While having dinner on the Presidential Yacht, Sequoia, in Washington, DC, I had the opportunity to have a conversation with a fellow committee member, Bill Marriott Jr. I asked him the secret to his success in finding the best general managers for his hotels. I waited for an in depth explanation; perhaps he used a reverse evaluation to determine how each manager worked with his staff. Perhaps he employed a test that was an industry standard related to hotel managers. His reply was simply,

“When I visit each hotel, I get the general manager and take him or her to the ‘Heart of the House.’ This term is used to describe the center of all activity housekeeping, reservations, bookkeeping; it is the focal point or nerve center of the hotel. As I walk with the GM I take careful notice of how he or she is greeted. If the staff walks up with a smile, looking forward to seeing the manager, this is a great sign.