Your Online Connection to the Community
Bill Marriott Blogs...So, Why Shouldn't You?
I love it when I am trying to make a point and I run across an article that does it for me. :)
Many of you have received email from me requesting that you blog about your business, your products or your services. Well, I found an article about just that. If CEO's with billion dollar businesses are blogging, why shouldn't you? Check out the following article for clarity.
Bill Marriott blogs—So why doesn’t your CEO?
By Sarah McAdams
sarah_mcadams@yahoo.com
A tech ‘Neanderthal’ shares his views online to engage customers and employees and, above all, to stay current
CEOs who make excuses about why they won’t blog should take a look at Bill Marriott.
Not enough time? The CEO of Marriott International visits 300 hotels annually—all over the world. Not tech-savvy? Marriott’s a self-described technological Neanderthal. Not worth the effort? He’s attracted thousands of readers and has built heaps of good will.
Marriott, at 76, is four years older than John McCain—and he thinks the GOP presidential nominee should have launched a blog. He explained in his Sept. 2 Web log, “Marriott on the Move”:
John McCain has gotten some grief because he’s not very comfortable using a computer, especially to communicate. I can certainly understand his reluctance as I’m a Neanderthal when it comes to technology.
But, based on my experience, I’d tell John McCain to become a blogger because launching a blog has proven to be very successful for me. I’m able to talk with our guests and our associates about whatever I want, and people can talk back to me. I think blogging brings people together, and I think that’s what campaigning is all about. It’s a conversation—an exchange of ideas.
It seems that 73 percent of Americans use the Internet regularly. And while that number is quite a bit lower for people over 65, like myself and Mr. McCain, online proficiency is very important because in today’s society it proves that you are current and you’re keeping up with the changing times.
When Kathleen Matthews joined Marriott as executive vice president of global communications and public affairs a couple of years ago, she suggested that the chief do a blog.
“As a former television reporter, she recognized the changing communications landscape and wanted Marriott to join the online conversation in a big way,” said John Wolf, senior director of public relations.
Matthews persuaded him that the blog would help the company to be seen as innovative and more transparent to external audiences.
“By blogging we knew we’d create direct and more of an emotional connection to people without the going through the media filter,” Wolf said, “but we also knew it would become a springboard for more social media projects within the company because it had the chairman’s blessing.” (Indeed it has; the company has since launched a Twitter presence.)
Birth of a blog post
Marriott’s blog addresses important dates or events, business or public policy issues, personal and professional milestones, and major corporate and brand announcements and initiatives.
“He likes to blog during his trips outside the U.S., too, like a travelogue with pictures and videos,” said Blake Little, the public relations coordinator who oversees day-to-day operation of the blog. “Often Mr. Marriott will come across something non-business-related he wants to blog about. It could be anything from a letter he received from a customer or employee, something he read in the newspaper, a book he just finished reading, something interesting he saw outside of work, to a personal story—like his family dog, Murphy.”
Once Marriott has approved a topic, staff members will research it for accuracy. Marriott prefers telling stories aloud, so he’ll jot down some notes and Little will record the blog entries with an mp3 recorder or by telephone. The staff takes it from there—transcribing, editing, posting and, later, checking comments—which have sometimes numbered in the hundreds.
“We will receive and post comments from people who disagree with what Mr. Marriott has to say,” Little said, “but I think even those people appreciate being given a platform to express themselves.”
Marriott’s typical blog readers are the company’s customers and employees—many of them Marriott Rewards members, travel enthusiasts, and other bloggers.
“We also hear from readers who really appreciate the fact that Mr. Marriott speaks so openly and honestly on this blog, sometimes about controversial public policy issues,” she said.
Topics have included California’s Proposition 8, immigration reform, Marriott’s non-smoking policy at hotels and the current business climate. (See related article for excerpted posts.)
The team has also done two video blogs, or “vlogs,” Little said. “We actually have a small, hand-held camera that’s very easy to use and produces very good quality videos, so we’ll most likely begin using that whenever we want to post a vlog,” she said. “This will allow us to film him more frequently and with more ease.”
It helps that Marriott has a folksy personality and conversational manner.
“The tone of the blog is very important,” Little said. “Mr. Marriott has done a great job of just being himself when he blogs. I think a lot of people are fascinated by what a regular guy he is, even though his family name is on over 3,000 hotels around the world. When we began two years ago, we knew an authentic and sincere voice were key.”
Wolf echoed that assessment: “He is plain-spoken, so his voice is authentic, genuine and sincere. He visits hundreds of hotels each year conversing with guests and employees, so recording his blog was a natural extension of what he already does so well.”
In his words
The following recent excerpts—in reverse chronological order—from Bill Marriot’s blog “Marriott on the Move” illustrate the balance that the 76-year-old hotel chain CEO manages between personal and business posts:
Dec. 11, 2008:
I guess one of the reasons I began paying such attention to detail was due to an experience I had when I was in college, working at one of my father’s Hot Shoppes that he had opened out in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was working back in the kitchen on an afternoon after school and was assigned the task of cleaning out the deep fat fryers. I accidentally poured soapy water, instead of oil, into the top of the fryer. There was still a small amount of hot oil in the fryer and it mixed with the soap, which overflowed the fryer onto the countertop, the kitchen floor and me.
What a mess! It took me an hour to clean it up. I felt really stupid and my coworkers let me know that they agreed with me. I quickly learned that if I had been paying more attention to what I was doing and what I was pouring into the fryer, that whole mess never would’ve happened.
Dec. 3, 2008:
I enjoy working out with Pilates. It’s a good form of exercise and I’m trying to do it at least twice a week. I’ve also been devoted to my treadmill since I had some heart attacks early on in life. I’ve been a devotee of using my treadmill at least 5 days a week. I usually do it at night, around 9:30.
A couple of nights ago, I was on the phone with my daughter-in-law Carrie. It was about 9:30 and I was about to get on the treadmill. I turned around and there came my golden retriever Murphy walking into my library, holding the towel from the treadmill in his mouth. He was letting me know that it was time to get off the phone and get some exercise.
He’s never done this before. I thought it was truly amazing that he instinctively knew what time it was and what I was supposed to be doing. His actions really proved what a caring and loyal companion and friend he is as he always seems to be looking out for me. He’s great to have around because he’s good company—he makes sure I stay on track and now he’s making sure I get my exercise.
If you have any stories about your pets or your exercise routines, I’d like to hear them. Please feel free to leave me a comment and share them.
Nov. 11, 2008
As many of you may know I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some might conclude given my family’s membership in the Mormon Church that our company supported the recent ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage in California. This is simply untrue. Marriott International is a public company headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and is not controlled by any one individual or family. Neither I, nor the company, contributed to the campaign to pass Proposition 8.
The Bible that I love teaches me about honesty, integrity and unconditional love for all people. But beyond that, I am very careful about separating my personal faith and beliefs from how we run our business.
I am personally motivated to speak now because Marriott was built on the basic principles of respect and inclusion. My father, who founded this company along with my mother, told everyone who would listen: “Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your customers, who will come back again and again.”
For more than 80 years, our company has grown and changed, but that basic principle still holds up. We embrace all people as our customers, associates, owners and franchisees regardless of race, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Nov. 3, 2008:
I’ve experienced eight downturns in my 52 years in business and we’ve always come out of them stronger and more competitive than when the trouble began. In early October, we reported our third quarter earnings results and also provided observations about business for the rest of 2008 and into 2009. At that time, we expected business in late 2008 and 2009 to decline, but in just the last few weeks our business outlook has further weakened. Although business is slowing, our corporate staff and our hotel management teams have been doing everything they can to operate as efficiently as possible.
We’re doing what we can to contain costs, keep our loyal customers and attract new ones. This will help preserve jobs for our people, which is a top priority for me and for all of us. We are anxious to support the communities where we operate. Our hotels generate thousands of jobs, millions of dollars in wages and tax receipts that the local governments need to pay for schools, police and fire departments. We’re all connected and we’re all in this together.
Although we have to work our way through this tough economic patch, it’s important to keep our eyes on the road ahead as better times will return.
Oct. 7, 2008:
Since I spent my boyhood years growing up during the Second World War, I’ve always been fascinated with its history. I was living in Washington, D.C., at the time, and I was exposed to a lot of the military people coming and going, and to a lot of wonderful parades of returning war heroes.
My search for history has led me to George Arrington’s bookstore in Ogunquit, Maine. I’ve found some fascinating old books, many written in first person by the men who fought in World War II. This past summer, I plowed through the war memories of Field Marshall Erich Von Manstein, who was labeled Germany’s most brilliant general. Since I’ve come to believe that military leadership can offer many lessons to help anyone who is trying to lead a group of people in business, politics or any other organization, I found these memories very instructive.
Many of you have received email from me requesting that you blog about your business, your products or your services. Well, I found an article about just that. If CEO's with billion dollar businesses are blogging, why shouldn't you? Check out the following article for clarity.
Bill Marriott blogs—So why doesn’t your CEO?
By Sarah McAdams
sarah_mcadams@yahoo.com
A tech ‘Neanderthal’ shares his views online to engage customers and employees and, above all, to stay current
CEOs who make excuses about why they won’t blog should take a look at Bill Marriott.
Not enough time? The CEO of Marriott International visits 300 hotels annually—all over the world. Not tech-savvy? Marriott’s a self-described technological Neanderthal. Not worth the effort? He’s attracted thousands of readers and has built heaps of good will.
Marriott, at 76, is four years older than John McCain—and he thinks the GOP presidential nominee should have launched a blog. He explained in his Sept. 2 Web log, “Marriott on the Move”:
John McCain has gotten some grief because he’s not very comfortable using a computer, especially to communicate. I can certainly understand his reluctance as I’m a Neanderthal when it comes to technology.
But, based on my experience, I’d tell John McCain to become a blogger because launching a blog has proven to be very successful for me. I’m able to talk with our guests and our associates about whatever I want, and people can talk back to me. I think blogging brings people together, and I think that’s what campaigning is all about. It’s a conversation—an exchange of ideas.
It seems that 73 percent of Americans use the Internet regularly. And while that number is quite a bit lower for people over 65, like myself and Mr. McCain, online proficiency is very important because in today’s society it proves that you are current and you’re keeping up with the changing times.
When Kathleen Matthews joined Marriott as executive vice president of global communications and public affairs a couple of years ago, she suggested that the chief do a blog.
“As a former television reporter, she recognized the changing communications landscape and wanted Marriott to join the online conversation in a big way,” said John Wolf, senior director of public relations.
Matthews persuaded him that the blog would help the company to be seen as innovative and more transparent to external audiences.
“By blogging we knew we’d create direct and more of an emotional connection to people without the going through the media filter,” Wolf said, “but we also knew it would become a springboard for more social media projects within the company because it had the chairman’s blessing.” (Indeed it has; the company has since launched a Twitter presence.)
Birth of a blog post
Marriott’s blog addresses important dates or events, business or public policy issues, personal and professional milestones, and major corporate and brand announcements and initiatives.
“He likes to blog during his trips outside the U.S., too, like a travelogue with pictures and videos,” said Blake Little, the public relations coordinator who oversees day-to-day operation of the blog. “Often Mr. Marriott will come across something non-business-related he wants to blog about. It could be anything from a letter he received from a customer or employee, something he read in the newspaper, a book he just finished reading, something interesting he saw outside of work, to a personal story—like his family dog, Murphy.”
Once Marriott has approved a topic, staff members will research it for accuracy. Marriott prefers telling stories aloud, so he’ll jot down some notes and Little will record the blog entries with an mp3 recorder or by telephone. The staff takes it from there—transcribing, editing, posting and, later, checking comments—which have sometimes numbered in the hundreds.
“We will receive and post comments from people who disagree with what Mr. Marriott has to say,” Little said, “but I think even those people appreciate being given a platform to express themselves.”
Marriott’s typical blog readers are the company’s customers and employees—many of them Marriott Rewards members, travel enthusiasts, and other bloggers.
“We also hear from readers who really appreciate the fact that Mr. Marriott speaks so openly and honestly on this blog, sometimes about controversial public policy issues,” she said.
Topics have included California’s Proposition 8, immigration reform, Marriott’s non-smoking policy at hotels and the current business climate. (See related article for excerpted posts.)
The team has also done two video blogs, or “vlogs,” Little said. “We actually have a small, hand-held camera that’s very easy to use and produces very good quality videos, so we’ll most likely begin using that whenever we want to post a vlog,” she said. “This will allow us to film him more frequently and with more ease.”
It helps that Marriott has a folksy personality and conversational manner.
“The tone of the blog is very important,” Little said. “Mr. Marriott has done a great job of just being himself when he blogs. I think a lot of people are fascinated by what a regular guy he is, even though his family name is on over 3,000 hotels around the world. When we began two years ago, we knew an authentic and sincere voice were key.”
Wolf echoed that assessment: “He is plain-spoken, so his voice is authentic, genuine and sincere. He visits hundreds of hotels each year conversing with guests and employees, so recording his blog was a natural extension of what he already does so well.”
In his words
The following recent excerpts—in reverse chronological order—from Bill Marriot’s blog “Marriott on the Move” illustrate the balance that the 76-year-old hotel chain CEO manages between personal and business posts:
Dec. 11, 2008:
I guess one of the reasons I began paying such attention to detail was due to an experience I had when I was in college, working at one of my father’s Hot Shoppes that he had opened out in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was working back in the kitchen on an afternoon after school and was assigned the task of cleaning out the deep fat fryers. I accidentally poured soapy water, instead of oil, into the top of the fryer. There was still a small amount of hot oil in the fryer and it mixed with the soap, which overflowed the fryer onto the countertop, the kitchen floor and me.
What a mess! It took me an hour to clean it up. I felt really stupid and my coworkers let me know that they agreed with me. I quickly learned that if I had been paying more attention to what I was doing and what I was pouring into the fryer, that whole mess never would’ve happened.
Dec. 3, 2008:
I enjoy working out with Pilates. It’s a good form of exercise and I’m trying to do it at least twice a week. I’ve also been devoted to my treadmill since I had some heart attacks early on in life. I’ve been a devotee of using my treadmill at least 5 days a week. I usually do it at night, around 9:30.
A couple of nights ago, I was on the phone with my daughter-in-law Carrie. It was about 9:30 and I was about to get on the treadmill. I turned around and there came my golden retriever Murphy walking into my library, holding the towel from the treadmill in his mouth. He was letting me know that it was time to get off the phone and get some exercise.
He’s never done this before. I thought it was truly amazing that he instinctively knew what time it was and what I was supposed to be doing. His actions really proved what a caring and loyal companion and friend he is as he always seems to be looking out for me. He’s great to have around because he’s good company—he makes sure I stay on track and now he’s making sure I get my exercise.
If you have any stories about your pets or your exercise routines, I’d like to hear them. Please feel free to leave me a comment and share them.
Nov. 11, 2008
As many of you may know I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some might conclude given my family’s membership in the Mormon Church that our company supported the recent ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage in California. This is simply untrue. Marriott International is a public company headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and is not controlled by any one individual or family. Neither I, nor the company, contributed to the campaign to pass Proposition 8.
The Bible that I love teaches me about honesty, integrity and unconditional love for all people. But beyond that, I am very careful about separating my personal faith and beliefs from how we run our business.
I am personally motivated to speak now because Marriott was built on the basic principles of respect and inclusion. My father, who founded this company along with my mother, told everyone who would listen: “Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your customers, who will come back again and again.”
For more than 80 years, our company has grown and changed, but that basic principle still holds up. We embrace all people as our customers, associates, owners and franchisees regardless of race, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Nov. 3, 2008:
I’ve experienced eight downturns in my 52 years in business and we’ve always come out of them stronger and more competitive than when the trouble began. In early October, we reported our third quarter earnings results and also provided observations about business for the rest of 2008 and into 2009. At that time, we expected business in late 2008 and 2009 to decline, but in just the last few weeks our business outlook has further weakened. Although business is slowing, our corporate staff and our hotel management teams have been doing everything they can to operate as efficiently as possible.
We’re doing what we can to contain costs, keep our loyal customers and attract new ones. This will help preserve jobs for our people, which is a top priority for me and for all of us. We are anxious to support the communities where we operate. Our hotels generate thousands of jobs, millions of dollars in wages and tax receipts that the local governments need to pay for schools, police and fire departments. We’re all connected and we’re all in this together.
Although we have to work our way through this tough economic patch, it’s important to keep our eyes on the road ahead as better times will return.
Oct. 7, 2008:
Since I spent my boyhood years growing up during the Second World War, I’ve always been fascinated with its history. I was living in Washington, D.C., at the time, and I was exposed to a lot of the military people coming and going, and to a lot of wonderful parades of returning war heroes.
My search for history has led me to George Arrington’s bookstore in Ogunquit, Maine. I’ve found some fascinating old books, many written in first person by the men who fought in World War II. This past summer, I plowed through the war memories of Field Marshall Erich Von Manstein, who was labeled Germany’s most brilliant general. Since I’ve come to believe that military leadership can offer many lessons to help anyone who is trying to lead a group of people in business, politics or any other organization, I found these memories very instructive.
About
Our goal is to use the power of the World Wide Web to assist in developing dreams, empowering people, and uniting the community.
Badge
Events
Forum
Black in Shreveport 3 Replies
Started by Alynetta Beck in Articles/Book Reviews/Other. Last reply by Monte Childrey Aug 6.
© 2009 Created by Alynetta Beck on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
