From the desk of Signature Parking Founder & CEO Michael Holmstrom. The Weekly Drive is a collection of company news, ideas & inspiration that can drive us all to be better humans.
Signature Updates
We launched a leadership meeting series this past week for our So Cal hotel management team. This bi-weekly zoom call is designed to support our managers and provide leadership training and development. Our growth over the past few years has created many new managerial roles in the company and we’re always looking to develop and promote from within to fill these positions. If you think you might have what it takes and a desire to grow and develop your skills with Signature, please let your manager or regional manager know!
Signature Moments & Customer Feedback
Trip Advisor Review from a guest at the La Peer Hotel. “Shout out to the Valet Parking guys who were super friendly and polite!!!”
Kudos to the La Peer Team for delivering great service at our newest location! Keep up the good work team. = )
Insights
Faking it at work. In the hospitality industry, we’re engaged in what social scientists might refer to as “Emotional Labor”. What is emotional labor? It’s when you put on a smile, car after car, putting on an act for every guest, lest they be offended and also because your job requires it right? At the end of the day, hundreds of interactions like this can leave us feeling exhausted. This act we put on all day is called “Surface-Acting”.
“Surface acting is like wearing a mask that you take off at the end of the day. “It feels like the simple way to distance yourself from the role, but it creates a sense of being inauthentic which can take a real toll”
Doing this day after day can be exhausting and lead to burnout. We don’t want you to burn out so I’m here to tell you there’s an alternative to surface acting called “deep acting”. Instead of putting on the mask each day, you actually try to feel the emotion. That way, it comes out naturally. So instead of “Fake it til you make it, it’s Feel It so you don’t have to fake it”. Deep acting is just modifying your own feelings to appear in the way you’re expected to appear. Interested in learning more? Listen to the talk below…
Listen to Faking your emotions at work (Worklife, Adam Grant)
Adam interviews actor John Lithgow who shares some great insights on how he gets into character, delivers great performances, and avoids burnout. There are also insights from inside a Zappos call center.
Leveling Up
One of our core values at Signature Parking is to Seek Genuine Connection. One of the ways we do this is by personalizing guest experiences through empathy, generosity, and gratitude. On your next shift, instead of putting on the mask and surface acting, practice your deep acting by looking for a way you can connect with your guest on a personal level. Smile, make eye contact, listen from the heart, and be your authentic self as you respond!
Also Worth Reading: 10 Ways to deepen your connection with others (Chopra.com)
Quotes worth pondering
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
– Carl Jung
Reach Out! I love to hear from our team members. Please feel free to reply to this email with any thoughts, feedback, or ideas for discussion.