Glowing Memories

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara
Optimism Press, October 2022

Although schools and restaurants serve different purposes, they have similarly nourishing goals: forging connections, orchestrating experiences, and filling other people’s cups. In Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, Will Guidara makes a powerful argument in favor of going above and beyond people’s expectations in order to create lasting bonds, glowing memories, and award-winning organizations. Due to his focus on being as hospitable as possible toward every person who worked at or came to eat at his restaurant, Eleven Madison Park in New York, Guidara helped EMP to move from fiftieth to first place in the world over the course of just a few years. He defines hospitality as something different from mere service: “Getting the right plate to the right person at the right table is service. But genuinely engaging with the person you’re serving, so you can make an authentic connection—that’s hospitality.” From the importance of paying attention, listening, slowing down to go fast, hiring mission-aligned employees, and being creative, to watching the bottom line, elevating the good work of others, re-doing what didn’t go well, and rallying teams together to celebrate, Guidara serves up a remarkable amount of practical wisdom for educators and school leaders who also do their best work when they put others first.