On my recent 2.5-week trip to Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, I had the blessing of staying in 5-star hotels. However, there was a notable difference in how each treated its customers. In Cambodia, my room had wooden shutters between the shower and the bedroom, a...
Grow Your Key Talent Blog
Do your client gifts go awry?
Many companies like to show their appreciation for loyalty by adding extras to their repeat customers' experience. It's common in hotels to upgrade their loyal customers with in-room treats. While I never expect these, I appreciate them even if the item isn't to my...
Have you taken a bubble break lately?
While on a 10-hour layover in Hong Kong, I cooled my jets in the Cathay Pacific business class lounge. There are rarely kids in these lounges as families with kids don't often travel in business class. But today there are 3 little ones ages 2-5 belonging to one...
Hospitality lessons learned from an unusual source
"Hello! What is your name?" the young man greeted me as I entered the facility. "I'm Rebecca." "I'm Brian" he responded with a broad smile. "I'm glad to meet you Brian." With that, he took me by the hand and introduced me to his several dozen pals who he hung out with...
The longing for connection
I believe a fundamental human longing is for connection. Most of us get this need met through friends and family, and sometimes we look for connection through brief interactions with strangers. I guess I was wanting to connect with the elderly Japanese couple seated...
Are you being helpful — or hurtful?
Sometimes our friends and colleagues ask us for feedback. Other times we think our feedback will help them see a blind spot that we think they should know. But no matter if the input is asked for or not, we're never quite sure how it will be received. I recently spent...
Travel Angels Redux
A few years ago, I wrote another piece about travel angels. What are they? When I travel, especially abroad, I am touched by the kindness of others. I call them my travel angels. We had many in our week in Myanmar. In Hong Kong, on the way from the airport to our...
Been inspired lately?
Lisa (in purple) helped start the savings group A few weeks ago I visited some projects our Together We Can Change the World foundation supports with SE Asian disadvantaged women and children in Myanmar (Burma). In addition to visiting several schools, we visited an...
How long will you tolerate dysfunctional behavior?
I heard a story recently about an executive displaying highly dysfunctional behavior. She is high enough in the organization to get away with not being disciplined or fired. But she's not emotionally mature enough to understand how her actions have negative...