The sandbox rule for hiring, from a CEO who used it on every candidate. Paul Damico of Ascent Hospitality on inclusivity that costs a leader real time.
The sandbox rule for hiring is the first thing Paul Damico says to a candidate, and it has not changed in decades. Watch the President and CEO of Ascent Hospitality Management explain it to Tullio Siragusa: you are about to enter my sandbox, I spend more time here than at home with my family, and only two things can happen. We build beautiful sandcastles together, or you kick sand in my face and run away.
He is clear about what the line is doing. It knocks down ego, deflates pretentiousness, and pulls a shy candidate into the conversation, all before the first real question.
The rest is what inclusivity costs a leader in time. Weekly coffee clutches with six open seats, because people talk differently in small groups. A refusal to author the culture himself, since everyone contributes an ingredient to it. A plaque handed to every new hire on day one, next to the t-shirt and water bottle: our success will be determined at the speed at which we accomplish our tasks.
Also on screen:
• Why he can find ten things wrong in any restaurant, and why leading with that is failure
• The hostess with 47 years of service who was dying to tell her story
• What three seasons of Undercover Boss taught him that a boardroom could not
• Franchisee-centric operating, and why it is foreign to most large franchise systems
• His one move for this week: acknowledge what is great, even when things are not
Listen to the full episode: Fostering a Culture of Inclusivity with Paul Damico (https://www.theblisspodcast.com/fostering-a-culture-of-inclusivity-with-paul-damico/) Guest profile: Paul Damico (https://www.theblisspodcast.com/guests/paul-damico/) More from the Featured Guest Series (https://www.theblisspodcast.com/categories/bliss-businesses-series/)