Recently, I returned from a fantastic family vacation aboard the Regal Princess, visiting stunning destinations like Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan. While the trip overall was memorable and enjoyable, we encountered a hiccup at the end that required some extra effort to resolve. Reflecting on the experience, I realized it was a perfect case study in how clearly defined values and vision can guide decision-making and deliver exceptional outcomes.
The Situation: Miscommunication and Frustration
The issue started with a promotion offered by Princess Cruises. A family member asked questions of a supervisor about the terms, acted on the information they understood, and tried to redeem the offer. However, when the time came, the rules had apparently ‘changed.’ What followed was a frustrating back-and-forth, compounded by vague responses and resistance to addressing the issue directly.
When I got involved, I was met with the same roadblocks. The default response was, ‘We can’t do that.’ Instead of dwelling on the past or trying to untangle the legalities, I shifted the conversation: ‘Well, what can you do?’ This simple reframing opened the door to possibilities, and the issue was ultimately resolved successfully—but only after escalating several levels up the chain of command.
A Leadership Lens: What Could Have Gone Better?
As a leader, I’ve always relied on a simple but powerful filter: What was the customer reasonably expecting based on what we told them? If we didn’t deliver, we owned it and we needed to fix it. Full stop.
Taking a step back, Princess Cruises has an impressive cultural framework designed to guide their team’s actions:
- Their corporate vision is to deliver ‘memorable vacations’ and ‘unforgettable happiness.’
- Core values like Respect (with behaviors like ‘be open and honest’ and ‘build trust’) and Connect (with behaviors like ‘exceed expectations’ and ‘own and resolve issues’) set a high bar for guest interactions.
- An expected behavior is to “empower” team members to deliver on these values.
In theory, their corporate vision framework provides everything necessary to resolve situations like mine. In practice, there was a misalignment between their stated corporate values and the experience I encountered.
The Gap: Framework vs. Execution
Here’s where the disconnect happened:
- Empowerment: Frontline employees didn’t have the authority to resolve the issue quickly, even though empowerment is an expected behavior.
- Respect: Miscommunication about the promotion wasn’t ‘open and honest’ and eroded trust.
- Connect: Falling back on fine print failed to meet, let alone exceed, expectations. It took escalating to multiple levels before someone ‘owned and resolved the issue.’
Ultimately, the resolution aligned with their values, but the energy and frustration it took to get there detracted from the experience. Resolving the issue at the first level of contact, by someone empowered to act, would have been far more aligned with Princess Cruises’ vision of delivering unforgettable happiness.
Lessons Learned: Leading with Values and Vision
This experience reinforced for me the importance of using corporate values and vision as a filter for decision-making—not just as lofty ideals but as actionable guides. The key for successful companies are systems with processes and procedures. If you lead with values and vision and use it as a filter it makes decision making easier and more responsive. It ensures safety for employees because their actions can be easily justified and not open to second guessing (Why did you do that?). For Princess Cruises, this might mean:
- Empowering frontline staff to resolve issues immediately.
- Ensuring communication is always clear, consistent, and builds trust.
- Creating a culture where exceeding expectations is the norm, not the exception.
When companies live their values consistently, decisions become easier, and the customer experience improves dramatically. In the end, it’s not about adhering to the fine print—it’s about aligning actions with the purpose of creating ‘unforgettable happiness.’
Leadership, whether on a ship or in the boardroom, is about ensuring alignment between what you promise and what you deliver. When you focus on possibilities instead of limitations, solutions emerge, trust is built, and values come to life.
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What’s your company doing to make sure its values guide every decision?
I coach CEOs and business owners to ensure their companies are running optimally including to have alignment on vision, values and execution. Let’s talk if you are keen on increasing performance for your team.