L&A News — Page 20 of 43 — L&A Housekeeping Consultancy and Training

Strategies for Enhancing Your Team’s Cohesion

When it comes to team building at the office, many managers try to avoid the topic because it often takes a lot of time and effort. When it comes down to it, however, the benefits of having a high-functioning team cannot be overstated: increased trust, enhanced performance and productivity, more job satisfaction, staff retention and an overall sense of community are just some of the advantages.

When you add all this together, what you get is a cohesive bunch of people working in sync towards the same goal, with a marked absence of frustration, resentment, suspicion, avoidance of accountability, lack of respect, and all those things that make people hate going to work.

So just because you have staff members, it doesn’t automatically mean you have a team. The following are some of the ways you can improve communication and enjoy a more motivated, engaged and cohesive team.

Communicate with your staff

Be clear with your staff about the purpose of their work, expectations and common goals. You can easily achieve this by having regular office meetings and coming up with a mission statement for your office that encourages a team mentality. By not communicating with employees, you increase the risk of misunderstanding, assumptions, apathy and lack of loyalty.

Commit to staff development

Savvy business leaders are always putting resources towards the continued education of their staff members, and helping to develop their skills that will enhance their value to the team. Sending your staff (and yourself) to seminars on communication, emotional intelligence, team building and leadership training are worthwhile as well. Remember to follow up on these courses by giving staff your ongoing support by ensuring employees use their new skills, encouraging them to be proactive, and implementing effective new policies.

Offer feedback

Your staff members should always know where they stand with respect to your company, and by providing them with both casual and formal evaluation you will effectively be showing them that they’re valued, respected and that their work is acknowledged. Many business owners make the mistake of only providing feedback when it’s negative, but providing plenty of positive feedback will build the confidence of your staff members and will make it more effective when you do need to criticise.

Encourage collaboration

Every office needs some collaboration among staff members in order to make the work happen, but there are plenty of benefits to making that collaboration more effective. By creating a space where employees can get to know each other — even if they don’t work closely that often — then you will create a space that is more comfortable and that encourages more creative thinking and brainstorming. Having staff members that know each other and that work well together means that better work will get done more quickly, and more innovation will come of it.

Be consistent

No matter how many staff members you have, it’s important that you try to be consistent in your decision-making. Having strong office policies means you don’t “play favourites” and you treat each employee the same, which will make them all feel more valued. Communicate decisions clearly and openly so that everyone knows them at the same time, and handle similar situations involving staff members the same way every time so that each employee knows they are as important.

Strong teams don’t just appear magically, as you have to work hard to improve communication and respect amongst your staff members. If you really work at it, don’t be surprised if you start noticing positive changes quickly.

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.

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

December Update from the Global Soap Project

Meet Ruth, a young mother living in rural Malawi.  Her family, like most in her area, earns less than $1 per day growing crops of corn and selling or trading what they can to meet the basic needs for the family. When I visited Ruth recently, I learned that she wasn’t unfamiliar with soap.  However, like so many people living in poverty, Ruth had never been taught why soap and proper hygiene are so important for maintaining good health, so her family wasn’t buying it or using it.  As a result, she and her children were sick quite frequently.

                                        

Swiss Belhotel GM Conference – Hoi An, Vietnam 21-25 November

The annual Swiss Belhotel International General Managers Conference was held at the Swiss Belhotel Golden Sands Resort in Hoi An Vietnam from 21st – 25th November. L&A are the Corporate Housekeepers for SBI hotels around the world.

With over 70 GMs, corporate office team members and presenters attending, Liz launched the new Housekeeping quality rating system specifically designed for Swiss Belhotel International. This newly refined measurement tool assists GMs in checking, measuring and rating the quality of their Housekeeping operations. As Swiss Belhotel International is growing so fast –now over 50 hotels throughout the globe and many more in the pipeline, Liz also took the opportunity to meet up with some of the new GM’s and key players from the various global corporate offices.

Shades of Pink – PHAN supports Cancer Research

It was the annual Hospitality event where Housekeepers of Sydney get together to support a great cause.  This year the event, organized by Ziva Laverky of Ziva Corporate Uniforms, included our male colleagues and friends – with the “Movember” – moustache growing supporters for research into male Cancers joining with the ladies in pink – for a splendid morning tea.  The ladies from the NSW Chamber joined the hospitality colleagues this year and they were warmly welcomed.

Nearly everyone attending rose to the challenge to wear a touch of pink.  It’s amazing how many men have a pink shirt and a pink tie.  So the tradition of wearing pink to show your support for the work of Cancer Research was well and truly upheld.

The Master of Ceremonies for the day – Paul Judge, wearing his best pink tie – opened by identifying awareness being the key for today’s issues of preventative, strategic and innovative lifestyle choices.  He introduced the speakers Shula Endrey-Walder who worked with E Donald Thomas, the Harvard Don who brought stem cell development to the world – and Kirsten Hartley a naturopathic herbalist.

Shula is co-founder of the Gift of Life charity and in 2010 was recognized by the award of an OAM for her important work in combatting many diseases.

Shula and Ziva met when their children were just starting school.  They became friends as did their children and both families have journeyed many years together.  Shula’s husband is a well-respected cancer surgeon and both women have worked tirelessly raising funds for important cancer research to continue.

Along with donations on the day and wonderful lucky door prizes – an auction of artwork, donated by Meriton Hotels raised $330 for the research project – the total monies raised on the day was $1668

The staff at the Department of NSW Trade and Investment and their Manager Jane Randall worked their own magic at a very special venue that we are proud to claim, as “home” for what has become an annual cancer research fundraiser.

Housekeepers Development Programme in London 5 to 7 February 2013

Participants preparing a class based assignment

Lycette & Associates developed a reputation for delivering popular and highly practical interactive training courses for Housekeeping Managers and Housekeeping staff. Early next year L&A in conjunction with the UK Housekeepers Association will be presenting in London. The Development  Programme for Housekeeping Managers has been scheduled to take place in February 2013. 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:

• Theory, supported by a presentation, comprehensive hand-outs
• Group discussions, case studies, role plays, practical work exercises
• Workbased Project initiation through personal development sheets

Venue details:
Citadines Prestige Holborn-Covent Garden,
94-99 High Holborn,
London WC 1V 6LF

Workshop details and fees:
The course fee is £400.00 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.

• Tuesday 5th, Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th february, 2013.
• Each workshop day runs from 09.00 – 17.30, including 1 hour for lunch which will be provided.

Registration
Full registration and payment in AUD$625.00 equivalent will be available online at the L&A Website: http://www.lycetteandassociates.com/housekeeping-courses-training/?external-development-for-housekeeping-managers

Interview with Lorraine Castelino

Lorraine and I first met in October 1991 when I was Executive Housekeeper of the 513 room Conrad Hotel in Hong Kong. In this position I was not only responsible for the rooms, public areas, uniform and linen rooms but also the large on site laundry and the 240 serviced apartments which were part of the complex. At that time, Lorraine was Assistant Housekeeper in charge of the Parkview serviced apartments including a team of over 50 staff.

We stayed in touch over the years and Lorraine assisted us most recently with the 3-month assignment as Acting Executive Housekeeper for H Hotel in Dubai earlier in 2012. Lorraine is passionate about Housekeeping and is ready to take on other exciting assignments in 2013. Lorraine was happy to share some of her experiences in housekeeping.

What is your cultural background? Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I was born in Mumbai, India and grew up in a very close knit family, where open communication was encouraged.

What has been your career path to date?

After graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology in Mumbai, India, I chose to specialize in housekeeping and Operations and started my career by securing a supervisory position in a 5 star hotel in India, quickly moving on to management roles. At the age of 22, I was the youngest Executive Housekeeper in the country at the time.

I moved onto management and senior management positions for properties in Iraq, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and the UAE. These included a number of project related assignments

What was your first role as Executive Housekeeper and what challenges did that bring?

Being one of the only female Head of Departments early on in my career, I was challenged from the outset in a male dominated realm. Most of my staff members were older than I which should have put me at an immediate disadvantage but to counter that, I decided to lead by example and ensure that I had the capability of doing everything I delegated the team to do.

I learnt very early in my career that building a strong team that embraced open and honest communication across all levels was not just preferable but absolutely necessary.

What is did your role as Acting Executive Housekeeper at H Hotel Dubai involve?  What were your job responsibilities at the hotel? 

The H Hotel undertook a major rebranding initiative, which primarily included an internal drive to have staff understand and deliver the brand mission.

This included a structured training regime with emphasis on timely execution. The key elements were anticipating guest needs and attention to detail.

The competitive nature of the hotel industry in Dubai required setting high standards, then meeting those standards and working on exceeding them. This was also part of the training program.

How many staff were you responsible for?
70

Can you describe a typical day?

There was no typical day. Given the severe time constraint to ensure the training regime was in place and staff members were responding to the call for higher standards, the only typical element to my day was that I started each day at 8 am and routinely finished the day at 11 pm. Each day of my short tenure at H Hotel was different from the previous one and as they passed by, it was clear that the Housekeeping department was making a positive and strong move in the right direction. The foundation laid would quite simply withstand the test of time.

What were the top three challenges over the 3 months?

1. Raising standards by ensuring grassroots expectations by staff were significantly adjusted to understand the new mission.  In short a slight twist in the mindset of the team in general yielded positive results
2. Ensuring staff responded positively to training and executed their tasks to the level that ensured meeting and exceeding the high standards
3. Improving supervisory skills and creating continuity in the overall workflow by establishing strong communication protocols.

How do you manage moving from country to country?

I absolutely enjoy experiencing new cultures and meeting new people.  New experiences help me to grow and I am able to understand people better.

How do you deal with different cultures?

I focus on the good in every culture and ensure that when recruiting there is a healthy mix of all nationalities within the department.

How does consultancy work compare with working in a full time position? What are the top 3 challenges and the differences between consultancy work and a full time position?

Full time positions are ones of ongoing strategic and tactical tasks and initiatives whereas a consultancy is time constrained with a clear scope of work within the defined timeframe.

1. Quick identification of critical issues within the defined scope of work is imperative so that the maximum amount of time is spent on addressing them and implementing corrective measures
2. Positive communication with all levels of staff involved in the defined scope of work.
3. Building relationships with all levels of staff involved in the defined scope of work – thus tearing down walls of resistance and other roadblocks

Going from Australia to Middle East, what are the 3 main differences in your management style?

I have a very simple management style which I adopt universally – open door, hands on and very direct communication – this has always worked in all countries I had the privilege to work in

What are your top 3 tips for success in Housekeeping Management?

1. Understand what the management expects- understand the vision and goals of the company
2. Work with the team to deliver those goals in the most cost effective way -  each team member must fit the DNA of the company.
3. Training must be part of the daily routine- 7days a week- 365 days a year

If you had to do it all over again what would you do differently?

My 35 years in the industry has been a constantly evolving learning curve. At this stage of my career, there is no prosthetic for the experience I have gained in all those years. The short answer is I would not do too many things differently

One thing I might make time for is to organise more team building activities for staff.

What advice would you give someone starting out in housekeeping?

Do not lose focus of your goals and work hard to achieve them.  Ensure that all your employees understand the goals and the company’s vision, share your passion to accomplish them and work alongside them to ensure this happens.  Nothing motivates staff more than knowing that they played a crucial role in the success of the department

How about your personal life? How do you balance work and home life?

I am a workaholic and still need to find that balance.

What do you do for fun?

I design my own products made from natural materials.  Working with leather is a recent passion.

How do you think housekeeping management has changed since you started?

There is more emphasis on the human resources factor. The ultimate goal is to get teams motivated to provide the best service to the hotel guest. Organisational strength through a sense of belonging has been seen to lead directly to high levels of productivity and efficiency.

Where do you think it is heading?

We are now truly a global village. Cultural borders are melting as international travel is as easy as catching a bus. The international traveler may be from a particular country or demographic but in essence is multicultural. His/her expectations have changed significantly from what they used to be. They are more sophisticated now, they demand and expect the best and in this age of the internet, poor service can very quickly become the downfall of a property.

Multicultural teams are the best solution to multicultural guests. Teams of various cultures are known to be able to break down cultural barriers more naturally and easily and communicate effectively with guests thus making it much easier to anticipate their needs and delivering the best possible service.

SEQPHA Christmas Breakfast at Sofitel Gold Coast

A wonderful end of year event, the SEQPHA Christmas Breakfast at the Sofitel Gold Coast. All enjoyed this last event of the year and were sad to say goodbye to Kerry Dowen from Concept Amenities. Kerry has moved to Las Vegas to take up her position as Vice President Sales for North and South America.

Concept Amenities, a global leader in the supply of environmentally responsible guest bath amenities.

New L&A courses in Bali

The Bali Hotel Association runs regular courses for their members and non-members are always welcome and Lycette & Associates is often invited to present to Housekeeping Staff and other Hotel employees. This month L&A was back in Bali to run 3 courses in the ongoing series of workshops conducted through BHA. Two of these courses were brand new and regarded a great success.

Upon the request of the Bali Hotel Association, Liz and Agnes rolled out the brand new “Babysitting in Bali” half day workshop. This practical half day session focused on the roles of babysitting both in Hotel rooms and for the Kids Activity Centre staff of many hotels throughout Bali. The 24 participants learnt about cultural awareness and through role plays shared some of the practical aspects of their jobs.

Some of the feedback:
“we learnt a lot”
“ I loved the role plays – it’s what we have to do every day at work”
“I loved this workshop, we want more”
“fun not boring”

The other new course rolled out was the extension to the Development Programme for Housekeeping Managers. This very hands-on workshop focused on presentation skills throughout. The Managers had to present on each of the topics; project management, public areas (outsourcing verses doing it in house), health and safety checklists, environmental sustainability and Engineering preventative maintenance programmes. Everyone agreed they had learnt a lot over the 2 days and gained an enormous amount of self-confidence to present their ideas to their senior management.

This course will be rolled out to the rest of Asia and Middle East in 2013.

Back at the Point in Brisbane

Executive Housekeeper Jenny Howarth

Liz conducted a 3rd one-day operational review at the Point in Brisbane in mid-October this year with new Executive Housekeeper Jenny Howarth and the team. Jenny joined the hotel 26^th April from Sofitel Brisbane and has been working hard to continually improve the Housekeeping standards at the hotel.

Several new systems have been implemented including the use of microfibre at the Hotel.

Along with a new General Manager and Engineer the hotel is receiving a lot of positive feedback from guests and consistently does well on all fronts.