what is the next worst thing? How can we plan for that?
--list of unexpected events

the staff most be given individualized attention
--what are their aspirations?
--how can the organization serve the staff?
--are they in it for just a job, or do they have a purpose?
--can every employee tell you what the organization's purpose is?
--how easy it for employees to access learning opportunities?
--how do we measure employee and customer satisfaction?

how can we show people that they are worthy of a clean and wonderful place?

what expectations do guests have that they don't even know they have?

How can we include our guests in a one of a kind moment that they won't get anywhere else?

How can you make a guest go "wow" in less than 5 minutes?

What opportunities are there to make guests feel special?
-this is why we use their names where possible

-process
How should we talk to people?
How should we make food?
How should we make the place comfortable?
How should we use this equipment?
How should we use this machine?

When a mistake happens, check the process or activity instead of finding someone to blame- look for what, rather than who.

Listen to the people who use your business, because their complaints generally give you clues about how to improve your process.

People are always losing time, and we can give them more time by speeding up our processes.

Things that are especially frustrating or annoying are bottlenecks that can benefit most from refining how we do things.

What can people do to ease the frustration that comes from waiting? In a service industry, giving them attention often alleviates the underlying fears that arise when people feel like they have nothing to do.

Look to see yourself what's working and what's not working- be in the same room as your customers. Interact with your customers.

Is it possible to fill special requests in advance?
-What special requests are most frequent?

Is it possible to call guests and talk to them to apologize instead of e-mailing them? A two-way conversation has the added benefit of revealing more information about the guest's dissatisfaction.

Always pay attention to your staff to learn about both their complaints and customer's complaints. Staff often get complained too the most.

Why do we do it this way?
What would happen if we didn't do it like this?
What's something bad that could happen if we change it?

People don't give you information when it appears that you don't use it. By posting complaints on a bulletin board, you show that you're listening to them. Without follow-up, people don't believe you.

What should we stop doing the way we're doing it?
What should we start doing in a particular way?
What should we continue doing the way we're doing it?

The people on the ground are in the best place to see how we can improve what we're doing, so ask them how to improve frequently.

Details matter exponentially at scale.

How can units within the same organization help check each other's processes? By looking at someone else's area, it's easier to learn how things are controlled, what they cost, and how things are done. By finding out how things are done elsewhere and suggesting improvements there, you may find ways to improve your own area.

What's the worst that could happen in five years? What can we do to prepare for that time?

Of all the responsibilities chosen, which ones are the priority today? In what order?

When you change somethng, people will resist. Someone put the process in for a reason- what is that reason? Is there a way to try the change in a tiny, short-term way that can be easily reversed? Ask to try.

How can you show the frontline that a change is something to try? Often the people on the ground are afraid to lose the way they live their lives. By showing people that your change will not change how they live their lives, and might even add to it, you can alleviate their fears.

Every time you change something, give people an explanation about why you're changing that thing. Listen to their feelings about the possibilities of this change. Explain how this change will affect them, and why it's important for getting them what they want. Every change you make is reversible- reverse it if it ceases to help you accomplish the mission.

All the ways things are done work in some places but not others. Notice when something works for you and when it doesn't.

Every change is an experiment, to be kept or discarded if it works toward the mission.

-Ask employees what stops them from getting their jobs done.
-Ask customers about what's frustrating, and what they like and don't like about your business.
-Follow-up on every change months later.

Track possible improvements.

Walk around your area, to every aspect of your business.

By walking around where you live and talking to everyone, you stay in touch with your area.

Ask the people you meet as you walk around if there's anything you can do to make their life easier.

Is there a way to easily display the things you notice as you walk around to everyone who needs to know? Recall from James Mattis: "what do I know, who needs to know, and have I told them?"

Have 1-on-1s frequently, where you ask about people, processes, projects, and purpose.
-People: who is doing well? Who isn't doing well?
-Processes: What's doing well? What isn't?
-Projects: how are things being improved? What's in the way of improvements?
-Purpose: are we doing the best we can for our purpose with what we have? What are the costs of what we're doing?

Go to their place, don't make them come to yours.

Bring small groups together to find out what they know by listening to what they say to each other.
-what happens on your job that makes you want to quit?
-what do you most want for your unit right now?

How do we make things seem safe enough for everyone to be more open?

Every time someone gives you information, it's an opportunity to build trust by acting on that information. How can you build common knowledge that you act on everyone's requests, not just one person's?

Getting closer to where people are makes them feel safe. For example, sitting next to them instead of sitting behind a desk. This also works more abstractly, by touching their feelings, as in acknowledging and labeling the emotions they might normally be expected to hide.
-An anonymous feedback form works wonders.
-Thank people for saying what they think- don't shoot the messenger.
-Ask probing questions after follow-up questions to get more information. After you get that information, ask: what would you like me to do?
-Come up with the worst questions someone might ask, and then come up with answers that fit your purpose.
-"I don't know, but I'm happy to find out for you" gives you more social capital than trying to avoid admitting that you don't know.

What question do you wish no one will ever ask you?
-Why don't I get paid more?
-Things changed, and we lost some things in that change. How do we get what we like back?
-How do we work together when we don't trust each other?
-How can we reward seniority while also paying attention to individual needs?
-How can we keep people who fit us well while lowering costs?
-Why do things get more expensive?
-Why do you earn so much and I earn so little?
-How can get more out of this company?

What costs a lot?
-How can we reduce costs?
-Ask the people on the ground how to reduce costs.
--How can we lower costs while fulfiling our purpose?

Appreciation, recognition, and encouragement inspire people to flourish with you. The more energy you give by attuning to people enough to show them thoughtful appreciation, the more energy you get.

What shows someone that they matter to you?

Call them by something they remember. Remember where they've been and where they're going. Show them that they matter as individuals.

Praise in private, punish in private. Say good things about people behind their back. Find a way to include the people they love in their praise- consider giving a prize to loved ones and asking them to celebrate with that prize. How can you make loved ones proud of their people?
-Give extra praise to frontline people, since they're ultimately the most important parts of the organization.

Noticing and recognizing when someone is doing well does way more than noticing and punishing when someone is doing badly. The shorter the gap is for reinforcement, the faster people learn.

Make them feel like they matter individually, pay close attention to them, and give them the means to find information.

Write down the names of people you want to acknowledge every day.

What are the most common questions that customers have?
What do the customers need?
What do the customers want?
What do they expect?
What do customers feel when they're with us?

You can't teach culture, you can only model it.