Are You Asking Yourself the Right Questions?

I recently interviewed Horst Schulze on the Charlie Paparelli Show (Apple Podcast | Other Podcast Players). Horst is the creator of the Ritz Carlton Hotels brand and, more recently, the Capella Hotels and Resorts brand. Both were rated #1 in the world. He won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award not once but twice, which has never been done before in the hotel industry. His reputation in the hotel industry is legendary. He is always evaluating his performance, and his standard is excellence. Nothing less will do. 

But what struck me in our conversation was his authenticity. He earned this reputation for excellence because he practices personal excellence. I've never met a person with such a high standard. I was curious to learn how he does this.

Here is what I learned.

Horst said, "I continuously evaluate myself in four areas."

1. Am I doing my best in my function? 

Whatever he is working on at the moment, he wants to assure himself he is doing the very best he can do. He isn't interested in just getting it done and over with. He seeks personal honesty in his job or task performance. 

Anything short of excellence convicts him that he must improve. 

2. Am I doing my best at my relationships?

People make all the difference in life and in business. Horst said, "We are all created by God in His image." He seeks to treat people with high expectations and the respect they deserve. Everyone has enormous potential and wants to do well. Horst sees himself as a gentleman, and he treats people as ladies and gentlemen. 

This means greeting people with a friendly, "Good morning," when they get within ten feet of him. Listening to them. Helping them. Delighting them. In short, loving them. 

3. Am I doing my best morally?

Horst aims high. He seeks a personal reputation that is unassailable. To achieve and maintain this reputation, he must behave with integrity and be a person who can be trusted. He is a man who is a good steward of the assets and responsibilities assigned to him. He deals fairly and justly with everyone and aims to be a man who does not compromise what is right for anything. Not money, power, or position.

4. Am I doing my best spiritually?

Simply stated, he said, "Would God approve?"

When I heard him say this, I was struck by this standard of measurement. God is God. God is perfect. And Horst is evaluating himself in each of the previous three areas from God's perspective.

My job: God gave me this work and these talents. Is he pleased with me?

My relationships: God put these people in my life. Is he pleased with the way I am treating them?

My morality: God has a defined standard for excellence. It is his Ten Commandments. Is he pleased with my behavior in how I choose to honor him and others?

His secret to success is his daily self-review of these four simple questions.

I came to realize his success is based on continuous improvement. And the path of continuous improvement is based on asking himself these questions. Questions that keep him focused on the standard he set for me. In Horst's case, it is nothing short of excellence.

After our meeting, I found myself asking a new question. What is my personal standard?

Want to learn more? Excellence Wins. A No-Nonsense Guide To Becoming The Best In A World Of Compromise