What time does breakfast start?
A guest asks when breakfast starts. One follow-up question reveals what the family needs and what the team needs to be able to help.
“What time does breakfast start?”
Imagine you’re working at reception. You’ve answered this question many times. This time, you add a question of your own.
“Seven o’clock. Do you need to head out early?”
“Yes. My daughter’s competing for the first time tomorrow. We need to leave at quarter to seven.”
Now you know a little more about the family in front of you. Why the timing matters. What they need help with.
Perhaps you can arrange some breakfast for them to take away. Perhaps you need to speak to a colleague.
One small follow-up question has opened up an opportunity to help.
And this is where leadership comes in:
What have we put in place to help that team member take the next step?
Does the team know what can be arranged? Which decisions they can make? Who they can turn to for help?
What happens in a few seconds at reception says something about the work behind the scenes. How we prepare, what we practise and how we help each other every day.
These are the moments I explore in my keynote:
“For you, it’s routine. For your guest, it’s the first time.”
About knowing your job while staying curious about the person in front of you. About judgement, collaboration and the leader’s role in making it possible for people to act.
What questions are you asked so often that the answers almost come automatically?
If you’re planning a conference, leadership day or team gathering and would like to take the conversation further, you can read more about the keynote here:
Let’s start with a conversation
What would you
like to improve?
You don’t need a finished brief. Start with the challenge you’re facing.
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