The Housekeeping department won the Fairmont Hamilton Princess hotel’s first-ever mission statement competition in which each department worked together to create a mission statement that represents the department’s purpose and values.The mission statement, “With Pride and dignity we play our part. Giving service from the heart,” has earned the department a special group celebration of their choice.“The purpose of this initiative was to engage employees in a team-building exercise that reinforces their commitment to providing outstanding guest service,” said Leonard Czarnecki, general manager of The Fairmont Hamilton Princess. “We were overwhelmed with the positive response we received and pleased with the high level of enthusiasm and creativity that teams brought to the challenge.”The competition officially rolled out in February when employees received a how-to guide on creating mission statements. From there, each of the departments worked as a team to develop their mission statements, as well as creative ways to present it.After several rounds of internal judging by Fairmont executives, the competition was narrowed to four finalists who presented their mission statements at a final judging, which included local industry figures Billy Griffith, director, Bermuda Department of Tourism; John Harvey, CEO, Bermuda Hotel Association; Karla Lacey, CEO, Bermuda Hospitality Institute (BHI); and Joanne MacPhee, executive vice-president, Bermuda Chamber of Commerce.“The tourism industry has grown increasingly competitive and what makes a difference between one luxury destination and another is its people,” Mr Griffith said. “This competition has taken service delivery at The Fairmont Hamilton Princess to a whole new level.”Criteria for judging included creativity, team spirit and presentation quality as well as understanding of the department’s mission and alignment with Fairmont’s company-wide mission statement “Turning moments into memories for our guests”. In addition, as a part of each presentation, the departments provided action plans on how the mission statement will be consistently integrated into the everyday work day as well as sustained into the future.The entire Housekeeping department, consisting of more than 70 employees, took part in creating their mission statement. The judges praised the group for the preciseness of their mission and felt the powerful statement sums up what all hoteliers should be doing each and every day.Each mission statement will be posted in a visible spot within the department to serve as a constant reminder of what can be accomplished when working together as a team. In addition, based on the success of this competition, it will serve as model for other Fairmont properties.