The role of the hotel concierge can be a challenging one. The concierge has to think on his feet. He must immediately earn each new guest’s trust, give people what they don’t always know they want and solve problems on the fly. Some people are better at this than others.  The good concierge knows the answers to questions that could be found in a couple of Google searches. But those well-worn answers are not the ones that transform a good experience into a great one.

A gifted concierge will offer answers to the questions that the guest hadn’t thought to ask. He will empathise, anticipate and delight—going out of his way to be creative and do work he’s proud of—just because he can.

It’s possible in every job to learn your lines, stick to the script and offer the required solution. Nobody will question your competence if you show up on time, put in the hours and don’t make mistakes. But the work that’s most appreciated and valued now isn’t simply the compliant or the competent—it’s the creative work you do, not because it’s required, but because you can.

Image by Jane and Phil