Thinking about hospitality
I just read two great posts about hospitality. This one, from Chris Bailey at Alchemy of Soulful Work, spins off an article in Fast Company about New York restauranteur Danny Meyer, who said:
- Virtually nothing else is as important as how one is made to feel in any transaction. Hospitality exists when you believe the other person is on your side.
Chris says:
- what would happen if we think of the transaction as a binding force for a relationship? How would our business change if we acknowledged that a transaction is not only a financial exchange, but also an exchange of feelings, hopes, and dreams?
What if, indeed. Then there’s Michael Chaffin’s take on the topic here, which reminds us what exactly hospitality is supposed to mean.
Both are great reads, and good ideas to contemplate as we head toward the new year.
January 1st, 2007 at 1:12 pm
This is so true. Have you noticed how often negotiation is portrayed as a type of battle. To often it is possible to hear; âI hammered them into the ground.â Or âThey never knew what hit them.â As opposed to; âWe reached a decision amicable to both sides.â Or âIt was a pleasure negotiating with Mr or Ms X, the conclusion is to our joint advantage.
There are two things that stand out to me as the differences to approach.
Usually it will be men taking the aggressive stand when expressing how they negotiated. Women rarely do this. Sorry gentlemen if that goes against the grain, but next time you are in a group talking about this subject listen to the comments from the male side.
The second point is that under no circumstances must the other person think they have been beaten. Get someone in a fighting mood and there is no way you will persuade them.
Basic but so often forgotten.
All the best John
www.AnEnglishmanAbroad.com
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