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The Character of Frontline Employees

Delighting guests means putting kindness and intelligence into action. Often, delight comes from something small doesn't cost a great deal—offering a pot of tea to someone who arrives with a cold, for example. You can't script or incentivize staff to do this. It would feel mechanical and lack authenticity. And it's not necessary. If you have the right people on board, they come to work with that motivation. They take personal pride and satisfaction in seeing to it that the guests are well cared for. Just as important, you must select and develop the right people as front-line leaders so they can create an environment in which people can be their best.

Source: The Ultimate Question 2.0 (p. 211)

Pixar: Hire for Excellence

When Pixar is evaluating potential hires they look for three traits: humor, the ability to tell a story, and an example of excellence. These aren’t unique qualities to assess in applicants, but how excellence is defined is not that common. It doesn’t matter what you are excellent at, just that you have reached a level of excellence. It’s important that you know what excellence feels like and what it takes to achieve it. It could be gardening, jujitsu, or cooking. The main thing is you’ve had a taste of excellence and will know how to get there again.

Source