On Thursday morning shortly before 5AM, I checked
my luggage for a 6AM flight at the Delta counter in
Memphis. Greeting me with a hug and a 5,000 watt
smile was a counter agent by the name of Verna, a
lady we've written about before. Even more
resplendent than usual, she was totally decked out in
pink attire, in celebration of Delta's campaign to raise
awareness (and funds) for breast cancer research .
After exchanging pleasantries, I asked for her
thoughts about the pink campaign at Delta. At this
point, Verna practically gushed with pride about "the
opportunity to participate", as opposed to "some
program they're making us do"), the research dollars
being generated, and indeed her own mother's
successful battle with the disease. A follow-up
conversation with a flight attendant aboard my flight
(no, it wasn't the pink plane) yielded similar
feelings.
Here's the deal: All of us, at some level, want to be a
part of something bigger than ourselves. Leaders
who find a way to tap into that desire reap the reward
of a significant motivational burst. This has not been
lost on managers in the hospitality industry who amp
the efforts of their workforce through sponsorship and
participation in causes such as Share Our
Strength, dedicated to ending hunger.
It has become manifestly apparent of late that, for the
next little while, each of us will probably tend to be
more self-absorbed than usual, given the state of the
economy, concern for our livelihood and financial
welfare, and, did I mention two shooting wars? In view
of that, it would seem that smart managers might be
able to redirect some of that attention to a worthy
cause, do some good, and motivate more "Verna-like"
behavior in the process. That sounds like a triple play
to me. Give it a try.
