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Chip Conley in WSJ
Chip Conley, Gel 2008 speaker, profiled in a WSJ piece:
Mr. Conley said he tries to make Joie de Vivre fun by sponsoring parties and awards. He arranges paid annual retreats for employees and has regular dinners with those who want to chat. The company offers free classes on subjects from Microsoft Excel to English as a second language, the most popular course. It pushes managers to seek feedback from workers, and it encourages employees to learn how their jobs make a difference for hotel guests and for the company.
Because of such efforts, Mr. Conley said, Joie de Vivre's turnover is 25% to 30% annually, about half of the industry average. At the Carlton, turnover is less than 10%, down from an estimated 50% annually from 2000 to 2002, before Joie took over. It is important to "focus on the impact they're making rather than just the task of cleaning the toilet," Mr. Conley said.
See also: Good Experience interview of Chip Conley
