#055 - I'm In - The Systemic Win

This Podcast is Sponsored by Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland https://www.leonardohotels.co.uk/

Host: Phil Street FIH

Guests:

Mike Wood FIH – General Manager, Hempstead HouseDawn Lawrence MIH – CEO, HJUKSidiqa Hazara AIH – Membership & Commercial Team, Institute of Hospitality

Artwork and Branding: Sonia Cresswell (MIH)

Music by: Leon Williams (FIH)

The Systemic Win: Can Hospitality Design Success, Or Does It Happen Naturally?

What if success in hospitality wasn’t about individual brilliance… but about the system that surrounds it?

In this thought provoking episode, Phil Street is joined by Mike Wood, Dawn Lawrence, and Sidiqa Hazara to explore the idea of a “systemic win”, creating environments where everyone benefits: the business, the team, the guest, and the wider ecosystem.

From elite sport analogies to oak tree metaphors (yes, really), this conversation wrestles with a fundamental tension in hospitality:

Can you systemise success in an industry built on human moments?

In This Episode, We Discuss:

What a “systemic win” actually means in a hospitality contextWhy systems can provide stability, but not always solutionsThe danger of relying on a single “hero” within a businessWhy hospitality is too dynamic to ever be fully systemisedThe balance between structure and spontaneityHow great systems can support, but never replace, peopleThe role of communication, trust, and culture in creating consistencyWhy empowerment beats control when things go wrongThe importance of agility in a constantly shifting environmentCreating conditions where team, guest, and business all win simultaneously

Why Our Guests Said, “I’m In!”

Mike Wood:

“It’s all about giving back. If everyone shares, everyone learns”

Dawn Lawrence:

Dawn values the IOH for its ability to connect people, share insights, and support future talent. From legislation to lived experience, it’s a hub for learning and collaboration

Sidiqa Hazara:

Coming from outside hospitality, Sidiqa sees the IOH as both a learning platform and a community, a place to understand the industry while contributing back to it

Outstanding Quotes from the Episode

“You can have the best systems in the world… but without communication, it’s dead” – Phil Street“There’s no point keeping information to yourself… if everyone gives back, everyone learns” – Mike Wood“You can take a really talented human being and put them into a broken system… and they’re still going to struggle” – Phil Street“The system should hold its own, something you can always fall back on” – Mike Wood“It’s all about people, not necessarily about systems” – Dawn Lawrence“Hospitality is a moment business, every interaction is different” – Sidiqa Hazara“Design an environment where the business, the team, and the guest all benefit” – Sidiqa Hazara

Join the Conversation

Twitter/X: @IoH_Online

Instagram: @ioh_online

LinkedIn: Institute of Hospitality

Website: The Institute of Hospitality

Surely hospitality will never be fully systemised? and that’s exactly why it works

But when the right systems meet the right people?

That’s where the magic, and the real wins, happen. I hope this episode gets you thinking

Enjoy!