Lagniappe
What inspired you to giveaway the FitBit to your executive team members ? I have always been intrigued by creating positive , friendly service habits as part of our culture . The Fitbit continuously reminds you that you have to move . Managers need to be out there with team members so they can be coached , which creates good service habits and gets rid of the bad ones . It ’ s obvious that the management team needs to be walking around to manage , especially in this day and age where restructuring and cost containment have reduced management levels in business .
Laurens Zieren
general manager , new York Hilton midtown , new York CitY
As general manager of New York City ’ s largest hotel , the 1,980-room New York Hilton Midtown , Laurens Zieren encourages his staff to be on their feet to create a positive service culture and eliminate workday boredom . To motivate the team to get moving , he gifted all executive level staff members a Fitbit to compete with one another on the number of steps taken each day . Zieren also implemented the Managing by Walking Around ( MBWA ) program to encourage managers from staying away from their desks . As a result , Zierens team is not only active on the job , but also on their days off .
Why did you choose to work in hotels ? My dad was in banking and I knew I wanted a job with more direct guest contact . At a high school study fair , I attended several presentations because I really had no idea what direction to go . The representatives from the hotel management school were the best dressed of them all . Sometimes life is that simple .
If you weren ’ t a hotelier , what would you be ? Most certainly a teacher . Sharing knowledge is one of the most rewarding activities I could possibly imagine . While sharing knowledge is part of my daily responsibilities , I truly hope I will have an opportunity to do some teaching after my general manager career comes to an end . If all that fails , I will open up a Harley Davidson dealership .
Who taught you your biggest life lesson , and what was it ? I was intrigued by Mitch Albom ’ s novel , “ The Five People You Meet in Heaven ,” which states that a huge number of people who have an impact on your life are those that you never meet . Outside of that , I think it ' s more circumstances than people that made me realize that life is short and we need to make every second count .
What is your favorite spot in New York City ? If I have to choose , I would say the High Line , an aerial greenway on an elevated section of a disused New York Central Railroad spur . I love the vegetation but also the fact that the opening of the High Line transformed not just the disused railroad tracks and created a park , but it also completely reenergized that area of Manhattan . It ’ s a true example of the ripple effect and proof that one “ small ” change can have an enormous impact .
72 HOTELS October 2015 www . hotelsmag . com