Check-in to strategic excellence: How Radisson aligns its hotels across the globe with Mooncamp
About Radisson Hotel Group
Tracing its roots to 1960, Radisson Hotel Group is a major player in the international hotel industry with a presence in more than 90 destinations in EMEA and APAC. From its regional headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, the Group manages the business in Central, Southern and Eastern Europe with over 300 leased, managed, and franchised hotels ranging from luxury-lifestyle Radisson Collection to the budget-friendly prizeotel. Radisson Hotel Group is committed to its brand promise „Every Moment Matters“, delivered with its „Yes I Can!“ service philosophy.
Talking to Yilmaz Yildirimlar, Radisson Hotel Group
Yilmaz Yildirimlar is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of international experience in the hospitality industry. As the Area Senior Vice President for Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, one of his key responsibilities is creating best-in-class operational structures to sustain growth and accelerate profits.
In his role at Radisson Hotel Group, Yilmaz oversees the Central, Southern and Eastern Europe region. This region encompasses more than 110 leased and managed hotels with over 29,000 rooms in operation and under development across multiple countries including Austria, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and many others.
Challenge
We had some alignment challenges, agreeing on things that drive the highest value, as well as motivation and prioritizing.
Alignment and motivation
Yilmaz faced significant challenges in aligning the vast, globally distributed organization. With diverse teams spread across continents, ensuring everyone was working towards common objectives that drive value was challenging. The use of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) was attempted manually but led to frustration rather than productive outcomes, further exacerbating disengagement among teams.
We’ve seen that [OKRs] rather created frustration than positive outcomes.
The need for a dynamic approach
The traditional approaches to managing objectives in a global hotel chain, with its varying regional demands and operational complexities, were proving inadequate. Radisson needed a solution that could adapt to its dynamic environment, fostering better team engagement and prioritizing effectively.
Solution and implementation
We didn’t question the OKR methodology but rather knew that the right software was needed to get buy-in from all relevant team members.
Discovering Mooncamp
After recognizing the limitations of their previous approach, Radisson sought a Germany-based software solution and discovered Mooncamp. Melanie from Mooncamp played a crucial role during the selection process with her “friendly, productive, and customer-oriented approach”, as Yilmaz put it. Furthermore, Mooncamp’s user-friendly system and great onboarding experience were key factors in their decision.
Integrating Mooncamp
Implementing Mooncamp involved comprehensive training sessions and regular check-ins to ensure smooth integration into Radisson’s daily operations. This was crucial in a global organization where different teams had varying degrees of exposure to such tools. The BLT team meetings on Mondays and organization-wide check-ins on Fridays became central to this process, ensuring continuous alignment and the ability to adapt OKRs as needed.
On Mondays with the BLT team we are listening and reviewing the roadblocks that we have, what went well, and if there is anything we would need to change. If an OKR is not moving the needle we recognize this and see how we can improve, even if it means changing the OKR in question. On Fridays, we have a weekly check-in across our whole organization. Users, including our hotel teams, are updating their progress and confidence on their Key Results, listing any roadblocks they are facing and which key actions they will be undertaking to improve the results for the coming week.
Results
We are much more aligned today [and] there is a significant improvement in meeting our OKRs since we started using Mooncamp.
Enhanced alignment and goal achievement
Since implementing Mooncamp, Radisson has seen a significant improvement in team alignment and goal achievement. The clarity and focus provided by Mooncamp have enabled teams to work more cohesively towards shared objectives. This alignment has been crucial in a global hotel chain, where local teams need to align with broader organizational goals while responding to regional market dynamics.
Employee engagement and feedback
Employee response to Mooncamp has been overwhelmingly positive. The transition from manual spreadsheets to a more intuitive, interactive tool has been well-received. The ability to identify and address roadblocks in real-time has been particularly beneficial.
Conclusion
We are aligned on targets, working together more, and aiming for the moonshot.
Mooncamp’s implementation at Radisson Hotels has been a story of transformation. From a scenario of disengagement and frustration due to misaligned objectives and ineffective tools, Radisson, with Mooncamp’s assistance, has evolved into an organization where alignment, engagement, and effective goal-setting are the norms. This has not only improved team morale but has also positively impacted the company’s ability to deliver on its brand promise of “Every Moment Matters,” thus enhancing its competitive edge in the global hotel industry.
