Walk the Walk
Last week I had the opportunity to speak at the Montage International Food and Beverage Summit. It’s a biannual gathering of food and beverage leaders from across their Montage and Pendry properties.
When I talk about culture, I often hear the same thing from leaders:
“We have a great culture.”
“Our people love working here.”
“We take great care of our team.”
And then I talk to the employees… and sometimes I wonder if they’re working at the same company.
There’s often a gap between how leaders perceive their culture and how employees actually experience it. Gallup’s research consistently shows that employee engagement is far lower than most leaders believe, with engagement in the U.S. hovering around 30%.
It was an honor to be invited to speak at Montage Event. They truly embodied the MIBE philosophies and made work fun.
What stood out to me at this Summit was how different it felt. As I spoke with attendees, there was a genuine sense of pride, appreciation, and energy about the company they worked for. People talked about feeling cared for. They saw a path for growth. They felt connected to the mission. Many had come from other organizations where that wasn’t the case, and they didn’t take it for granted.
You could feel it in the conversations. And you could see it in the way they invested in their people.
From bringing in speakers like Thomas Keller, to learning from Gallup, to creating space for their own development, this wasn’t a company checking a box. They were intentional about growing their leaders and strengthening their culture.
Even the way they built community stood out. The conference culminated with the “Compass Cup”, a ping pong tournament that had been building for months. Each property held local competitions to send their top players to the Summit where they competed against one another. The final four played in a transformed ballroom, with music, a crowd cheering, festive outfits, and a live stream so team members across the country could watch.
It was clearly about more than ping pong. It was about connection, pride and reminding people they are part of something bigger than their individual role or property.
There are companies that talk about culture… and there are companies that invest in it. The difference shows up in how people feel.
As leaders, it’s worth asking:
Does your team experience your culture the same way you describe it?
Are you creating moments that build connection and pride?
Are you investing in your people in ways they can actually feel?
If you're looking to get insight into how your team feels about your culture, reach out to me about our MIBE Culture Assessment, where we measure your culture through our four MIBE Convictions.
P.S. Create moments with us that build connection and pride! Join us at our MIBE Workshop May 12th - 13th.
