Life lessons from the manager of the Oriental

Achara Deboonme

achara_d@nationgroup.com

The Nation

Apparently, he is not panicked over the damages claim of more than Bt200 million for alleged discrimination. He was working as hard as usual, and that probably explained the huge crowds at the hotel's restaurants during the holiday period.

During a recent interview, Khun Kurt shared with us a tip about how he has concentrated on his work, keeping his undisrupted 40-year career running smooth at the hotel.

Though he is nearly 70 and runs the country's most prestigious hotel, Khun Kurt still drives to the office from his residence in Pak Kret. He always gets up at 7am and spends a peaceful morning watching birds and butterflies before driving to the hotel.

At the hotel, he is notorious for his restlessness. He shows up here and there, greeting all important guests as they enter the premises. He constantly pops into the hotel restaurants. His presence alerts all hotel staff to take meticulous care of their responsibilities. With his constant patrolling of the premises, Khun Kurt said he has never fallen seriously ill. (While saying this, he knocked on the table in the way that Thais do when mentioning something which they don't wish to happen to them.)

Khun Kurt often leaves the hotel at 11pm, when the traffic is light. At home, he treats himself to a brief news update before going to bed at midnight.

For emotional equilibrium, every year he takes a long break to visit his daughter in Nice. There he enjoys the company of his daughter's family and the fresh air. Replacing the neat suit and tie are shorts. And he shuts himself off from the outside world, to restore his peace of mind.

Here comes the greatest tip to stay healthy and focused: Khun Kurt revealed that he never dreams!

This is extremely surprising. How can a man suppress the subconscious mind, which is notoriously wilder than the conscious one?

This man of the "old school" said that he prefers leaving all problems at his office. Nothing is worth enough to be taken home. As such, he has no worries and without worries the dream machine is not ignited.

It seems the decades have been long enough to permanently shut down his dream machine, no matter what new challenges are coming.