Danny Meyer is one of the most successful restauranteurs in New York. He got there, in part, by building a real spirit of hospitality within his company. Now he's teaching his approach to others.
One of his core beliefs is that it takes happy employees to make happy customers
This stands in stark contrast to many of his fellow restauranteurs who often see their employees as disposable commodities that must be closely managed in order to perform.
I'm a big fan of this "inside/out" approach to building something remarkable. First you create an environment where people who work for you feel appreciated and respected, then you create a process that allows them to extend that love to the people they encounter during the workday.
This is one of the lessons I hope more of us in the arts can embrace. All too often we treat our artists like commodities, teach them that their work is only of value to a small, elite, few and THEN expect them to deliver stellar performances.
Art is a people business. It's about human beings expressing themselves. Some choose to express themselves with their voice or a musical instrument. Others choose to express the art within them in places like marketing or management.
But if people are treated poorly then the art can't last. In any good organization a culture of respect and appreciation is vital.
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