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3 Day Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers workshop at Enderun College, Manila, the Philippines

Early March saw the inaugural three-day Development Programme Housekeeping Managers Workshop take place at Enderun College Manila, the Philippines.

15 participants from all hotels including five-star, resort properties and city hotels attended the session. Click Here To Read More

Renewing Old Acquaintances -Ruth at Enderun College, Manila, the Philippines

Liz had a blast from the past in Manila recently, she meet someone who was instrumental in her choice of hospitality as a career path.

Ruth Von Siebenthal was the Executive Housekeeper at the Hong Kong hotel in 1973 when teenager Liz stayed with their parents when they first arrived in Hong Kong.

As Liz was on to the school holiday break she would join the Room Attendants and help them make up guest rooms while they got the chance to practice their English skills.

Ruth helped arrange a two day orientation in all aspects of hotel operations and Liz was hooked.

Ruth is now Principal Lecturer in International Hospitality Management at Enderun College in Manila and she helped facilitate the recent three-day Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers workshop.

Upcoming London Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers – Part 2 Sustainability and Project Management

L&A is delighted to announce the Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers Part 2 will be coming to London on May 14th and 15th 2013.

This new exciting 2 day programme includes

 Environmental Sustainability – a clear understanding of current environmental global best practice, working in groups and coming up with usable checklists for Housekeeping 

 Working with Engineering – setting up winning preventative maintenance programmes and working effectively with Engineering, group exercises in setting up and running PM programmes

 Project Management – including running a small project, working on conducting renovations right up to full hotel openings. Group exercises in using a Gant chart to run a project

 Public Area Operations – back to basics; reviewing all areas of public areas, time and motion studies. Group exercise in quality control systems for all PA areas

 Occupational Health & Safety – designing and working with health and safety programmes specifically designed for Housekeeping staff. Group exercise in developing a best practice housekeeping health and safety training checklist

 Working with Contractors – Setting up successful contracts and maintaining quality with external Contractors. Group exercise in comparing finances of either outsourcing or undertaking work internally.

 Presentation Skills/ Reading and understanding your Manager – Tools to assist in gaining self-confidence. Learn how your manager likes to receive information. Planning and preparing a winning report and How to make an outstanding and convincing  presentation to Management. Individual and group activities – final presentations on chosen topic can then be taken back into the operation

registration is on the website

Upcoming Housekeeping Courses

Lycette & Associates has scheduled housekeeping courses in Manila, Singapore, Bali and Hong Kong. If you are interested in hosting one of our workshops in your City or region please contact us on info@lycetteandassociates.com For more information or to register click on the links below:

Manila: Housekeeping Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers
13 to 15 March 2013 – 3 day course
Singapore: Housekeeping Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers
16 to 18 April – 3 day course
Bali: Coaching Skills for Supervisors
27 May – 1 day course
Bali: Quality Assurance programme for Housekeepers
28 May – 1 day course
Bali: Babysitting for Hotel Employees
29 May – 1 day course
Bali: Housekeepers Development Part 2 (extension)
30 to 31 May – 2 day course
Hong Kong: Housekeeping Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers
3 to 5 June – 3 day course
Hong Kong: Housekeepers Development Part 2 (extension)
6 to 7 June – 2 day course

If you have any further questions about these upcoming housekeeping workshops email Josephine van Damme

Inaugural Development Programme workshop for Housekeeping Managers London UK – February 2013

The first week in February saw the first Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers workshop in London, with 16 attendees from all over London joining the training. As always with these workshops there was a great exchange of ideas and best practice within the group.

Participants now have tools for finance, people management and quality control to assist in improving their Housekeeping operations. All hotels were well represented with Housekeepers from London Hilton Paddington, Radisson Edwardian group, Lancaster Gate, Corinthia and Coworth Park attending.

The Housekeeping teams from the hosting group, Ascott International Management, also participated in the workshop. Ms Rebecca Hollants Van Loocke, Regional General Manager UK for Ascott International Management, Europe was on hand to congratulate all the participants and hand out the certificates.

Some of the feedback from the participants

“Easy to understand.  Lots of useful information and practice”

Lots of information passed and explained in a very interactive way

“a great sharing experience,  look at different ways to do things and brainstorming”

”I learned a lot about financial management, thank you”

“Helps to streamline my knowledge of P&L in Housekeeping”

This workshop has now been successfully delivered to over 500 Housekeepers in Singapore, Kulua Lumpur Malaysia, Fiji, Cairo Egypt, UAE Dubai and Abu Dhabi, throughout India, Bangkok Thailand, Doha Qatar, Shanghai China, Bali Indonesia and Sydney Australia.

L&A will be back in UK in early May this year with a follow up 2 day workshop which will include topics such as working with Engineering, project management, opening hotels, health and safety, environmental best practice and presentation skills. If there is demand the same 3 day workshop will also be run early May 2013.

For more information about our courses email us at info@lycetteandassociates.com

Win one free admission to the online Finance for Housekeepers course starting on Monday 18 February

To all housekeepers around the world! From today for only 5 days L&A is offering 1 person FREE ADMISSION to its online Finance for Housekeepers course . For your chance to win and start this course on Monday 18 February with fellow housekeepers from around the world register your name, position, hotel and email address with Josephine. Email her your details and your name will go in the draw. Email josephine@lycetteandassociates.com  The winner will be notified by email.

More information about the course:
This self-directed course enables Housekeeping Manager’s to think critically and become more financially savvy. The focus is on practical skills for the workplace, expanding and developing professional confidence. The course is facilitated, clear and simple learning via the internet – scheduled over 8 weeks and over approximately 20 hours:

• downloadable on-the-job tools and templates
• interactive forums with global peers
• case studies and practical work exercises
• assessments evaluated by the facilitator and returned with individual feedback
• awards for successful participants with a L&A certificate or within Australia, a Statement of Attainment

NEW L&A course takes Housekeeping Development to the next level

The Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers has been delivered world wide for the last 5 years and is still as popular as ever. Liz Lycette, senior principal at Lycette & Associates has now added a new follow on course that addresses all aspects of modern sustainable Housekeeping Management. This 2 day programme (The Development Programme Part 2) is suitable for Housekeeping Managers, Rooms Division Managers and all those responsible for Housekeeping operations to equip them with the housekeeping skills required for the 21st century.

The workshop has been broken up into two modules, it focuses on Housekeeping specific sustainability and project management. The modules can be selected and combined individually, and can be tailored to fit particular corporate needs or company objectives.

The overall objective of the Development Programme Part 2 for Housekeeping Managers is to improve the employees performance by targeting the following critical areas of operation:

• Environmental Sustainability – a clear understanding of current environmental global best practice
• Working with Engineering – setting up winning preventative maintenance programmes and working effectively with Engineering
• Project Management – including running a small project, working on conducting renovations right up to full hotel openings
• Public Area Operations – back to basics; reviewing all areas of public areas, time and motion studies, quality control of all PA areas
• Occupational Health & Safety – for staff safety and security on the job
• Working with Contractors – Setting up successful contracts and maintaining quality with external Contractors
• Presentation Skills/ Manage Your Manager – Understanding how your manager likes to receive information. Planning and preparing a winning report and how to make an outstanding and convincing  presentation to Management

For more information or to enquire about opportunities to deliver this course in your area contact Josephine van Damme josephine@lycetteandassociates.com

The Dangers of Not Enough Training

In the simplest sense, training refers to a learning activity that can change the behaviour and knowledge of people. When it comes to your business, it is the behaviour and knowledge of your staff members that can really affect your bottom line. Unfortunately, without the right training your staff members could become your biggest liabilities; with the right training, however, they have the potential to become one of your biggest assets. The following are a few of the dangers of not taking the time and resources to ensure your employees have been properly trained.

Lack of unity

Employees must be trained so that they are able to do their jobs the right way and with a clear understanding of how their work contributes to the overall success of the business. When people understand the importance of their position and have the tools necessary to do their best work, they feel more respected, have more job satisfaction and respect each other more, which leads to higher overall morale. When you have unity among your staff, you also get higher productivity from individuals, better team performance, and far better returns for your business.

Lack of ingenuity

Truly dynamic and successful companies have staff members that are more innovative, flexible and dedicated because they are well trained and supported by their managers. One of the best ways to enhance the support and dedication you show your staff is to give them opportunities for professional development and learning. As employees develop new skills and increase their networking capabilities, they will have more energy and creativity to contribute to your business.

Lack of growth potential

Lack of proper training stagnates employees, as people begin to feel like they come to work only to do the same job they normally do, or worse: they quit to move on to a new company that can teach them and help them improve their own capabilities. In this scenario there is no personal growth, and there is certainly no growth for your business. Not only does training your staff improve their ingenuity and keep them dedicated, but it also increases their capacity to adapt to new technologies and methods, as well as take on new and bigger projects.

Lack of safety

Especially if your business requires employees to use heavy machinery, chemicals or any other dangerous goods, you would be risking their personal safety by not training them properly. Not only should you train your staff in order to keep them safe for their own good, but also because it will end up saving you money later on insurance, worker’s compensation, hiring new staff and having to buy new equipment.

Lack of good customer service

For most businesses, good customer service is essential for higher profits and growth. To ensure your customers are getting the best service possible, you need to empower your customer service agents to provide it. There is a lot to learn when it comes to dealing with customers effectively, and having your employees trained will greatly improve their ability to communicate with the customers and keep your brand’s good name intact.

These are just a few of the dangers you face if you don’t train your employees properly. By training your staff, you could not only improve the level of safety and customer service your company provides, but you can also improve your business by having more productive, skilled and loyal staff members.

About Timothy Millett
Timothy Millett is an Australian-based Trainer with global hotel industry experience. In addition to a portfolio which includes the Sofitel Hotels, Taj Group, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa and Hilton, he has also held strategic learning and development positions such as Director of Training for Moevenpick Gastronomy International and Group Training Manager for the prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Now, as the Director of Training & Development for i perform, Timothy and his team continue to work closely with the hotel industry to enhance performance in leadership, sales and service through blended training, service auditing and coaching solutions. Learn how i perform can help you by contacting Timothy or any of the i perform team about your learning needs on www.iperform.com.au or by calling 02 9025 3513.

For more information regarding Housekeeping training, courses and consulting contact Lycette & Associates on info@lycetteandassociates.com

NEW – Butler Development Programme

Lycette & Associates designed a new Butler Development Programme in order for the team to establish a full skill set to deliver seamless guest service at the highest standards. The programme is designed for existing teams and those newly appointed to their positions.

The overall objective of the Butler Development Programme is to develop the performance of the Butler Team in the following critical areas of operation:

• Concierge skills – handling of business and personal travel arrangements, knowledge of tours, tourist attractions, local businesses, venues and special events, offering solutions or recommendations.
• Communication skills – within the team, with guests including cultural awareness and interpersonal communication.
• Food and Beverage skills – all F&B Butler service skills required including drinks service, room service skills and essential  F&B background knowledge.
• Housekeeping and Valet skills – standards of room, suite and villa presentation and all aspects of valet services, including packing and unpacking.

Upon completion of the training all participants will understand their role and the requirements to successfully perform all their duties as a Butler. All participants will be assessed and deemed competent to fulfil all duties required with a focus on professional seamless service as per Hotel and Resort standards.

For more information visit our website or contact Josephine on  josephine@lycetteandassociates.com.

The online course: Finance for Housekeeping Managers starts again 18 February 2013

Join our next online course: Finance for Housekeeping Managers – starting 18 February 2013

This year L&A will be presenting its supported online learning course 3 times. This self-directed course enables Housekeeping Manager’s to think critically and become more financially savvy. The focus is on practical skills for the workplace, expanding and developing professional confidence. The course is facilitated, clear and simple learning via the internet – scheduled over 8 weeks and over approximately 20 hours:

• downloadable on-the-job tools and templates
• interactive forums with global peers
• case studies and practical work exercises
• assessments evaluated by the facilitator and returned with individual feedback
• awards for successful participants with a L&A certificate or within Australia, a Statement of Attainment