The client challenge

Our client from the hotel hospitality and leisure industry was looking for something completely different.

All 19 senior managers have spent many hours working through management development and training programmes. They did not want the ordinary and the mundane and were keen to avoid the same approach that has been used internally.

They challenged blackswan to transport their key Directors to a different level and for them to broaden their horizons. The objective was to create a session which was thought provoking, fast, furious and fun.

With some key decisions to be made following the session it was critical to cover the key issues, understand whether the team members were bought into the vision and strategy for the business and to gain a commitment to build and grow the business.

The blackswan solution

blackswan delivered a short, sharp and impactful 2 hour session for 19 of the senior managers. 80% of the Managers polled at the beginning of the workshop felt that their customer service scores were not acceptable. However 87% of these managers felt that they personally had the capacity and ability to change theses scores.

We compared the reviews of the hotel versus the best in the world. We compared the language. We looked at the differences.

How could the client transport itself to be the best of the best? We transported the team to 2013. A letter was delivered to them from their CEO: “Congratulations, you have been awarded the Top European Hotel of 2013”.

So, what does it feel like? How are you now operating? What does it feel like to work here? We looked again at the scores on the doors for staff, systems and customer experience and really challenged each other to believe that this was real.

There were no boundaries, no rules and regulations and no constraints. Everything was possible!

The client outcome

At the end of the session, each team member left with personal list of actions to take away that would transport them from 2010 to 2013.

Being the best feels fantastic, it is achievable and by looking beyond the horizon a whole new world of opportunities and options open up to individuals.

A clear understanding of what ‘REAL’ success could look like. Without focussing on the short term, the workshop was designed to transport people to a different place where the ultimate success was theirs.

What did it feel like?  What does it look like? Then coming back to the day-today reality; what should they be doing today, tomorrow and the next day to ensure this success happens.