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OMOTENASHI: The Japanese Art and Science of Giving Extraordinary Hospitality

Categories: omotenashi
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About Course

In a world of 5-star hotels with luxury furnishings, amazing amenities and fine dining, what can set one hotel apart from the rest is subtle quality to the guest experience they deliver.

Discerning travelers return time and again to hotels that provide service that’s both highly attentive and yet sublimely unobtrusive. And provide it consistently. This comes from a hospitality culture operating at all levels.

The philosophy and techniques behind achieving this are found in the famed Japanese hospitality culture. A time-tested culture with useful lessons to teach that transcend cultural boundaries.

You may already practice most of the hospitality skills this programme covers, but the course’s purpose is to encourage you to look at them again with a “beginner’s mind”. Discover what causes the effects these skills deliver.

The course covers Omotenashi culture’s origins, core elements and advanced techniques. It also focuses on developing self-awareness required to managing the stress and delight diverse guests. By blending Japanese and Western practices, you can continuously polish your skills to deliver these levels of subtle yet attentive hospitality excellence.

50 lessons which include:

  • How you can personally contribute to building your hotel’s unique hospitality culture
  • All the elements of Omotenashi hospitality from philosophy to techniques
  • How 5 star hospitality skills require high levels of self-awareness
  • Techniques for Self-Care and Stress Management
  • Delighting guests from cultures with shared Asian values

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Understand Omotenashi hospitality philosophy, origins, and how it became a gold standard in service excellence.
  2. Learn the core elements of empathy, anticipation of needs, attention to detail, and treating guests with great respect.
  3. Master advanced hospitality skills such as mindfulness, emotional intelligence, consistency and observing guest personas.
  4. Continuously develop your skills through self-care, managing stress and nurturing your sense of purpose or “ikigai” in the profession.

 

What Will You Learn?

  • The course introduces Japan, its history and the fascinating culture that lies behind the Omotenashi Hospitality and Service phenomenon.
  • It then explains "Omotenashi" Hospitality culture in depth. From the philosophy to its extraordinary guest experience culture.
  • It compares this unique service philosophy with comparative western hospitality concepts to see what they can learn from eachother.
  • It then presents the hospitality attitudes, behaviours and skills that make it so consistent and professional.
  • It introduces new ways to observe, relate to and interact with your guests.
  • And presents concepts and techniques to protect and nurture yourself in such a demanding profession.

Course Content

WELCOME
Step into an extraordinary elearning journey! This course is tailored for 5-star hospitality experts who seek to understand not just the "how to" of advanced hospitality, but the "how and why it works." Discover valuable insights on self-care while thriving in one of the most demanding industries.

  • LEARNINGS AND OUTCOMES
    00:13

MODULE 1 – THE EVOLUTION OF LUXURY HOSPITALITY
We begin our journey by reviewing what "Luxury" Hospitality really is. Where is the line drawn between "Luxury" Hospitality and "Normal" hospitality? And what, therefore is luxury itself. This will help us to understand what techniques of hospitality are required to complement all the other refined elements.

MODULE 2 – WELCOME TO JAPAN
To understand Omotenashi hospitality we'll need to start our journey in Japan. What are the cultural ingredients? Where did they come from and what do they mean, in hospitality terms. Rather like learning how to prepare a sophisticated culinary creation.

MODULE 3 – OMOTENASHI – THE PHILOSOPHY
Many people think that Omotenashi is an obscure and ancient Japanese word used to describe delightful hospitalty and guest experiences. But it is not just a part of their historical historical hospitality culture. It is alive and well and a word and concept understood all Japanese of all ages. "Wow ! That's Omotenashi!" In this module, we build on our understanding of Japanese culture and learn what it truly means and why it is such a powerful and liberating way to practice hospitality 🙏

MODULE 4 – OMOTENASHI, THE CULTURE
Now we understand how Omotenashi is both a philosophy and a very contemporary hospitality and service "mindset" , lets learn how it becomes a whole hospitality culture. Let's now examine how these dimensions contribute and work in practice to deliver a great guest experience.

MODULE 5 – OMOTENASHI IN A WESTERN 5 STAR CONTEXT
Omotenashi hospitalioty culture delivers an extraordinary guest experience in Japan. Let's now examine how each of us can adopt some of its it's key teachings and ingredients in our challenging western lusicry hospitality settings. In other words, understanding how Omotenashi can be adapted to western 5 star hospitality culture through your individual approaches to your guests, efforts and polished activities.

THE KIKUBARI FRAMEWORK ™
A Japanese Cultural Approach Interpreted Through Western Psychological Lenses

OMOTENASHI FLOW™
Mastering the Observe → Feel → Adapt Cycle

MODULE 6 – OMOTENASHI BEST PRACTICES
Omotenashi is a wonderful philosophy that can deliver great guest experiences. But it is not enough to simply believe in the philosophy; it must also be practiced. In this module, we will explore some of the Japanese approaches to guest service and behaviors that can, by themselves, deliver a more consistently extraordinary guest experience. We'll take a deeper look at what many consider to be "the basics" and how consistency is key.

MODULE 7 – OMOTENASHI PROVERBS AND IDIOMS
Proverbs and Idioms can often explain more about an idea that simple descriptions. And Japanese has many to choose from! Some are amusing, some witty and many are quite profound. In this module, we will explore one well-known proverb that captures the essence of Omotenashi. We then learn about two idioms that are closely related to the world of five-star hospitality and customer service in Japan.

MODULE 8 – MINDFULNESS IN HOSPITALITY
"Mindfulness" as known in the west, is a collection of practices and concepts designed to reduce stress in our lives. But it also has roots in Japanese ZEN philosophy. And these concepts are "other focused", as opposed to "self-focused" In this module we examine both concepts and examine how we can additionally apply our understanding of the ideas towards making our guest's experiences more stress-free. As well as our own.

MODULE 9 – PERSONAS IN HOSPITALITY
Delivering extraordinary hospitality experiences in 5* luxury settings is fast-paced, stressful, challenging and sometimes emotionally tiring. It's also highly rewarding. Managing how "emotionally engaged" you are is vital if you are to avoid burnout. Mastering our own "service personas" is key. In this module we learn about the Japanese approach to their personas and how it might make delivering extraordinary service moments more effortless.

MODULE 10 – DELIGHTING THE FORGOTTEN 30%
There is a group of people who are often overlooked who you will find in a cross section of all ethnicities, genders, levels of education wealth and life paths. You'll have to complete this module to find out who they are, why they are overlooked and how we can better delight them with Omotenashi skills when they are guests in our hospitality venues!

MODULE 11 – EXPECTATIONS OF OTHER EAST ASIAN GUESTS
Japanese guests are going to have high expectations of customer service standards in any 5* context. They are not traveling overseas with expectations of the exact same "Omotenashi flavour" of service as they experience in Japan. Nevertheless, here are some of the techniques that can best combine the best of both hospitaliy cultures. With common cultural values, the same techniques apply to 5* hospitality guests from other similar Asian cultures based in similar cultural roots and beliefs.

MODULE 12 – IKIGAI – 生き甲斐 – YOUR CAREER IN HOSPITALITY
The world of hospitality can be one of the most emotionally demanding careers you can enter. It has its highs and its lows and it's very important to audit and calibrate your expectations in whatever hospitality industry role you find yourself. IKIGAI is an interesting Japanese "personal assessment" tool to help in that process in a way that will give you clarity of purpose and an objective look at where you are and where you're going on your career path.

MODULE 13 – CONCLUSION AND THANKS
Some final thoughts about the challenges facing anybody in a professional hospitality role these days and our hopes about what you have learned in this course.

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