In the previous lesson, we had looked at how people need to see that they are part of something larger than themselves; that their work matters. In this lesson, we explore the second element in the V-RAMP model.
Relationships
In the year 2017, Hyatt Corporation featured in the annual Gallup Great Workplace Awards list. For the sixth time.
What gives?
The Hyatt Group boasts high employee retention and long tenure in an industry notorious for its high employee turnover. On average, an employee in housekeeping stays with Hyatt for more than 12 years, and General Managers have an average tenure of 22 years.
Contrast that with the fact that in early 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an annualized employee turnover rate of 73.8 percent in the Hospitality Sector. That’s more than 6 percent of staff departing every single month!
Something marvellous is afoot within Hyatt. Clearly, their leadership team is doing something very right.
Is Hyatt on to something?
Pete Sears, Group President – Americas for Hyatt has this to say: “Members of the Hyatt family consistently use empathy to build deep relationships not only with our guests and but also with each other, and our distinct culture reflects an environment where people can be their true selves.”
Deep relationships…. People can be their true selves…. How interesting! They are on to something there.
Learning from Science
According to Daniel Goleman, renowned author and science journalist, our brains very design makes it sociable. We are hardwired for relationships.
It would stand to reason that this holds true at the workplace too. And it does. Humans seek deep social connections in the workplace. People have a powerful inherent need to have good friends at work, team members they can trust, and feel cared for. The quality of relationships people have at work are a huge motivator for them when it comes to feeling engaged, as ratified by studies conducted by consulting major, Gallup Inc.
According to studies, workplace relationships have a 16% to 33% weightage in engagement. Hardly surprising, considering that on an average, most people spend 60% of their waking hours at work.
The leadership at Hyatt seems to have tapped into this dynamic quite nicely.
Teaching People to Build Deep Meaningful Connections
In the last few years, the leadership at Hyatt rolled out a training program called “Change the Conversation,” based on principles from the Stanford
School of Design that emphasize listening.
Little wonder then that if you were to browse through Hyatt employee forums and feedback online, country notwithstanding, you’ll notice a very remarkable trend – the employees really do feel part of a closely knit ‘Hyatt family’. You’ll see the word ‘family’ turn up repeatedly on these forums. They really do feel cared for, and they trust their own.
In Conclusion
When people have their inherent need for deep social connections met at the workplace, work becomes more than just a job. It becomes an environment that brings out the best in them; it becomes a happy workplace that they love coming to.
Just ask someone from the Hyatt family!
