Most of us have a handle on one year out, maybe even two or three. But, have you thought about what's being done right now to preserve or develop a legacy which will last beyond the life of the building, current management, or the people eating in the restaurant? Will the property be as special twenty or fifty years from now?
Staying power in just about anything is built on stories, tradition and character and the experiences that made them. In cases like The Alamo and World Trade Center, they're event centered with single memories so powerful, they last forever. Most hotels though are challenged to keep things going, to rekindle the flame from time to time and sometimes reinvent themselves altogether to ensure long-term success.
If the focus in your company is to get from year to year, or worse, from quarter to quarter, eventually, things are going to fizzle. The style will become passe, the food boring, the banner revenue year will be forgotten and the location won't be so good anymore. So, what are you going to hang your hat on?
At the next annual strategy/budget meeting ask this of yourselves...what are we doing now that has a chance of being remembered in fifty years? What stories are we creating which will resonate for generations to come? Are any of our actions significant enough to be memorable beyond our lifetime?
Remarkable things have a chance because they have meaning. Everything else is just filler.
Thanks for the post inspiration...Chuck.