It was an honour for Big Hero 4 to be selected to represent the class for the CPD showcase. Being someone who is terribly afraid of public speaking, I actually felt terrified upon the reveal of voting results in class. Thankfully, my classmates were really encouraging towards my group and we felt that we had to do well to represent the class.
Before the presentation, I felt the jitters and was so worried that I would forget my lines during the presentation. With the entire cohort, professors and guest of honour around, it was definitely the biggest crowd I have ever spoken in front of.
Even though my group did not manage to be one of the top three winners, I personally felt that we could give ourselves a pat on our backs as we have tried our best and definitely come out of our comfort zones. I realised that I was not as nervous as I expected myself to be, and one of the ways I tried to keep myself calm was to make individual eye contacts with the audiences instead of looking at them as a huge group. I have to say that the weekly CPD classes have definitely trained me to be more confident to speak in front of people.
In summary, I am truly thankful for this great experience and to be able to represent the class. The support of Brad and our classmates has warmed me and given me the strength to go on the stage and make the presentation. I have enjoyed CPDII more than CPDI.
Thursday 12 April 2018
Monday 19 March 2018
Synopsis 2
Introduction
This report will address an interpersonal communication problem with the scope of study focused on the hotel industry. The team has decided to explore methods on how managers can address workplace bullying as well as creating an anti-bullying culture.
Bullying can result in the victim being unable to focus on his or her work and make them difficult or impossible, socially isolate those targeted or stigmatize and discredit people with ridicule, gossip and insults (Adams & Crawford, 1992; Field, 1996; Randall, 2001). Most importantly, workplace bullying does not end after office hours.
With Singapore being one of the countries with lowest happiness index in the recent CNN survey (2012), this training program is essential to equip all our staff with handling bullies at work professionally and therefore, creating a better environment for all of us to work in.
Problem statement
Workplace bullying is identified as a pattern of continuous, malicious, insulting, or exclusionary intentional or unintentional behaviors that a target perceives as intentional efforts to harm, control, or drive a coworker from the workplace (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2005). Surveys have discovered that 75 per cent of employees have been a victim or witness or workplace bullying (Fisher-Blando, 2008). The widespread of bullying cases (Needham, 2003) has devastating effects on an employee’s life, family, and career (Namie & Namie, 2003).
Several studies (Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., & Cooper, C., 2003; Namie & Namie,2003) have vividly illustrated the pain, mental distress, physical illness, emotional harm, and career damage suffered by victims (targets) of bullying. These symptoms may potentially stay with an individual for his or her entire life if it does not get resolved. It is a serious problem as it not only affects the victim’s mental health but also negatively affect the company’s performance due to presenteeism or even absenteeism (Singapore Management University, 2017).
Bullying damages employees morale and motivation, which likely leads to decreased work efficiency. According to a poll conducted by Harvard Business Review of 800 managers and employees, 47% of respondents worried about bullying intentionally decreased their time spent at work, while 80% lost work time worrying about a bullying incident (Porath & Pearson, 2013). The constant worrying will eventually result in individuals suffering from depression and anxiety. Therefore, it is essential to equip fresh graduates with the right knowledge and skills on how to maneuver and protect themselves through workplace bullying before they step into the workforce.
Purpose statement (Objective)
The objective is to equip the fresh graduates - the future managers - with handling of the bullying incidents that is taking place in the hotel. With the labour shortage and high staff turnover rate in the hospitality industry, it is important for management to manage employee welfare by understanding the issue of the bullying to deter future incidents. It is important to address the issue as it will affect staff retention rate in the long run.
- Problem solution
Every individual working in the hotel have an important role to play in ensuring desirable deliverance of service. Bullying acts as a barrier for teamwork (Rex, 2018) and therefore may create service issue. Besides the welfare and happiness of employee, the hotel’s guest satisfaction is also at stake.
The ideal goal is to create an anti-bullying culture within the hotel, where every employee plays an important role in making it happen. This can be accomplished by having companies prioritising the importance of anti workplace bullying and implementing the necessary measure to minimise them.
The solutions:
4.1 Recognising what is bullying in the workplace
People are often not aware of what is considered bullying in the workplace. They usually bite the bullet and think that the treatment that they are receiving is a norm. Company should define what is considered bullying to them to educate their employee so as to have a better working environment. Bullying constitute many areas and covering the spectrum from the obvious direct bullying to the minor non confrontational one let employee knows any type of bullying will not be tolerated (The importance of having..., 2016). It is important for company to set the tone and deliver the message to employees that any form of bullying is not tolerated and that there will be consequences (Shannon, 2016).
People are often not aware of what is considered bullying in the workplace. They usually bite the bullet and think that the treatment that they are receiving is a norm. Company should define what is considered bullying to them to educate their employee so as to have a better working environment. Bullying constitute many areas and covering the spectrum from the obvious direct bullying to the minor non confrontational one let employee knows any type of bullying will not be tolerated (The importance of having..., 2016). It is important for company to set the tone and deliver the message to employees that any form of bullying is not tolerated and that there will be consequences (Shannon, 2016).
4.2 Get everything in writing
Make the policy tangible by having it in black and white. Just like dress code and conduct manual in hotel, they should set aside time and effort to come up with a booklet to clearly define what is considered bullying and what an employee can do if they are being bullied. Bullying is a very sensitive topic and many are not willing to talk about it openly. To have everything stated clearly in writing allows employee to seek out help remotely (Shannon, 2016).
Make the policy tangible by having it in black and white. Just like dress code and conduct manual in hotel, they should set aside time and effort to come up with a booklet to clearly define what is considered bullying and what an employee can do if they are being bullied. Bullying is a very sensitive topic and many are not willing to talk about it openly. To have everything stated clearly in writing allows employee to seek out help remotely (Shannon, 2016).
4.3 Encourage immediate reporting
Hotel should set up a neutral party (usually human resource department) where employee feel save to report incident right away. There they will be able to get help and guidance on what is the most appropriate solution to their issue. This way every employee will feel protected by the company.
Hotel should set up a neutral party (usually human resource department) where employee feel save to report incident right away. There they will be able to get help and guidance on what is the most appropriate solution to their issue. This way every employee will feel protected by the company.
Without proper strategy, employee wellbeing are not taken care of. The company will experience higher employee turnover rate creating manpower issue. If the bullying issue are too severe, employee may file against the company for discrimination among other things (The Importance of Having..., 2016).
Benefits
Advantages of implementing an anti-bullying policy at the workplace will only improve the overall working culture of the hotel in the long run. The benefits apply to everyone within the organisation and not just the victims of bullying. The benefits of an anti-bullying policy includes:
- More peaceful and productive workforce due to lower tensions at work
- Improved mental health of employees, reduced stress
- Less time lost to sick leave for employees to seek treatment
- Higher staff retention because the environment is healthy
- Lower risk of legal action with no tolerance for bullying or harassment
7. Research method
In this project, a combination of primary and secondary methods will be used. A Professor from the hospitality industry will be interviewed through a face-to-face interview to consolidate the problems mainly faced in the hospitality industry in Singapore. Researches will also be done through academic articles to gather knowledge on how to confront these bullying situations.
Conclusion
Workplace bullying and other forms of antisocial behavior will continue to pose a threat to the hotel. However, a strong anti-bullying culture can be the first step to deterring and preventing future bullying cases. All the employees can feel more empowered to assist a victim of bullying now that they can identify all the different forms bullying can take. A strong anti-bullying culture will create an environment that will produce the most motivated employees and in turn, produce the best business results.
References
Adams, A., & Crawford, N. (1992). Bullying at work. London: Virago. American Psychological Association. (2005). Bullying.
Christine R. (2018). We All Need Friends At Work: Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 10 March 2018, from https://hbr.org/2013/07/we-all-need-friends-at-work
Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., & Cooper, C. (2003). Bullying and emotional abuse in the workplace: International perspectives in research and practice
Fisher-Blanco, J. (2008). Workplace Bullying: Aggressive Behavior And Its Effect On Job Satisfaction And Productivity (Ph.D). University Of Phoenix.
Hoegberg, A. (2012). Poll: Are Singaporeans least happy? - CNN. CNN. Retrieved 10 March 2018, from https://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/21/world/asia/singapore-least-happy/index.html
Lutgen-sandvik, P. (2005). Water Smoothing Stones: Subordinate Resistance To Workplace Bullying (Ph.D). Arizona State University.
Needham, A. W. (2003). Workplace bullying: A Costly Business Secret. Penguin Books; Auckland, N.Z
Singapore Management University (2017). Smu.edu.sg. Retrieved 14 March 2018, from https://www.smu.edu.sg/perspectives/2017/08/31/why-workplace-bullying-so-widespread-and-rising
Huppke, R. The Impact of Workplace Bullying. (2016, October 16). Retrieved from: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/careers/ct-huppke-work-advice-1019-biz-20151016-column.html
Gausepohl, S. Protect Your Employees: Have a Bullying Policy. (2016, November 22). Retrieved from: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5900-workplace-bullying-policy.html
The importance of having a workplace anti-bullying strategy. (2016, April 12). Recruiting Times. Retrieved from: http://recruitingtimes.org/opinions/11289/importance-workplace-anti-bullying-strategy/
Tuesday 6 March 2018
Synopsis Draft 1
Confronting Bullying in the Hospitality Industry
1. Introduction
According to a research by Harvard Business Review, coworkers play a huge part in an employee’s job performance. Especially when we spend at least 5 of out 7 days working, having healthy relationships with our coworkers is essential to our mental well being.
It is reported that one in four adults in Singapore have actually been a victim of bullying in their workplace.
Work place bully may come in many forms: unnecessary verbal reprimandation, outcasting of a particular coworker, spreading of unspeakable rumours and biases that leads to unfair distribution of work are just some of them.
These actions can result in the victim being unable to focus on his/her work and even resorting to quit his/her job just because of the people at the workplace. Most importantly, workplace bullying does not end after office hours. Being a victim of bullying can cause physical and psychological health problems, including stress, anxiety. These symptoms may potentially stay with an individual for his/her entire life if it does not get resolved.
In the recent years, people have been looking into cyber-bullying. But really, why is nobody talking about workplace bullying? This is something that is happening and real that we need to address. With Singapore being one of the countries with lowest happiness index in the recent global survey done, this training program is essential to equip all our staff with handling bullies at work professionally and therefore, creating a better environment for all of us to work in.
2. Problem Definition
According to a poll of 800 managers and employees conducted by the Harvard Business Review, 47% of respondents worried about bullying intentionally decreased their time spent at work, while 80% lost work time worrying about a bullying incident. Bullying damages employees morale and motivation, which likely leads to decreased work efficiency. Worse still, workplace bullying may result in individuals suffering from depression and anxiety. As fresh graduates step into the workforce, it is important to equip them with the right skills to manoeuvrer through workplace bullying and protect themselves from such situations.
3. Objective
The primary objective of the project is to raise awareness of bullying in the hospitality industry, specifically hotel sector. Many rank and file employees are subjected to a form of bullying or abuse from their superiors or even colleagues. Most bullying cases are looked over and swept under the rug as it is not taken seriously. The lack of voice from the victims makes bullying seem non-existent though it is not the case. The training aims to aid the victims of bullying and also others who have witnessed the act. The secondary objective is to reduce bullying incidents within the hotel sector and deter them from future occurrences.
4. Potential Solution (Implementing the Principles)
a. Clearly define what is considered bullying in the workplace.
It is often people are not aware what is considered bullying in the workplace. They usually bite the bullet and think that the treatment that they are receiving is a norm. Company should define what is considered bullying to them to educate their employee so as to have a better working environment.
b. Get everything in writing
Just like dress code and conduct manual in hotel, they should set aside time and effort to come up with a booklet to clearly define what is considered bullying and what an employee can do if they are being bullied. Bullying is a very sensitive topic and many are not willing to talk about it openly. To have everything stated clearly in writing allows employee to seek out help remotely.
c. Encourage immediate reporting
Have the outlet known to the employees.Reporting undesired behavior to a neutral party (usually human resource) should be encouraged. The hotel should set up safe space for employee to report their situation. There they will be able to get help and guidance on what is the most appropriate solution for every unique situation.
5. Research Method
In this project, a combination of primary and secondary methods will be used. A Professor from the hospitality industry will be interviewed through a face-to-face interview to consolidate the problems mainly faced in the hospitality industry in Singapore. Researches will also be done through academic articles to gather knowledge on how to confront these bullying situations.
Tuesday 27 February 2018
Interpersonal Communication Conflict
Dear Brad,
I am writing this post today to share with you about an interpersonal communication conflict I faced during my polytechnic internship.
Being in the front line, I had several experiences with guests whom I had minor conflicts with due to miscommunication or even accusations by guests. However, one of the most unforgettable interpersonal conflicts I had was one with a co-worker.
Being an intern in the workplace, I tried my best to steer clear of workplace politics and focused on learning as well as attaining a good grade for my internship. However one day, I heard from a co-worker that another co-worker, who happened to be an ex-intern, was spreading false rumours about me criticising someone else at the workplace. Upon hearing that, I felt utterly confused and betrayed as it was something I certainly did not say and or even crossed my mind. With the support of my friends, I confronted the co-worker and she simply denied it.
I recall myself dreading work for the next few days due to this incident as I felt disappointed about this co-worker's behaviour and how she tried to sow discord between other co-workers and me. I wish that she had not avoided my confrontation and had given me an explanation for the rumours she had spread as I believe that I would have forgiven her, albeit having significantly less trust in her from then on.
Having been a victim of workplace conflict, I am a strong believer in staying professional in a workplace and avoiding unnecessary conflicts at all cost. It is important that we try to understand the root of the issues and solve them, rather than allow these issues to snowball, becoming impossible to resolve.
Yours Sincerely,
Evonne
I am writing this post today to share with you about an interpersonal communication conflict I faced during my polytechnic internship.
Being in the front line, I had several experiences with guests whom I had minor conflicts with due to miscommunication or even accusations by guests. However, one of the most unforgettable interpersonal conflicts I had was one with a co-worker.
Being an intern in the workplace, I tried my best to steer clear of workplace politics and focused on learning as well as attaining a good grade for my internship. However one day, I heard from a co-worker that another co-worker, who happened to be an ex-intern, was spreading false rumours about me criticising someone else at the workplace. Upon hearing that, I felt utterly confused and betrayed as it was something I certainly did not say and or even crossed my mind. With the support of my friends, I confronted the co-worker and she simply denied it.
I recall myself dreading work for the next few days due to this incident as I felt disappointed about this co-worker's behaviour and how she tried to sow discord between other co-workers and me. I wish that she had not avoided my confrontation and had given me an explanation for the rumours she had spread as I believe that I would have forgiven her, albeit having significantly less trust in her from then on.
Having been a victim of workplace conflict, I am a strong believer in staying professional in a workplace and avoiding unnecessary conflicts at all cost. It is important that we try to understand the root of the issues and solve them, rather than allow these issues to snowball, becoming impossible to resolve.
Yours Sincerely,
Evonne
Wednesday 14 February 2018
Service Recovery Email
Dear Mrs Goldstein,
Greetings from Marine Ray Lands! First of all, please allow me to express my deepest gratitude for choosing us as your preferred accommodation choice for your holiday. We are truly regretful to learn about the unpleasant experience that you and your family had encountered last December.
With regard to the miscommunication pertaining to breakfast booking, we have reviewed the matter with Arora and it was indeed made without the inclusion of breakfast. As your booking was made directly with Arora, we seek your kind understanding that we were unable to address your concerns immediately at the point of time. However, it is no excuse for the type of service that was rendered to you and your family when you most needed our assistance, for that we would like to extend our sincere apologies. Our Front Office and F&B managers have noted on this issue and are working together on plans to minimize inconvenience for our guests who may face such situations in our hotel.
As for the issue with the keycard to the swimming pool, we believe that your keycard could have been de-magnetised after being placed together with your mobile phone and credit cards. We understand that this has caused inconvenience to you and your family and we have reported this issue to our management to see if we may rectify.
At Marine Ray Lands, we strive to provide our guests with the best service possible and leave our guests with a memorable experience at the end of their stay. We sincerely regret that on this occasion, we did not anticipate your needs well, and had left you feeling frustrated during your short stay with us. However, we do assure you that this is a one-off incident.
Your feedback is of high importance to us, hence we thank you for highlighting these issues to us so that we can work on them and ensure that issues like these do not repeat.
To extend our sincerest apology to you, a voucher for complimentary breakfast for 2 adults for your next stay with us has been attached to this email. In addition, our finance team has also contacted Arora to process your refund for the breakfast that you have previously paid for. Do allow 3 working weeks before the refund may reflect on your bank statement.
Should you have any further enquiries, do let me know by replying to this email or you may also contact me at my direct line, +65 61231234. Do let us know when you are planning to visit Singapore again and our Service Manager would love to personally attend to you on your next stay with us.
Have a pleasant year ahead!
Warmest Regards,
Evonne
Guest Service Agent
Marine Ray Lands Singapore
Tuesday 23 January 2018
Self-Introductory Email
To: Brad Blackstone
From: Evonne Lee
Subject: Self-introductory Email
Dear Brad,
It is great seeing you again after Culture and Cuisine classes last trimester. I would like to take this opportunity to formally introduce myself to you as I have yet to have the opportunity to do so since then. My name is Evonne Lee and I am a hospitality business undergraduate at Singapore Institute of Technology. Prior to joining SIT, I graduated with a diploma in Tourism and Resort Management at Singapore Polytechnic, and took a gap year before my university application.
The reason why I took a gap was that I was unsure of what I wanted to pursue in life after diploma. Having interned at Universal Studios Singapore during polytechnic as a Guest Services officer, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and join a start-up called ShopBack as a Customer Experience Officer to experience life outside the hospitality industry. Thankfully at ShopBack, I was given the opportunity to fly to Kuala Lumpur to provide training in the later part of my one year stint. I was also given an opportunity to undertake the role of a Customer Analytic Associate which required me to utilise the knowledge of our customer base to redesign the website layout, as well as redefining the terms and conditions of all our merchants. This experience was definitely a fruitful one. However, I felt that hospitality was still my passion as I missed the energy of people in a busy environment and also interacting with people from all around the world.
As I was exempted from Industry Attachment in year one, I decided to source for a marketing internship and hence landed myself with one in a Social Enterprise called Jaga-Me. Despite having only four short months in the company, I am grateful to have learned a lot about marketing, as well as the social sector in Singapore.
I spend my free time hanging out with friends and family as I am someone who prioritises relationships with my loved ones over anything else. From binge-watching Netflix alone to singing karaoke and chilling with my friends, I enjoy being alone as well as being in a large company of friends.
The biggest difficulty I face is public speaking. I tend to stutter and rush through my lines when I get nervous. I also lack the confidence in looking at the audience, which is something that is definitely to my disadvantage. As an introvert, I hope that this module will help to develop my public speaking skills and build up my confidence in communicating with people professionally.
I look forward to improving myself through the remaining weeks of this module under your guidance.
Yours sincerely,
Evonne
Blogs I have commented on:
Yushan
Rachael
Shafique
From: Evonne Lee
Subject: Self-introductory Email
Dear Brad,
It is great seeing you again after Culture and Cuisine classes last trimester. I would like to take this opportunity to formally introduce myself to you as I have yet to have the opportunity to do so since then. My name is Evonne Lee and I am a hospitality business undergraduate at Singapore Institute of Technology. Prior to joining SIT, I graduated with a diploma in Tourism and Resort Management at Singapore Polytechnic, and took a gap year before my university application.
The reason why I took a gap was that I was unsure of what I wanted to pursue in life after diploma. Having interned at Universal Studios Singapore during polytechnic as a Guest Services officer, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and join a start-up called ShopBack as a Customer Experience Officer to experience life outside the hospitality industry. Thankfully at ShopBack, I was given the opportunity to fly to Kuala Lumpur to provide training in the later part of my one year stint. I was also given an opportunity to undertake the role of a Customer Analytic Associate which required me to utilise the knowledge of our customer base to redesign the website layout, as well as redefining the terms and conditions of all our merchants. This experience was definitely a fruitful one. However, I felt that hospitality was still my passion as I missed the energy of people in a busy environment and also interacting with people from all around the world.
As I was exempted from Industry Attachment in year one, I decided to source for a marketing internship and hence landed myself with one in a Social Enterprise called Jaga-Me. Despite having only four short months in the company, I am grateful to have learned a lot about marketing, as well as the social sector in Singapore.
I spend my free time hanging out with friends and family as I am someone who prioritises relationships with my loved ones over anything else. From binge-watching Netflix alone to singing karaoke and chilling with my friends, I enjoy being alone as well as being in a large company of friends.
The biggest difficulty I face is public speaking. I tend to stutter and rush through my lines when I get nervous. I also lack the confidence in looking at the audience, which is something that is definitely to my disadvantage. As an introvert, I hope that this module will help to develop my public speaking skills and build up my confidence in communicating with people professionally.
I look forward to improving myself through the remaining weeks of this module under your guidance.
Yours sincerely,
Evonne
Blogs I have commented on:
Yushan
Rachael
Shafique
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