Eight Lessons From the Front #8 Find Ways to Serve

This is the final section of a commencement address I have serialized here. I was honored to address the graduating classes of University Center Cesar Ritz, a group of international hospitality colleges in Brig, CH, where I taught managerial marketing for several summers. The speech was entitled Eight Lessons From the Front, summarizing some principles I believe, having learned them the hard way.

#8 Find Ways to Serve
One of the things I have done right in my career is carving out time to be involved with my communities. In General Mills days, I worked in county politics; was active in the Citizens’ League, a non-partisan public policy group; served on the board of the public broadcasting station and, briefly, on the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs. I was a founding board member of the National Council on Children and Television. When I moved to Washington to join Marriott, I served on Sharon Rockefeller’s Corporation for Public Broadcasting task force on alternative ways to fund public broadcasting. In Seattle, I have served on the board of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, was director of adult education at my church, and serve as trustee of a public land trust and a jazz orchestra.

My purpose in naming these is not to pat myself on the back, but to suggest that it is easy to become involved, to contribute your time and talents to your community. But more to the point – it is of value to you to do so. I meet people from very different walks of life, people with whom I would never rub elbows in my corporate world, very unlike in views and values my associates or my clients. To hear their thoughts and perspectives stimulate my thoughts and broaden my perspectives. And that helps me look ahead, be a better and more empathetic boss, grasp what trends and issues are shaping our environment.

Get out of your offices each week or once each month at least, and be of service to some group or organization different from your own. Four Seasons knows that this is important; they expect each member of their hotel executive committees to serve on the board of a community non-profit organization – not for pr or leads to business (yes, there’s that, too) but to develop and broaden their managers.

Of course, the most important group to serve, to devote time to, is your family. Whether spouse or companion or kids or parents, we all have someone to serve who deserves our attention, time and concern. Don’t let work demands, and they are heaviest in the early days of your career, short-change the time and love your family needs and deserves. Tolstoy said happiness is loving your work and loving those for whom you work (and he was not talking about your boss.) I wish I had done a better job of balancing my work, my service and my family – but that’s a very different story.

Serving and loving: this brings us full circle, doesn’t it -- back to the first of my Eight Lessons From the Front --Find Work You Love. Then, Choose the Right People to Associate With; Don’t Manage – Lead; Be Forward Looking; Think Small; Empathize; Execute Relentlessly; and Find Ways to Serve. I hope recalling one or another of these when you are on the brink of a mistake proves of help. And I hope you find in this hospitality industry the satisfactions, the challenges, and the rewards that have so enriched my life. Go forth and make good luck happen.