Before you get started, you should know that sustainability is not just good for people and planet – it’s good for business too. Here we lay out the benefits of creating a sustainable hotel - talk about motivation!

1. Increased Attractiveness: According to Booking.com's Sustainable Travel Report (2021), 83% of global travelers consider sustainable travel important, with 61% expressing a desire to travel more sustainably.

2. Enhanced Guest Loyalty: Sustainable hotels communicate a message that is increasingly relevant in society. Conscious travelers prefer to support like-minded establishments and are more likely to return to such accommodations due to enhanced guest experience.

3. Greater Resilience: In turbulent times, sustainable hotels are better equipped to handle challenges and risks stemming from changes like supply chains, regulatory requirements, legal issues, disputes and reputation risks.

4. Increased Investment: Both the public and private sectors are increasingly investing in companies that deliver greater benefits to the world and practice sustainable economics.

5. Inspiration and Added Value: Sustainable hotels not only offer added value to their guests but also attract and retain top talents. They gain the best employees and partners, increase long-term business value, and have the capacity to support local communities.

6. Cost Savings: Energy-efficient technologies and reduced resource consumption can lead to substantial cost savings over time.

7. Positive Brand Image and Competitive Advantage: A commitment to sustainability can improve hotels’ reputations and can set themselves apart in a crowded marketplace, providing a unique selling point.

You now know why it's worthwhile to embark on the journey of creating a sustainable hotel. But now you’re likely left with the question: HOW? And, most importantly, where do you begin?

Don’t fret! We’ve got a helpful, free tool to answer that question, as where you start depends on your hotel’s current status quo. Take 10 minutes to complete MAp’s Sustainability Assessment. Through targeted questions on topics like energy efficiency, social responsibility and resource management, you’ll not only receive a detailed analysis of your current sustainability standing, but also gain valuable insights for future actions.

Your commitment to sustainable change begins here: Take the free assessment NOW.

Why you should take the Sustainability Assessment:

• Understand the current level of sustainability in your hotel and discover the starting point for further development. • Delve deeper into the holistic aspects of hotel sustainability.
• Generate initial ideas and insights into how your hotel can be made more sustainable and successful.
• Find out which The Sustainable Hotel handbooks and resources can be most helpful.
• Receive tailored recommendations for the next steps in sustainable hotel development.

Now that the starting point for your sustainability journey is clear, it’s time to define your Purpose. At MAp, we tackle hotel sustainability through the lens of the 4 Ps of Sustainability - Purpose, People, Planet, Profit - and the first P we always start with is Purpose.

By discovering your Purpose, you can focus your sustainability journey on what matters most for your hotel: your sustainability priority – whether that’s People, Planet or Profit. Your Purpose informs what path you take, keeps your eyes on the road and inspires you – and your team – to move forward with passion and persistence. For example, if your hotel’s Purpose is “To bring people back to nature,” your sustainability priority might be environmental sustainability, Planet.

To help you get to the heart of your Purpose, ask these questions: WHY do you do what you do? WHY are you embarking on this journey? WHAT change do you wish to make in this world?

We’ve got a whole handbook dedicated to Purpose to guide you in identifying yours, integrating it into your operations and sharing it with the world – check it out HERE.

Your Purpose serves as your guiding star, identifying your sustainability priority, be it social (People), environmental (Planet) or economic sustainability (Profit). As a next step, it’s time to tackle that P. But great news! We’ve got handbooks dedicated to each P, which provide deep insights into each area and what action steps you need to take in order to achieve sustainability in that area. Once you've successfully addressed your first priority P, it’s important to not forget the other areas of sustainability and address them #stepbystep too. After all, to create a truly sustainable hotel, your hotel has to be holistically sustainable – or else it falls short. Like we said at the beginning, sustainability is a journey! What’s most important is that you take the first step. With this, we hope it’s clear what step that is.

Rosenberg, an American psychologist, developed and coined the term “Nonviolent Communication” (NVC), which is a theory of communication that teaches people to express themselves clearly and honestly, while being respectful, empathic and focusing on what is being said as opposed to diagnosing or judging; or, as Rosenberg puts it simply, “a way of communicating that leads us to give from the heart.” He contends that, for centuries, people have been taught to speak and think in ways that can in fact perpetuate pain, conflict or even violence. This is where NVC comes in: to reduce these issues, build trust, strengthen relationships and promote peace – one interaction at a time. Through useful anecdotes, inspiring stories and practical exercises, Rosenberg introduces a framework for NVC and shows us how to authentically express ourselves in any type of heated situation (internally, in business, in relationships and more).

#1: In order to be successful at NVC, we must focus on four key components: observations, feelings, needs and requests.

The process of NVC is as follows: 1) Observing a situation, 2) recognising the feelings that this situation awakens, 3) identifying what needs are connected to those feelings, and lastly, 4) looking at what we can ask for to satisfy those needs. When used in a sentence: “When ___, I feel ___, because I am needing ___. Therefore, I would now like ___.”

To practice NVC is to express these four components verbally (or by other means), but also to receive the same four areas of information from others. That is to say, sensing what they are observing, feeling, needing and requesting so that we can determine how we can best help them. When we use this process, we create a flow of communication that leads to compassion from both sides.

#2: When there is an emotional response to a situation, it's always based on an unmet need, so don’t be quick to judge or blame.

Judging or blaming someone is the worst thing we can do if we want them to listen or change their behaviour. Instead, Rosenberg suggests a foundational habit for NVC: that we learn to separate observations from judgments or blame, keeping our observations objective and neutral.

Better yet, understanding others’ behaviours as manifestations of their unmet needs helps to humanize conflicts and create empathy. And if we show empathy and true understanding for one’s needs, we’re likely to receive a respectful response to our requests of them.

#3: Connection to self (being at home with our own feelings and needs), enables us to form better connections with others and thereby become better communicators.

According to Rosenberg, NVC’s most important use may be in developing self-compassion. As he states, “When we are internally violent towards ourselves, it is difficult to be genuinely compassionate towards others.” Therefore, it is important to employ NVC in our own moment-to-moment evaluation of ourselves in a way that helps us to learn, grow and make decisions that serve us – rather than turning to self-hatred. By being better in tune with ourselves and assessing our behaviours in terms of our unmet needs, not only can we cultivate self-compassion, but we can better communicate our requests of others and thus be better communicators.

While NVC can be applied to any aspect of one ‘s life, let’s look at how it can be utilised in the world of business (we are consultants after all).

• Sales + Marketing: An NVC approach to Sales + Marketing is listening to your target audience and letting them know how you can meet their needs and make their lives more enriching. This should be nothing new!
• Money: When evaluating an incoming offer, whether it be for a product, service or salary, ask yourself, “does this amount work for me in relation to my needs, or my business in relation to its needs?” 
• Stress Management + Team-Building: There is a lot of stress in the business world. Therefore, feelings and needs awareness, of self and others (aka showing empathy), is crucial to stress management and creating a productive working environment.

“The objective of Nonviolent Communication is not to change people and their behaviour in order to get our way: it is to establish relationships based on honesty and empathy, which will eventually fulfil everyone’s needs.”

We genuinely hope that you read this book and share it with whoever is important to you. If you do, let us know what you think!  Support a local bookshop by buying your book here: https://bookshop.org/. You can also find further valuable information on this website: https://www.nonviolentcommunication.com

In a world in which we are all looking to make an impact, improving the way we communicate is an important first step.

In his book, Simon Sinek teaches an important lesson that all business leaders should know: in order to be successful, you must lead with your why. In this 250-page book, Sinek answers the question: why are some people and organisations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? He looks at the evolutionary reasons behind human behaviour, draws on real-life stories and points to examples of some of history’s most inspiring leaders who have been driven by their why (think Steve Jobs and the Wright Brothers). Additionally, Sinek provides a clear and proven framework for how people and companies can become more purposeful in what they do. This book is therefore perfect for anyone who wants to inspire others and have long-term success with their businesses.

#1: Why is more powerful than what or how.
Why you do something is more important than either what you do or how you do it. It’s those products or services that are infused with and based on the why of a company that are more successful than those that are based on the what or how. Therefore, the world’s most influential and inspired leaders lead with the why (belief), follow that with the how (actions) and then address the what (products, services, etc.). All must be in harmony in order to be a truly authentic brand. This is demonstrated by The Golden Circle, a framework upon which organisations should be built.

#2: To have real impact and garner loyalty, you need to consistently communicate your why.
It’s critical that you consistently communicate and refer back to your higher purpose, cause, or belief as part of your messaging. Those with similar values will be able to relate to, buy into and align with the greater cause you are pursuing. As a result, your message will have a more lasting mass market success, as it is vision and charisma that ultimately attract innovators and early adopters (aka those people who will pay a premium and be loyal to you in the long-run).

When your why is clear, those who have the same belief can help you bring your cause to life and make it a lasting success.

#3: Inspiration is more effective at influencing human behaviour than manipulation.
Manipulative techniques are often used in sales and marketing. These can include dropping the price, running a promotion, using scarcity or peer pressure to get people to buy, etc. Manipulative strategies come at a cost (especially when you lower prices) and do not result in long-term success.

On the other hand, inspiration talks directly to the limbic brain, which is the section of the brain responsible for feelings and that controls decision-making. It is your limbic brain that is more powerful and drives your behaviour.

In order to apply the principles set out in this book and find your why, answer the following fundamental question:

Why do you exist beyond making profit?

Put the answer to that question at the very centre of The Golden Circle. From there, address the how and what: how do you do what you do? How is it different or better than others? What do you do?

With the answers to these questions, you’ll be able to determine what makes you unique, who can support you and bring your vision to life, what products and services you can offer, and more. But do take heed – ensure your answers always touch back to and are consistent with your overall why.

"Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do.
When I say WHY, I don’t mean to make money—that’s a result.
By WHY I mean what is your purpose, cause or belief?
WHY does your company exist?
WHY do you get out of bed every morning?
And WHY should anyone care?"

Have you read “Start with Why?” We’d love to hear your feedback and what your why is – in business or in life. Support a local bookshop by buying your book here: https://bookshop.org/

Stay tuned for future reviews and have a purposeful new year!