Once in a while, we all read a book that we know will have an impact on the way we think for a long time or maybe forever. Unreasonable Hospitality has been one of those books for me. I paid my way through college working in retail so any book with a service industry background has a special place in my library. But, the lessons here ensure that I’ll be re-reading this one for years to come. Unreasonable Hospitality is written by Will Guidara the leader of Eleven Madison Park during its ascent from a 2-star french cafe in 2006 to being [named the world’s best restaurant in 2017](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/dining/a9234764/eleven-madison-park-best-restaurant-in-the-world/).  The book chronicles the rise of Will within Union Square Hospitality Group – the owner of Shake Shack and other well-known New York restaurants like Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern. Will describes the leadership principles created at EMP and his management frameworks for leading a team in the hospitality industry. Yet, so many of them apply to all businesses. ### “Black and white” vs. “color” “Black and white” equals the table stakes, you do your job efficiently and well. “Color” defines going above and beyond by making people feel special or adding the extra touch that goes a long way. Here’s an example from the book of a couple who left a bottle of champagne in their freezer before going to dinner and realizing it at the restaurant: > The sommelier saves the day by taking their keys and rescuing the bottle, so the couple can relax and finish their celebratory meal. When they arrive home, they find the champagne safely tucked into their fridge, along with a tin of caviar, a box of chocolates, and an anniversary card from the restaurant. Black and white would have been packing up a togo box or comping the meal. The experience above is “color” and color-filled stories become the company lore on which culture is built. I’ve been thinking a lot about this construct since reading “Your Midas Touch” by . She mentions an executive who realizes even great execution only gets you so far at the highest levels of any profession. At some point there’s a differentiation from the competition that must take place. That differentiation is done by executing in “color”. ### Conflicting Goals Force You to Innovate Will drove his team toward two North Stars – excellence and hospitality – which in the restaurant world are conflicting ideas. Excellence means that every single detail is taken care of. The silverware is polished by hand, the plates are set to perfection, and the linens are always perfectly crisp. Hospitality is the feeling of being at home or at a close friend’s place. How many of us enjoy going to a friend’s house where they are frazzled if even the tiniest detail is wrong? My guess is none. The same framework works for investing – you must be creative enough to imagine a future that doesn’t yet exist, and be excellent at running a process to ensure you don’t miss crucial risks within businesses. Creative, but process oriented. Excited, but calm and level-headed. Conflicting ideas, but necessary for long-term success. ### Offensive vs Defensive Hospitality We all mess up in life and in business. This construct is how we handle those mistakes. Defensive hospitality is correcting a mistake in the best way possible. Whether it’s a steak served over cooked or software going offline, you fix it quickly, admit fault and perhaps offer the customer something for free. Offensive hospitality means going on the hunt for things that make an experience special or a business run better. Here are two great examples from the book 1. EMP started Googling photos of guests so they could greet them like a friend at the door, no more checking in at the host stand. A small, but excellent touch. 2. When the recession hit in 2008, EMP didn’t wait for business to return, instead they re-examined all of their processes for waste no matter how small because “raindrops make oceans.” Don’t wait, play offense. ### Luxury and Hospitality Luxury means just giving more – that can be more returns, more features, etc… Hospitality means being thoughtful. If we take this out of the restaurant world and apply it to our own businesses, this means adding the perspective of our shareholders or customer to our product or decision-making. Perspective has an expiration date, no matter how hard you try to prevent it. We get promoted, we have levels of management between us and our customers, our champion moves on and we’re not as close to the new one. It happens. But, when you lose perspective, you lose empathy and we’d all be better off if we remember what it’s like to be our customers, our shareholders, or our employees. ### …but wait, there’s more These were my 3 favorite takeaways, but it was hard to choose them from a long list. Other lessons I really enjoyed: - Tap into people’s passions and give them the keys. As leaders, our job is to find the strengths and passions of those who work with us and then give them the freedom to excel. - Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. This one isn’t specific to the book, but a great tip for anyone who’s job is to communicate at a high-level. - Success comes in can’s, failure comes in can’ts. - “It was a different kind of correct.” Sometimes there’s more than 1 right answer and this is a great phrase for it. - Do less, and do it well. Similar to Munger’s “take simple, and take it seriously.” - The 95/5 Rule – manage 95 percent of your business to perfection and allow 5% for unhindered creativity. If you can’t already tell, I’m a huge fan of this book as it has so many great lessons wrapped up in an amazing story. We’re all in the hospitality industry in some way shape or form and the sooner we embrace it, the more successful we can be. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t have a happy ending. In 2017, Will and his business partner Daniel Hamm split. But, I’m hopeful these techniques outlast any restaurant, even the best one.