1: Ever said, “It’s just quicker if I do it myself?”

Probably.

Yesterday, we looked at the powerful results of “the ownership program” at the New York City restaurant Eleven Madison Park where junior team members were given ownership of different types of beverages, including coffee, cocktails, and tea.

“I’m not going to lie,” General Manager Will Guidara acknowledges in his book Unreasonable Hospitality, “it’s much easier to … continue reading

1: It was the early 2000s. Will Guidara, the General Manager of Eleven Madison Park (EMP), “was lucky enough to was lucky enough to live around the corner from Ninth Street Espresso, one of the first serious espresso bars in New York City,” Will writes in his terrific book Unreasonable Hospitality.

The store’s owner, Ken Nye, “was notoriously exacting,” Will notes. He would adjust the coarseness of … continue reading

1: It was the team’s very first strategic planning meeting.

Everyone who worked at the New York City restaurant Eleven Madison Park was there. The team had been divided into ten groups.

The question General Manager Will Guidara had charged them with answering was: “What do we want to embody?”

As Will went from table to table, listening in, he noticed a certain tension.

“Some people were arguing passionately about … continue reading

1: A decade before their restaurant Eleven Madison Park (EMP) would be recognized as the world’s best restaurant, Will Guidara and Daniel Humm were young and hungry entrepreneurs.

The year was 2007.

“We wanted to be one of the best restaurants in New York,” Will writes in his book Unreasonable Hospitality. “We wanted to make our restaurant excellent without sacrificing warmth, contemporary without compromising standards.”

“But before we … continue reading

1: “I took a call recently from a Cornell hotel-school grad looking for career advice,”  Will Guidara writes in his powerful book Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.

For thirteen years, Will served as General Manager of Eleven Madison Park restaurant in New York City, during which it was named the No. 1 restaurant in the world.

“The first thing he said … continue reading

1: As leaders, when we are short-staffed, it is difficult to resist the temptation to hire the first person who walks through the door.

“I know what it’s like to think, We need someone so desperately—how bad could this person be?” Will Guidara writes in his wonderful book Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.

“I’ve also (unfortunately),” he recalls, “been in a position … continue reading

1: In 2006, renowned New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer offered twenty-seven-year-old Will Guidara a career-changing opportunity.  

Will was to become the General Manager of Eleven Madison Park (also known as EMP), a New York City fine-dining restaurant.

Will and Chef Daniel Humm were charged with reinventing the restaurant.

Eleven years later, the pair achieved the highest honor in dining when Eleven Madison Park. was named No. 1 in The … continue reading

1: When someone isn’t succeeding at work, they typically fall into one of two camps,  Will Guidara writes in his terrific book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.

The ones who are trying.  And the ones who are not.

“The end result may be similar, but the two need to be handled differently,” Will writes. 

We have to “move heaven and earth to … continue reading

1: The thing about Laura?

“She never complains.” Will Guidara writes in his terrific book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.

Will was about to assume the General Manager role at Eleven Madison Park (also known as EMP). This New York City fine-dining restaurant was part of legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer‘s Union Square Hospitality Group. 

One “should never waste an opportunity … continue reading

1: “The first time my boss saw one of those spoons, she narrowed her eyes and asked me what they had cost,” Will Guidara writes in his amazing book Unreasonable Hospitality.

When Will told her the price, her eyes got even narrower: “We’ll talk about this later,” she said.

The year was 2004.  The Museum of Modern Art in New York City was reopening after a two-year-long, $450-million renovation … continue reading