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Inaugural Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers in Shanghai China

Last week saw its first Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers in China, with 15 attendees from all over China joining the programme. The programme was run in English and Mandarin. As always with these workshops there was a great exchange of ideas and best practice within the group.

Participants gained the tools for finance in housekeeping, people management and quality control to assist in improvement of their Housekeeping operations. All hotels and regions were well represented with Housekeepers from Shanghai Peninsula, Hyatt on the Bund, JW Marriott, Jin Jiang and Ramada Pudong attending.  Out of Towners included Housekeepers from Sofitel Chongqing, Kempinski Chengdu and Swissbel Hotels Hefei.

The Rooms Division team from the hosting hotel, Howard Johnson Plaza, also participated in the workshop. Mr Erik Rufer, the Hotels General Manager highlighted the huge and often underestimated importance of Housekeeping for Hotel profits during his closing speech.

For more information on the Housekeeping Development Programme visit our website or email Josephine (Josephine@lycetteandassociates.com)

Win a free admission to the online Finance for Housekeepers course

To all housekeepers around the world! For only 48 hours 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 20 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

The online course: Finance for Housekeeping Managers starts again 20 February 2012

Join our next online course: Finance for Housekeeping Managers – starting 20 February.

This year L&A will be presenting its supported online learning course 4 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

Housekeeping course in Shanghai this February

The Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers will be held this month in Shanghai. This course will benefit Executive Housekeepers, particularly those newly appointed to the position, their Assistants and Senior Housekeeping Managers. Course facilitator Liz Lycette will take you through a programme designed to improve performance of housekeeping staff by targeting three critical areas of operation:

Profits – improve cost control systems and effective utilisation of resources
People – staff retention, effective leadership skills, personnel management and development
Product – achieve and maintain consistency in presentation standards and property upkeep

The cornerstones of the training will include:
Facilitation in English and Mandarin. 
Theory, supported by a presentation, comprehensive hand-outs in English and Mandarin
Group discussions, case studies, role plays, practical work exercises
Work based project initiation through personal development sheets

Workshop details and fees:
Dates: Wednesday 15th – Friday 17th February 2012
The workshop runs from 09.00 – 17.00 daily, including 1 hour for lunch which will be provided.
Venue: Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Shanghai, 595 Jiu Jiang Road Shanghai 200001
Cost: The investment is US$750 per person. (Full 3-day programme inclusive of all course material, including morning, afternoon tea and lunch) A minimum of 20 attendees is required for this course to take place

Registration:
Full registration and payment of US$ 750.00 will be available online at the L&A Website: http://www.lycetteandassociates.com/housekeeping-courses-training/

For more information email Josephine on josephine@lycetteandassociates.com

Housekeeping Training in Abu Dhabi

L&A’s UAE housekeeping training concluded with the Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi. This was the 2nd course Lycette & Associates delivered in the UAE. The 3 day workshop is delivered in four modules and focuses on Housekeeping specific financial management, housekeeping operations, staff training & development and quality control & property upkeep.  The overall objective is to improve the performance of housekeeping staff by targeting three critical areas of operation:

• Profits – improve cost control systems and effective utilisation of resources
• People – increase staff retention, effective leadership skills, personnel management and development
• Product – achieve and maintain consistency in presentation standards and property upkeep

On the 2nd day of People Management, 15 team members from various Rooms Division Departments joined the Housekeeping Managers to gain important team management skills through role plays and group activities.

Some feedback from the participants at the Dubai workshop:

Thank you very much Liz it was a great time and very useful learning session for all of us. I hope that I will join another session with you in future. Learning is never ending.

 It was a great time all of with you guys and will keep our network always. K…. I did not forget and I will send you tomorrow my manning formula as I promised to you.

It has been a pleasure to meet you and fantastic opportunity to be able to share this 3 days training with you.

Please find attached the pictures taken during the training. I hope you enjoyed it as much I did. Big thank you to Liz for make this great training happen and to all of you for coming. Keep in touch.

For more information on Housekeeping courses and training contact: Josephine van Damme

L&A workshop in Dubai

Lycette & Associates was in the UAE last month to deliver 2 workshops. One in Dubai and the other one in Abu Dhabi. The first 3 day Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers was held at the Raffles Hotel in Dubai. Participants flew in from Doha and Kuwait to attend the workshop.  The group gained an opportunity to network at the same time as learning essential management tools to run their busy Housekeeping operations in the Middle East.

The 3-day Development Programme is delivered in four modules; it focuses on Housekeeping specific financial management, housekeeping operations, staff training & development and quality control & property upkeep.  The overall objective is to improve the performance of housekeeping staff by targeting three critical areas of operation:

• Profits – improve cost control systems and effective utilisation of resources
• People – increase staff retention, effective leadership skills, personnel management and development
• Product – achieve and maintain consistency in presentation standards and property upkeep

bathroom at Raffles Dubai

3 meter bed at Raffles Dubai

 

Bali December Housekeepers workshop

Earlier this month Agnes and Liz conducted the first ever 2 day Housekeepers seminar in Bali through the Bali Hotel Association. The Housekeeping Management Skills Training workshop focused on “profit and people” with the 35 participants coming from all over Bali; large 5 star Hotels, smaller 3 and 4 star operations and villas.

Some feedback after the 2 days included such comments as

“It was great workshop – lots of ideas, best practice, informative and useful, everyone was fantastic”
“zillion thanks to Liz and Agnes for great knowledge sharing 2-day workshop.”

The Housekeeping Managers now have a full tool box to complete their action plans and implement changes in their operations. Everyone particularly enjoyed the opportunity to network and share ideas.

Agnes used her fluent Bahasa Indonesian to guide the participants along, also helped with the handouts being in English and Indonesian.

L&A look forward to conducting more workshops in 2012 partnering with the Bali Hotel Association including a planned Supervisory Skills workshop for Rooms Division which will be conducted entirely in Indonesian.

For more information on housekeeping workshops contact Josephine van Damme by email josephine@lycetteandassociates.com or visit our

website http://www.lycetteandassociates.com/housekeeping-courses-training

Housekeeper development workshops in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Development programme for Housekeeping Managers 

Take note: L&A’s popular Housekeeper development programme is scheduled to be held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi this month.

This programme will benefit Executive Housekeepers, particularly those newly appointed to the position, their Assistants and Senior Housekeeping Managers

Course facilitator Liz Lycette will take you through a programme designed to improve performance of housekeeping staff by targeting three critical areas of operation:

• Profits – improve cost control systems and effective utilisation of resources
• People – staff retention, effective leadership skills, personnel management / development
• Product – achieve and maintain consistency in presentation standards and property upkeep

The cornerstones of the training will include:

• Facilitation in English
• Theory, supported by a presentation, comprehensive hand-outs
• Group discussions, case studies, role plays, practical work exercises
• Workbased Project initiation through personal development sheets
• Mini trade show with suppliers and networking opportunities

Venue details Dubai

Raffles Dubai
Sheikh Rashid Road, Wafi, P.O.Box 121800
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4324 8888
Fax: +971 4324 6000

Venue details Abu Dhabi

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
Between The Bridges
P.O. Box 114304
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tel +971 2 654 3019
Fax +971 2 654 3323

Workshop details and fees:

• Workshop Dubai: Tuesday 13th to Thursday 15th  December, 2011.
• Workshop Abu Dhabi: Tuesday 20th to Thursday 22 December 2011.
• Each workshop day runs from 09.00 – 17.30, including 1 hour for lunch which will be provided.
• The investment is US$850 per person only! (Full 3-day programme inclusive of all course materials, including morning, afternoon tea and lunch) A minimum of 20 attendees is required for each course to take place

Registration

Full registration and payment of US$ 850.00 will be available online at the L&A Website: http://www.lycetteandassociates.com/housekeeping-courses-training/ 

Course outline

Topics and learning outcomes of workshop Day 1
Financial Management

• Financial concepts and basic accounting terminology
• Different types of Hotel budgets
• The Rooms Division P&L structure and components
• The Housekeeping P&L
• Manage your monthly P&L results and learn practical tools to control and monitor costs, next years budget

Topics and learning outcomes of workshop Day 2
Housekeeping staff management and training

• Create a practical training manual
• The Expectation talk
• Correcting poor performance
• Develop a mentoring programme
• Avoiding the leadership deficit – delegation skills
• Topics and learning outcomes of workshop 

Maintaining quality products and services Day 3 

• Performance standards and non conformance
• Understanding quality habits
• Meaningful measurement – numerical audit systems for checking guest rooms
• Understand and practice problem solving techniques
• Introduction to innovation and trends in Housekeeping

Mini Trade Show with suppliers & Networking event – afternoon tea with the Housekeeping fraternity of the UAE!

For more information contact Josephine by email: josephine@lycetteandassociates.com

Online Learning for Housekeeping – A New Approach

In the last year Lycette & Associates has embarked on a new approach to education and training – elearning!  Elearning is a term used for computer based, web-based learning, using mobile technologies and digital communication in a virtual classroom environment.

By keeping up with technology and understanding that elearning is becoming an integrated component of corporate expertise and employee development, L&A has incorporated its Finance for Housekeepers Course into its main stream training and courses as a part of the overall education for Housekeepers in the hospitality industry. Compared with face-to-face courses, elearning has the capability of building knowledge and developing skills while keeping the training related costs down.

Elearning in hospitality has been expanding rapidly and is predicted to grow considerably over the coming years. Integrating elearning into Housekeeping offers the industry a new way to improve efficiency, quality and standards.

L&A’sonline course “Finance for Housekeeping Managers” has now been available to Housekeepers worldwide since the beginning of 2011.

As the year is drawing to a close almost 4 courses have been completed with successful attendees enrolling from all over the globe including Hong Kong, Germany, Malta, Indonesia, India, China, USA, Singapore, Ghana, The Czech Republic, Bulgaria and of course Australia.

The online course “Finance for Housekeeping Managers” is interactive and engaging and can be undertaken in the participant’s own time at work and/or at home provided there is access to a computer, high-speed internet and printer. The programme is constructed in 3 modules which are scheduled over a 3 week period, followed by 2 substantial work based practical assignments which require a further 3 weeks. The overall facilitated course is to be completed in 8 weeks. The participant’s commitment is expected to be approximately 20 hours with the majority of time required in the first 3 weeks of the course. Although the online programme offers maximum flexibility for each learner, it is recommended that participants allocate some time each day to move through the course comfortably as a group with other learners.

We asked several participants for their feedback on elearning and got many diverse responses;

Does your company have available on line courses or elearning opportunities for either you or your housekeeping team?

Larger organisations such as Marriott have great programmes such as “Passport to Success” for Managers to complete on line; although not specifically housekeeping related, the material is perfect for an overall grounding in Management skills. Smaller hotel companies may not have a dedicated elearning network or university online however they are affiliated to organisations such as Hostec in Australia for elearning, Harvard in the States and Hotel School in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Some of the other courses our Australian participants have undertaken include Induction, OH&S, Revenue 101, Certificate IV on Front-line Management and Diploma in Hospitality. For the international participants courses included Diploma level Rooms Division through HCIMA and Hotel Management through Cambridge University in the UK.

When we asked whether participants found online learning experience more effective than face-to-face learning we got a range of interesting responses

• It’s easier learning online earlier in ones career as there is more time, now the demands are greater and time for training and study is an issue
• Online is easier than face to face as you don’t feel the pressure of someone watching you
• We can ask more questions on line if we don’t understand and get a quick response. With face to face we may feel shy or afraid to ask questions
• You have to be more focused and self- disciplined for online learning. With face to face once you are in a classroom environment you are there.

What are the positives of learning on line?

• Flexibility
• You can choose the environment to study (at home) in private
• You can choose the time to study (print something off and take it to the beach to read for example!)
• You can study online in your own time, anytime of the day
• You can retrace steps and when there are challenges, skip ahead and come back later
• It’s easy to contact the tutor for one on one personal advice
• There are simple communication lines for a quick response and quick feedback.

What about the negatives?

• We are unable to discuss problems face to face with other students
• Some computer/IT difficulties in the process
• If there is no one to guide you, you can lose track
• It can be lonely when there is nobody to discuss things with straight away
• Opportunities to network and chat online takes more effort than in a face to face environment.

(However, we have found that the younger generation is more accustomed to communicating with others online)

Most of the participants were able to get their employer to pay for the course however some did pay themselves.

What kinds of learning activities lend themselves more to elearning?

• Induction, tutorials, OH&S, emergency and evacuation procedures
• Any learning activity can be turned into elearning

Are there any other words of wisdom for someone embarking on an elearning course?

• You need to be committed and schedule the time in your diary
• Just do it! In today’s world we need to keep up to date, elearning enables us to do that with flexibility both at work and at home
• Tell your colleagues you are participating in elearning for Housekeepers!

Some other quotes worth sharing

• Most of the exercises relate to our daily housekeeping operation, this has shown me new ways to solve problems
• I did not really understand how to read a P&L – after this course, I found it much easier to understand our P&L
• This makes my job more measured and focused
• Sharing information with others helped me in my operation
• I learned from my co-learners and didn’t feel alone
• I enjoyed being able to do the course at my convenience

Upcoming Courses in 2012

Hospitalit-E Finance for Housekeepers courses in 2012

• Course 1: 20^th February  – 15^th April
• Course 2: 23^rd April – 17^th June
• Course 3: 20^th August – 14^th October
• Course 4: 22^nd October – 16^th December
• Investment: $550 (+ GST in Australia)

About Hospitalit-E “Finance for Housekeepers” course

For many years Lycette & Associates has been at the forefront of new technology in Housekeeping and has successfully delivered many different training programmes around the world. These workshops, courses and programmes have always been in a face-to-face environment, but now the first course ‘Finance for Housekeeping Managers’ is available online.

This project, Hospitalit-E, was a collaboration between Lycette & Associates, Balfour College and PHAN (The Professional Housekeepers Association NSW). The course has been financed through a grant awarded under the Australian Flexible Learning Framework.

The aims of the course are to empower and up-skill Housekeeping Managers in financial management competencies.

The units of competency are as follows:

• SITXFIN003A – Interpret financial information
• SITXFIN004A – Manage finances within a budget
• SITXFIN005A – Prepare and Monitor budgets

The course has been divided into three modules and the design includes a range of delivery strategies and learning activities. Assessment is undertaken through online and work-based tasks. The course enables participants to use current work examples for learning and assessment, improving work performance and enhancing computer skills at the same time.

In December 2010, the Hospitalit-E project “Finance for Housekeeping Managers” was showcased at the Framework’s annual conference. The course then went even further and won an award at the Australian Regional Finals for 2011 “Learning Impact Awards” L&A is very proud of this achievement!

About Liz Lycette

Liz Lycette, founder of Lycette & Associates was born in New Zealand and is a graduate of École Hotelière de Lausanne, Switzerland. She started her career in the hospitality industry in 1981 and at the age of 23 became Executive Housekeeper for the grand opening of Mandarin Oriental in Macau. She subsequently held this position at The Conrad Hong Kong, Mandarin Oriental Jakarta, Le Meridien Hotel, London, and The Regent Hotel, Sydney. Liz was also Project Manager for the opening of 3 properties in China for Harbour Plaza Hotels and Resorts.

Liz established Lycette & Associates in 1999 and has since undertaken hospitality consulting assignments and training both in Australia and overseas including work for Moevenpick Middle East, Taj Hotels & Resorts in India and Australia, Marriott Hotels India, Hong Kong Hotels Association, Langham Hotels & Resort, Venetian Macau, Hotel Nikko Bali, Galaxy Macau and Westin KL. Liz’s extensive international expertise and considerable Housekeeping knowledge, has given her a truly multi-cultural approach and a wide range of diverse contacts throughout the industry. Her excellent organisational skills, adaptability and integrity enable her to complete any assignment with energy, efficiency and positive results.

About Lycette & Associates 



L&A specialises in all aspects of Housekeeping Management including on-site consulting, training and development workshops including assistance with initial set-up of housekeeping operations at pre-opening. The Company also undertakes customised operational reviews of existing housekeeping operations identifying and further improving the effectiveness and efficiency of current departmental procedures. For more information visit www.lycetteandassociates.com or e-mail info@lycetteandassociates.com

Bali Housekeeping workshops – 1 and 2 December 2011

The Bali Hotels Association is proud to present the latest L&A professional housekeeping workshops on Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd December. 



Course facilitator’s Liz Lycette and Agnes Zlotek-Petit will take you through a programme designed to improve performance of housekeeping staff by targeting two critical areas of operation:

  

• Profits – improve cost control systems and effective utilisation of resources

• Product – consistency, standards, quality and best practice.

This 2 day workshop will start on Thursday 1 December. Each workshop day runs from 09.00 – 17.00, with 1 hour for lunch, which is provided. The cost is:

Don’t miss out! Book now! Register with the Bali Hotel Association. Confirmation required by 24 November 2011.
Please contact Nia Septinawati for more information.

Venue details:
Bali Hotels Association
Jl. Raya Puputan 41, Renon
Denpasar 80235, Bali – Indonesia
hr@balihotelsassociation.com
Ph. (+62 361) 227 600
Fax. (+62 361) 246 816
M. +62 8164 710 412
www.balihotelsassociation.com

Dates: 1 – 2 December 2011 (2 days)
Time: 9.00 to 17.00 hrs

Cost: BHA-members: IDR 2,800,000 or US$ 330.00 (20% discount for 2 or more participants)
Non-members: IDR 3,000,000 or US$ 350.00 (10% discount for 2 or more participants)

For more information about the course please visit our website: http://www.lycetteandassociates.com/housekeeping-courses-training/?housekeeping-management-skills-profits-people or inquiry by emailing Josephine: Josephine@lycetteandassociates.com