Topic: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. LLC

The Ritz Puts on Stand-Up Meetings

The Ritz-Carlton chain is the only hotel company to receive the coveted Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Here's a look at methods they use to guide their success.READ»

Inside the Vamp-artment of Twilight's Edward Cullen, Buy It for $3.3M!

Must every facet of Twilight's sparkly-skinned lead vampire Edward be irresistible? He may be a blood chugger, but his interior design sense doesn't suck. The character's (played by Robert Pattinson) digs are featured prominently in ...READ»

Are You Being Coached?

From reality TV to rock bands, coaching has gone mainstream. A guide to get you started, if you're ready to play.READ»

Privilege to Serve?

Traveling after the new security measures were implemented last week, I found that the lines were long, the patience was limited, and the stress was high. As a business traveler, I empathize with airline employees whose pay has been ...READ»

ReaderSpeak: Everyone Loves Their Own Ideas

How to lead change initiatives from the rearREAD»

Everyone Loves Their Own Ideas

How to lead change initiatives from the rearREAD»

Why Your Employees Act Like Employees

Today's blog posting falls under the category of You Simply Can't Make This Stuff Up!READ»

Meeting Seating

Dave Pollard shared some interesting thoughts on meetings, tables, and what seating says about perceived leadership over the weekend. Ever notice that in business meetings in rooms with rectangular board room tables no one really ...READ»

Luxury's Long Tail

Thanks largely to the deluxe-uccinos at Starbucks and the Michael Graves teapot at Target, it's now an article of faith that luxury is within reach of nearly every man, woman and child. But it also raises an enduring question: When a ...READ»

Kumon Uses Old Innovations Today

Still wired from 20 hours in flight and now lounging in the Ritz-Carlton hotel bar in Singapore, I flip to an article that underscores an often-overlooked pattern of innovation: When the competition is going after the “new” thing, ...READ»

Branding Bunny Burgers

Branding's a pretty brutal business, as any designer will tell you. But for a look at the complicated issues around pushing a product you can't quite get behind, it doesn't get much better than this hilarious prank by the sweet, ...READ»

Store Model

Over at Wharton's web site, they're talking about how there's no Toyota in retail. Unlike industries like cars, airlines (Southwest), or hotels (Ritz-Carlton, say), there's no model of customer satisfaction in the retail world. Four ...READ»

The Best Business Restaurants

Picture this. You are on a business trip. You are going to Atlanta for a new business pitch. You've organized a dinner meeting with a few of the critical decision makers from your potential client's senior management team. Now, which restaurant do you choose?READ»

Give 'em Something to Talk About

Your product may be good, but will it spark a conversation?READ»

Putting Customers First

You'd think more companies would have gotten it by now. Unfortunately, organizations that put customers at the center of what they do are rare -- so rare that we're celebrating them. Meet the best customer-focused outfits, and learn from them.READ»

Is Your Business a Show Business?

If it's not, then you'd better write a new script. Forget price, quality, and service. The new competitive arena is the customer's experience. And in a new book, "The Experience Economy," work isn't play -- it's a play.READ»

The Red Sox Secret Lineup

How a marketing offshoot in Boston is playing the pro-sports business differently. READ»

• Boxscore
• MLB's Digital Dominance
• Take Me Out to the Ballpark

Collision Course

What happens when the defining industry of the old economy meets the defining medium of the new economy? Meet the in-the-trenches change agents who are working to reinvent Ford, Toyota, and Volkswagen.READ»

Design Thursday: Roger Martin on "The Opposable Mind"

F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that one sign of a "first-rate intelligence" is the ability "to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." According to Roger Martin, a sure sign of a ...READ»

Not the Retiring Sort

One assisted-living facility is bringing customer focus to senior care.READ»

P2P: Person-to-Person Business

"The most exciting breakthrough of the 21st century will occur not because of technology, but because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human."-- John Naisbitt, Megatrends Last winter, a friend's son joined us in box ...READ»

Careers: Personal Branding and Seth Godin's PR Salvo

If you’re in PR, as I am, there’s always a bit of soul-searching along with ire when your profession takes a hit. The latest case in point is a blog the other day by marketing expert and PR extraordinaire Seth Godin. In ...READ»

Cultural Phenomenon

Umpqua Bank is changing the culture of customer service at banks, one ice-cream sandwich at a time.READ»

Hyper-Local Hero

Ten years ago, Rob Curley was covering city hall for the Topeka daily paper. Now he's lighting up the entire industry. How a "nerd from Kansas" discovered the web, and hit the big time.READ»

Monsieur Chocolat

How do you say Willy Wonka in French? Celebrate Valentine's Day with confectioner Jacques Torres, who's applying mass production techniques to the delicate task of making fine chocolates--with delicious results.READ»