LIONS OF LEMON TREE - CURTAIN RAISER

LIONS OF LEMON TREE

Welcome to my 125th blog. This is indeed a special occasion for me, and I thought it appropriate to make by blog a special one for two reasons: one, it gets translated into other languages. Secondly I am flagging off a new series called the "Lions of Lemon Tree".

I thank all my students, most of whom are hotel employees, who shared the joy with me, in this exciting journey. Read on.....

I am staying in Hotel Lemon Tree Premier at Hyderabad. It is exactly after a gap of one year that I am visiting this hotel. Last year, I had conducted a workshop for the leadership team of this hotel. This time I will be writing as many blogs as possible. Today and tomorrow my whole day is packed with programs. I will be meeting the lions of lemon tree, one by one.  

Who are these lions? They are known as SHIs (Speech and Hearing Impaired) or EWDs (Employees With Disabilities). They are gentlemen with disabilities; case in point: the management of this hotel has a policy to give employment to such people and help them achieve full potential.....Kyaa  idea hai Sirji? 

Let us forget about their disabilities. Instead focus on what they do. When their turn comes up, for serving the guests, the Lions of Lemon Tree are second to none. They also serve. With their heart. They go full steam; they also give their best shot; they also bite more than they can chew. In other words, they also dazzle and delight the guests just like any other guest centric, high performer hotel employee. Their productivity is very high, undoubtedly. They are completely engrossed in their work, utterly focused; almost wedded to their work. Yes, I have seen and experienced this myself... These lions are exceptionally professional. 

I will be interacting with them; shooting their pics, talking to their Supervisors, collecting dope on their inimitable qualities... and finally writing on them so that their story will appear in my blog. Importantly, my blog will be translated into 88 languages also.

God bless the management that runs the Lemon Tree Hotel Company in India, which runs 26 hotels in 15 cities and growing ...with more hotels in the pipeline…The top leadership team have thought deeply and loudly to give these unfortunate souls a place under the Sun. Excellent HR initiative... Real Service to the society by giving employment to such people with disabilities...making them feel valued; making them feel important. Amazing idea indeed. Game changer concept. This is a silent revolution.

Listen to Narotam Singh, Hotel General Manager, Hyderabad Region.: "Working with the SHIs (Speech and Hearing Impaired) or EWDs (Employees with disabilities) has become part of our DNA".

(Pl see the pic: On the extreme left is Mr. Narotam Singh,General Manager,Lemon Tree Premier  &  

on the extreme right side is Mr. Santosh Kumar ,General Manager, RedFox)

This is just a beginning. Come April this year, I will be in New Delhi property of Lemon Tree... Hyderabad will be repeated in Delhi; I pray to God that I must get a chance to feature as many Lemon Tree Lions as possible.

Text and Pic: R Kesava Mallia in Hyderabad