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WHEN PAUL CARTY was appointed to head up the Guinness Storehouse more than a decade ago, he envisioned the attraction as a “five-star hotel without the bedrooms”.
As a seasoned hotelier, it’s a motto that has served Carty and his staff well.
Some 17 years since it first opened its doors, the Guinness Storehouse is now Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction with more than 1.6 million people flocking to the home of the black stuff every year.
Once named Europe’s peak visitor attraction at the World Travel Awards, there are now plans in the works to give the Storehouse a major makeover as part of a €16 million investment.
For the latest instalment of our question-and-answer series, Carty speaks to Fora about learning to trust his colleagues, what he gets up to at the weekends and why it’s not OK to have a pint during a business meeting.
Here’s what he had to say:
How do you start a standard day and how do you finish it?
Porridge gets me kick-started in the morning, and I usually check my calendar to get a sense of what the day ahead looks like for me.
My day really begins when I get into the car and drive to work with Morning Ireland. My commute is around 45 minutes, and I enjoy using that time to keep abreast of what’s going on so by the time I get to work at 8.15am I’m up to date with everything.
After a quick check in to my office I usually spend the first few minutes of the day walking the floor to get a feel for the building. This is time to speak to staff and to check in with everyone.
I still get a feeling of excitement every morning when I see and feel this great building and see staff getting prepared to welcome our guests for an experience they will never forget.
I like to finish my day by ensuring that I have zero papers left on my desk and that all my emails have been actioned and are housed with the right people. Then it’s another drive home with Mary Wilson and RTÉ’s Drivetime for company.
What is the worst job/task you’ve ever had to do?
Oh, that’s an easy one – shelling prawns.
When I was 15 or 16 years of age I was determined to earn some money for myself at weekends. I used to take the bus from where we lived in Meath to Dublin, and I found a job shelling prawns in a fishmongers off Moore Street.
We were paid by weight, so at the end of the day the fishmonger used to weigh the baskets and pay you accordingly.
I remember one evening getting the bus back home to Meath when the driver stood up and complained that there was an awful smell of fish on his bus. I kept my head down and just stared at my hands that were red raw from the day.
What’s the one skill you wish you had?
It’s a standing joke at home that when a bulb needs changing, my wife Aggie will tell me to get the hammer.
I can do the basic stuff, but DIY work around the home is just not in my arsenal. Aggie is content enough to let me do little things, but if she sees me going anywhere near a tool belt she gets nervous.
What bad work (or business) habit have you had to kick?
Earlier in my career I used to feel I had to double- and triple-check things were being done and tasks were being carried out. I had to kick that habit and learn to trust my people.
Now I trust the staff implicitly and they know that they have my full confidence, but it took me a personal journey to get to this place.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, and who did it come from?
When I was running a hotel in Gatwick back in the early 1990s, the regional director, Peter Stevenson – a fellow Irishman – gave me a piece of advice that struck a chord with me and has stuck with me throughout my career.
He said , “Always surround yourself with the best talent possible. A great leader is someone who can recognise great talent, recruit them and then afford them the freedom to succeed.”
If you weren’t doing your current job, what do you think you would be doing instead?
I’ll approach that in two ways.
Had the opportunity with Guinness Storehouse never been presented to me, I believe that today I would be overseas either running a five-star hotel or, preferably, engaged as a regional director for a prestigious luxury hotel group.
If I had a blank sheet of paper and could choose a different career, I would love to have experienced life as a government diplomat with an overseas portfolio.
What have you found is the best way to motivate staff?
To spend time among them, genuinely listen to them, their concerns, their opinions and to show them that their input is truly valued. I like to find out what really motivates them, what are their hopes and aspirations.
As a group we are really invested in encouraging and helping our people develop their careers and realise their aspirations.
Do you think it’s OK to have a drink at a business meeting?
No. At a business meeting, successfully achieving the objectives set up for the meeting is the absolute priority, but there is nothing wrong with enjoying a drink afterwards to celebrate a positive outcome at the end of the day.
Would you encourage your children to work in your industry? Why/why not?
My wife and I have three children and I really would have loved it had one of them shown the desire to attend my alma mater, Shannon College of Hotel Management, but none of them did, which did surprise me.
During my career in hotel management overseas, we lived in the hotels and they saw the long hours that went with the position – but they also saw the good and exciting side of the profession. I managed some truly magnificent hotels.
So yes, hotel management is a career I would have encouraged, but for whatever reason none of them showed the inclination. That said, your children have to find their own path and their own passions and we encourage them absolutely in that.
What is the oddest item in your office?
I would have to say stones I collected from a beach in Korchula, Croatia. I like collecting odd-shaped stones from beaches.
Written by Conor McMahon and posted on Fora.ie
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So he got sick and she moved in 6 or 7 weeks ago? How did she afford the private rental house for the last 5 years?
Having said that, allowing her to stay until the end of Jan would hardly seem excessive, although there is probably some family that are entitled to the house waiting for years and hoping to have a place for Christmas.
Where did you get the 6/7 weeks & 5 years figures?
Agree that leaving them in the house until the end of January does not seem excessive, would really seem to be fair on the children who are grieving for their father
read the original article in the Wexford Echo – link included above
Read it there, cheers
Awful story but (and I’m ashamed to say) I’m becoming a little numb to these tragic stories as they are now a daily headline.
Where did she live before she moved in. She should have thought about her children before she left her own house.
She moved in with the children’s father to care for him during an illness. They must of got to see more of their Dad before his death, I think that would of been the most important thing for them.
Thanks Dara, I’ll try remember that next time
Why wasn’t she living with him all the time? before his illness? I’m sure it’s not as it seems tbh.
That’s really none of anyone’s business Donna.
None of these stories are what they seem
They split up years ago and only moved in at the end of September
Donna, the story from the Wexford Echo says they were married but separated with 5 years.
Alan , she went public about it herself so there’s bound to be questions asked .
Indeed there will be Suzie but why someone isn’t living with their children’s father isn’t relevant to the story. They were separated, beyond that is personal between partners and no one else’s business. Just because she went public doesn’t mean her life should be dissected.
Alan, it is relevant when she is looking for her estranged partners house. This just stinks of her trying to jump the housing list at the cost of someone else on the list who has probably been waiting the 10 years she is refusing too and now playing the sympathy card
You may need to read the piece again vocal. She’s not looking for the house. She has, in fact, said its not suitable for the family long term. All she’s looking for is a bit more time to sort out a new place to live and let her children grieve for a reasonable length of time. A couple of months shouldn’t make that much of a difference.
Also, the reason for a couple not being together has nothing to do with the housing list and is a personal issue and should be left as such.
You’re a quite heartless individual vocal……I really think some commentators here should be cast into the sea …how do some people become so hard faced
She is not entitled to keep the house and I know that’s harsh but the family at the top if the waiting list could be in more need of this home.
Read the article. She’s not asking to keep the house. She makes it very clear that she’s just asking to stay in in for a couple more months while she and her children get over a the loss.
Bereavement and moving house are two of the most stressful things you can go through, surely it’s not too much to ask that they not have both at the same time?
Who in the name of Jesus takes a picture at a loved ones grave?
Agreed, creepy looking smiles. Is that for this story or this a normal thing to do now?
Picture added for added sympathy
Seems to be. Was on Facebook a few days ago and seen a pic that was taken with a corpse at the wake – really, really creepy looking
Thank god someone said it, I get creeped out quite regularly on a daily basis from people posing for photos at a grave
People under the influence of Guinness farts perhaps?
The media does it all the time, they also film entire funerals and burials and put them on TV.
From the report she moved in to help with his illness – not because she knew he was dying, the house isn’t suitable for the family, their relationship seems to have not been conventional as in she lived elsewhere, maybe in private accommodation.
All she is looking for is some time, up until the end of January until she can save and move on – she will continue to pay the rent which is fair enough.
Have to say that some people have a cold and bitter outlook on the world.
They see the words “council house”and it’s open season.
Wants to work all of a sudden??? Moved into council house when she knew her partner was going to die. YeaHHHHH. Does she take us all to be fools?
Mary , there is people who will be fooled by this .
All of a sudden? Where’s that from? She’s got 1 lung and her surgeon says she’s not fit to work. She’ll hardly be able to do much if she needs oxygen regularly.
*Correction – occasionally, not regularly
Save for a deposit and buy a house like eveyone else or just dont have kids.
Maggie not everyone want’s to own a house
Some of the posters on this thread make me ashamed to be part of the human race…..this woman buried her children’s father 6 weeks ago….she has a serious life threatening illness…2 children could possibly be orphans any day …some posters here should be completely ashamed of themselves
Agreed Derek. It’s 2 kids who’ve just lost their father here. Letting them stay (in what they probably see as dads house) until after Christmas isn’t really asking too much. The mother is only asking for some time.
Pure heartless decision, lacking any common sense or human decency – like many posters here. Like you, this right here is the reason I don’t like people.
I don’t understand what could be so wrong in some people’s lives that they have to abuse a fragile woman and 2 small children who have lost their father and now they will lose their home ..shame on anybody who supports this decision ..
F**kheads Derek. It’s not their lives, it’s them.
If she knew he was dying she should have married him to avoid all of this.
They were both parents and should have looked after the children.
Tough situation but anybody with a bit of common sense would be looking out for the best option going forward not just ignoring it.
they were married – separated 5 years ago according to the Wexford Echo story
I heard her on the radio this morning but only got the tail ended of it. She moved in with him due to him being sick but also because the rent in her own place went up and the rent allowance went down so she could no longer afford it. Think the plan was to help out while he was sick and save towards a deposit for a new place. All she is asking for is to be allowed to stay till Janurary so her kids can grief for their father properly over christmas which is going to be hard for them and also to give her time to save.
I suppose we can take some comfort in the fact that people here are being almost as unkind to this family as they warw towards the bereaved travellers a couple of weeks ago. Equality at last!
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