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When the pandemic hit, the worldwide journey trade almost collapsed in a single day. Few corporations felt the shockwaves as deeply as Marriott Worldwide, the biggest lodge firm on the planet with 8,800 properties and almost 800,000 staff.
Whole companies had been pressured to close their doorways, frontline staff had been left in limbo, and leaders confronted a once-in-a-generation check: how do you navigate disaster whereas preserving folks related, motivated, and ready for a future that appears nothing just like the previous?
This was the fact for Ty Breland, Marriott’s Chief Human Sources Officer and Govt Vice President of International Operations Providers. His problem wasn’t nearly preserving the lights on. It was about steering folks by probably the most disruptive moments in fashionable enterprise whereas laying the muse for the way forward for work.
In my dialog with Ty, we unpacked how Marriott confronted that storm head-on and used it to rethink management, resilience, and the way forward for work.
Hearken to the episode right here on Apple Podcast & go away a assessment!
Rising Ahead, Not Backward
What would you do if 90% of your organization’s enterprise disappeared in a single day? Some leaders would wrestle and do something to get issues again to the best way it used to. However within the wake of the pandemic, that wasn’t a part of the choice.
That’s why as a substitute of attempting to “get again to regular,” Marriott launched what Ty calls the “Rising Ahead Technique.” It’s this concept of not specializing in restoring what had been misplaced, however as a substitute, asking: what do we have to thrive sooner or later?
That mindset formed each resolution at Marriot, from management improvement to worker packages and know-how, and it turned a rallying cry as they moved past survival into progress.
Increasing the Definition of Nicely-Being
For Ty Breland, well-being might not be diminished to a gymnasium membership or a wellness perk. The disaster made it clear: the outdated playbook wasn’t sufficient. In a time of profound private and monetary stress, supporting staff meant addressing extra than simply bodily well being. It required a deal with psychological resilience, monetary safety, and the straightforward, every day expertise of feeling cared for at work.
As a result of when folks don’t really feel supported in all elements of their lives, they’ll’t totally present up at work—or, in Marriott’s case, for his or her company. To satisfy this problem, Marriott expanded its TakeCare program past the standard pillars of wellness, embedding psychological well being assets, monetary help, and holistic care into its tradition. It was a shift from perks to goal: a dedication to creating positive staff felt outfitted, valued, and able to thrive even within the hardest occasions.
From Annual Surveys to Actual-Time Listening
The pandemic was proof that in our world at the moment, change might occur in a single day. This implies leaders can’t simply go away issues to probability anymore, particularly in relation to engagement surveys.
For Ty Breland, the standard annual engagement survey felt like a relic of one other period. In a world the place circumstances might shift in a single day, ready twelve months to listen to from staff merely wasn’t quick sufficient. Actual management meant listening in actual time.
At Marriott, that shift took form by pulse surveys and direct conversations, creating a gentle rhythm of suggestions moderately than a once-a-year snapshot. However for Ty, it wasn’t nearly accumulating information—it was about demonstrating that management was paying consideration and prepared to behave.
Staff wanted to know their voices weren’t disappearing right into a spreadsheet; they wanted to see adjustments occur because of what they shared.
The outcome was a suggestions loop that stored staff engaged and related, even in probably the most unsure moments. By turning listening into motion, Marriott constructed belief at a time when folks wanted reassurance that their issues actually mattered.
Hearken to the episode right here on Apple Podcast & go away a assessment!
Tech-Enabled however Human-Centered
When the pandemic hit, know-how rapidly turned a lifeline for organizations in every single place. However Ty cautions in opposition to seeing it as the reply to all the pieces. As a substitute, he suggests being “tech-enabled however human-centered.” For him, know-how is a software, not a substitute for the human expertise.
At Marriott, that meant utilizing automation to take away the noise, not the nuance. Repetitive duties like information entry on the entrance desk might be streamlined by tech, releasing staff from administrative burdens. However the actual aim wasn’t effectivity for its personal sake. It was creating area for folks to do what they do finest: join.
In hospitality, the distinction between a keep and a memorable expertise is nearly at all times a human second. By letting know-how deal with the repetitive, Marriott ensured its staff might deal with the irreplaceable: making company really feel seen, welcomed, and valued.
Rethinking Change as Acceleration
For Ty, the outdated language of “change administration” not suits the second. Administration suggests management, gradual rollouts, and bracing for resistance. However in a world the place disruption is fixed, leaders can’t afford to maneuver at that tempo.
Fairly than “change administration,” he prefers the time period “change acceleration.” The aim isn’t to handle folks into compliance. It’s to align them rapidly, even when not everybody agrees. Ty burdened the distinction between alignment and consensus:
- Consensus can stall organizations in countless debate.
- Alignment creates readability and momentum.
Wholesome debate continues to be inspired, however as soon as route is about, the group strikes ahead along with the agility to course-correct when wanted. It’s an method that values pace, adaptability, and unity over perfection.
For Marriott, this mindset proved important, serving to the group reply to crises in actual time and construct a tradition able to thrive within the unknown.
Ultimate Takeaway
Guiding 800,000 staff by a world disaster required greater than regular administration—it demanded a reimagining of management itself. Ty Breland confirmed that resilience isn’t born in boardrooms. It’s solid within the on a regular basis experiences of staff who really feel supported, heard, and related.
Marriott’s story illustrates that the way forward for work received’t be outlined by technique decks or slogans, however by leaders prepared to increase how they view well-being, embrace know-how with out shedding humanity, and speed up change with readability and conviction.
Organizations could face totally different challenges, however the lesson stays common. The actual check of management isn’t consolation or perks. It’s whether or not you may lead with authenticity when the stress is highest, and whether or not your folks come out stronger on the opposite aspect.
To listen to how Ty Breland helped Marriott do precisely that, take heed to the total episode of Future Prepared Management. You’ll get greater than a disaster playbook. You’ll get the blueprint for the way forward for work.
