Earlier this year, a dear friend of mine called. He was out of options to treat his cancer. He would enter hospice care soon.
I had a dentist appointment the next morning, and when I arrived at the office, the receptionist greeted me.
“How are you?" she asked.
I decided to be honest. I told her about my friend and how devasted I was at the thought of losing him. And I cried—right there in the waiting area.
My dentist very sweetly offered her condolences as she examined me. When my appointment was up, I headed back to the reception area.
There, waiting for me, was a bouquet of flowers.
I was deeply touched by this simple act. Not only did the staff hold space for my grief, but their thoughtfulness made me feel seen and cared for. And that’s all we really want, right?
Their gift reminded me of the power of paying attention.
In his book, Unreasonable Hospitality, author Will Guidara challenges us to pay attention to both the spoken and unspoken needs of others so we can go above and beyond for them.
As the former general manager of New York City’s famous Eleven Madison Park restaurant, he invites us all to use his hospitality-first approach to make everyone feel welcome and accepted.
The key is to offer your undivided attention—to be fully present for others so you know exactly what makes them feel seen.
This, of course, has myriad benefits for both our personal and professional relationships, and for organizations inside and outside of the hospitality industry.
I’m now hyper-aware of how I show others unreasonable hospitality, and of how others show it to me. And I love this concept so much that this book is now required reading for my annual Leadership Circle cohort.
If you’d like a copy of my Unreasonable Hospitality reading guide, which includes a recap of each chapter and a few helpful self-reflection questions, simply send me an email with “Guide," and I’ll send one your way.
Here’s to paying attention—and to being unreasonable.
Rooting for you,
Regan
P.S. Ready to rev up your people? As a professional keynote speaker and leadership facilitator, I can help you do just that.