The Ritz-Carlton Way Starts with Exceptional Communication

I’ve often heard that Ritz-Carlton is a model for how an organization should provide service to its customers. Having never stayed in one of their hotels, I knew little else. Recently, I had the opportunity to learn more about Ritz-Carlton and I am struck about how much of their success hinges on effective communication.

I’ve spent my career working in communication jobs of one form or another and I have worked through lots of words crafted by senior leaders to guide the work of the organization. I’ve written and edited many mission and vision statements as well as goals and objectives. Along the way, I’ve had many conversations with business leaders who think that the more words they share the more they are communicating. Not so.

Ritz-Carlton is now my favorite illustration of how less is more in communication. This global company, with operations that span many countries and cultures, has the most clearly articulated vision and implementation plan that I have seen. The Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards use plain language to inform every employee of what they need to do to support the organizational business plan. It is easy to understand and it all fits on one page.

These straightforward words are then shared using simple tools. They are provided to all employees on a card that can fit in a pocket. They are reviewed and highlighted through success stories at brief and daily team meetings.

We can all benefit from this lesson in communication simplicity. If your goal is to share something—to provide helpful information or direction—then remember: less is more. Challenge yourself to communicate with clear language and with only the words that are absolutely needed to relay the message.

Don’t get caught up in the thrill of using multi-syllabic words that would impress an English teacher or try to account for every contingency with lists of adjectives, nouns, or examples. Forget complex sentence structures. All those extra words and punctuation are clouding, rather than clarifying, your meaning. Don’t worry about what communication vehicle is getting the latest buzz—use the method that will reach the right people.

De-clutter your writing and your means of sharing information and my bet is that your meaning will come through better in the end. Great communication begins with a well-defined message that is shared effectively.

Whenever you start thinking that your topic is complicated and needs a lot of text to be communicated or the latest technology to be understood, go back to the Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards. Is what you need to communicate really more complicated than that global company’s need to provide excellent service from every employee to every customer at every location? Probably not.