship can be. I know a lot of CEOs feel it best to let sleeping dogs lie…but that rarely works in the long run. Doug and his Board Leadership have been participants in the Board Leadership for Destinations Symposium the past two years. While there, his Board members met peers from other Colorado destinations, which turned into a desire to take the roundtable discussions they enjoyed at the Symposium to a higher level. They recently met to better understand the challenges and opportunities each Board was facing and came away even more energized than they were after the Symposium. And, Doug shared that the time spent in the car with his Board Leaders was more invaluable than he ever imagined.
It’s like our friend Tom Martin says…it’s all about propinquity.
How will you work the floor, answer the phones, drive the streets, experience the products and connect the dots with community leaders?
Til next time,
Bill
