This was the gist of a conversation I had with Julietta, who works in food service at Mohonk Mountain House. Her “attitude of gratitude” went beyond feeling fortunate to be employed – Julietta truly loves her work.
I met Julietta during a recent visit to Mohonk. She was smiling all the while she cleaned up the area where the continental breakfast had been set up. We engaged in conversation, and it was obvious that she enjoyed working at Mohonk. “It’s like being part of a wonderful family,” she told me – a family that includes both co-workers and guests. Here’s an excerpt of our conversation.
Julietta: I love my customers, and sometimes, I listen more to my customers than my boss. I want to make my customers happy.”
Me: “If you’re customers are happy, then your boss will be happy.”
Julietta smiled: “Yes!”
And she’s not the only one who enjoys her work at Mohonk. I also met Emily, a young woman who was one of our hiking guides. She’s worked there for less than a year, but it’s a job she literally grew into. Emily explained that her family had been going to Mohonk for years, and she’d been an active participant in its kid’s club and teen program. From an early age she knew she wanted to work there and was thrilled to get hired in the recreation group. “I feel so fortunate,” she told me. “How many people get to live their dream job?” She spoke enthusiastically about her love for the place and the people.
Since my husband and I began visiting Mohonk several years ago, we met many such members of the Mohonk family, including Rudy (dining staff), Michael, Annie, and Matt (recreation), and others too numerous to mention. This was the first time I met Julieta and Emily, and they reinforced the engagement that’s part of Mohonk’s culture.
How many employees have you encountered lately who truly love their work?
[Note: For more on Mohonk’s guest service culture, see my interview with Jackie Appeldorn, Mohonk’s general manager.]