The answer is ‘YES’ what’s the question!!

My Association with Ms. Nandita Lad Deora goes to more than 20 years now. We worked at the Taj Mahal hotel, Mumbai as colleagues. She was a great professional, extremely passionate about her work but made things look really easy with her great sense of humour. She did not come from a hospitality background; she is a commerce graduate but learnt the ropes of the trade and the finer nuances with her dedication and hard work. She won everyone’s appreciation. The journey that began in 1996 has had interesting benchmarks all along. She started her career in the Housekeeping department but went on to become a  General Manager at the Gordon House Hotel in 2007, the company that she joined in 2001 as the Executive Housekeeper.  In 2016 she moved to head the  Sales and  Events for the Banqueting Division of  K-Hospitality .K-hospitality currently leads  high quality banqueting ,catering services and F&B .  Copper Chimney , Irish House, Blue Sea Banquets and The Palace Halls are just to name a few under the K-hospitality umbrella .

She has had an extremely enriching career pre- opening properties, handling design  as well as positioning of various brands that she was associated with. Learning has been an integral part of her professional journey. She is a Certified Hospitality Administrator from the American Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Institute. She also acquired “CHHE (Certified Hospitality Housekeeping Executive)”,a Certification course (exclusively for Executive Housekeepers) from AHLEI. She earned her certification for completion of ‘Introduction to Global Hospitality Management’ course offered by the prestigeous Cornell University, New York, USA  in Feb 2015.

IWH in conversation with the extremely talented Ms. Deora.

IWH: Tell us something about you, your growing up years, life through school, college etc.

Nandita: A Daddys Girl, Mommys best friend and brother’s pet Sister best defines me as a child. Born and raised in Mumbai in a  simple Maharashtrian family set up,I grew up with practically no ambition but a deep desire to live in the moment and seek happiness in whatever I did. I completed my schooling from St.Columba School and then graduated in Commerce from Elphinstone College . Childhood meant fun filled  and carefree days right until a point when it hit me that everyone around me had a plan when drafting one for myself wasn’t even on my To-do List . It was only then that I strove to hold on to anythimg that I got and decided to make it work for me. Once I had a job at hand .. the aim was to make a career out of it .

Hosting was in my blood. I had pandered to my family remember likes and dislikes and catered to every visitor’s wish all my life. Whilst unconsciously I was absorbing these practices at home I consciously began my first course of training  as a Graduate Trainee with The Taj  Mahal Palace and Tower. This convinced me further that Hospitality begins at home . I feel deep and act with intensity but I am a peoples person at heart.

Married to a Chef  for over 13 years now, professional discussions are very much a part of dinner conversations and this has helped us get a trusted perspective to any issue. Understanding our professions has only helped us build an emotional connect as well . As parents of two children who deserve our  time and attention ,we often  find ourselves struggling with finding the right work-life balance. This is always at a Work in Progress stage. Nevertheless, for someone who couldn’t even boil an egg correctly, marrying a Chef has been one of the best decisions !

IWH: What made you select Hospitality as a career? Was it easy making that decision?

Nandita: Hospitality chose me. I just wanted A job ! It seemed fast paced and the glamour that it is always associated with ,made it easy to grab the opportunity. Making the decision wasn’t as much as a challenge anymore. In 1996, it wasn’t common for a girl to take up jobs at hotels. It was the era where the bank jobs were considered the best you could have . My parents were supportive and that’s all that mattered to me.

IWH: What is your current role?

Nandita: Currently,  I manage business at The Palace Halls ,Luxury Banquet venues located at Worli in Mumbai as the Sales Head  for Events since its pre-opening phase in 2016.

My role primarily involves  leading a sales team to bring in business and manage premium events for clients .We manage premium weddings, corporate events , award functions and social gatherings .Meeting happy people at happy occasions and helping  them create happy memories is something I totally love about this role.

IWH: How has your hospitality journey been so far? Pros, cons etc?

Nandita: I actually consider Hospitality as part of my Lifestyle. I think of it as selling a product that is “Experience”. Experience in itself being subjective and unique to the various elements in every circumstance, there is not a standard formula to excel in it. I think the better one is at problem solving the more rewarding Hospitality gets.

My journey began as a job at The Taj Mahal Palace which is one of the most revered places in this sector in India. It created a strong foundation for my career in hospitality. You realize what you learn early on really goes a long way in shaping the rest of your career. The only way to enjoy this journey is to love what you are doing and do it well. Humility and professionalism are the key factors towards making “Hospitality” a success. Having learnt this with the Taj, I was quickly able to move ahead with confidence which led me to taking up larger responsibilities at every role. In this journey thus far, I have been able to learn from effective leaders and also lead teams who shared the same level of passion and enthusiasm.

After  2 decades of being  so passionately engaged at work ,there did come a time when I felt short on energies to manage what I was meant to do, professionally and on the home front. Its never easy to realize or accept the need to “recharge our  batteries “ until even positive events begin to feel overwhelming if they take energy to enjoy !

Playing  a 24×7 Mommy  at home was the best reward  I could have give myself then.The psychological space from the demands of life and the attachment to the other identities you worked so hard for didn’t really seem difficult to be kept aside.Afterall ,It didn’t mean  shrinking responsibilities , it simply meant taking care of myself. I spent dedicated time ,almost a year , to decide which direction I wanted to go next .Analysing my  preferences, strengths, values, experience, goals and what is  more  important now,   I am back into the journey to keep moving forward.

Pros – There is a considerable amount of glamour that people associate with the industry and and that can totally drive your motivation. The atmosphere at work is vibrant , lively and bright, no matter how busy it gets. The energies and synergies that surround you can keep you on a consistent high.  There is enormous scope to diversifying into a variety roles which lead to a rapid horizontal expansion of experience and maturity in this career .

No major cons …just long days. Extended working hours especially on weekends does get a little disturbing especially when you have a family. It is not uncommon to miss out on your family or personal time on occasions. Finding a work- life balance can be challenging especially if you are married to someone who works on a similar routine.

Continue reading at:

http://www.theiwh.com/ms-nandita-lad-deora-the-answer-is-yes-whats-the-question/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

30 Years of Expertise!

We meet some people who leave a deep impact on our thought process and we can never forget their friendly and warm demeanor. Mrs. Vaneeta Arora, Director Housekeeping, The Park New Delhi, is one such lady. When I met her for the first time, that's the kind of interaction I had with her. I was on my training assignment but every evening I finished my work I would rush to her office. Her office had a treasure of books, manuals and things that had great value. The best being 'HER'; she knew so much about the hospitality industry, its growth, specially in the Delhi region. She spoke so much about the first few hotels. It was like sourcing rich body of information and knowledge from her archives.  Sitting at her office, she knew exactly what was up with her staff anywhere in the hotel, her network of information was one of the best I've seen. Above all was her humility, she probably gauged, what I had in my mind. I have been intrigued by anyone providing information that wasn't there in the books. Unfortunately when it comes to hospitality there really isn't much as hospitality professionals don't write about their experiences. This has been the area of interest for me as I am into teaching, learning and development. It helps me immensely if I can share anecdotes. She was one such person who did exactly that for me, let me share one here,

Read Full Story Here: http://www.theiwh.com/30-professional-years-and-still-going-strong-interview-with-mrs-vaneeta-arora/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

Differently Abled - a story from The Park Hyderabad

I was at the Park Hyderabad recently on a training program. Have been to the hotel so many times but this time the agenda and perspective was different, so I could notice a whole lot of things that I must have missed on my previous visits.  I also wanted to use the opportunity for my own learning; I wish to share here with my readers. It can also highlight the efforts of all unsung heroes and the ones who are in the limelight most often.

I did two,  two day programs, Train the Trainer and Supervisory Development Programme (SDP). The last day was meant for observation and learning for me. Glad it went in that order. I believe Training is not just a department but its a mindset. 

I am back with extremely fulfilling and enriching training experience at The Park Hyderabad (TPHD). Before I take you all into the differently abled inspirational story, let me share the general feedback about the hotel as that'll clearly highlight the reason why certain concepts, ideas and initiatives work there that may inspire some more stories too.

Let me follow the guest cycle as we call it in the hotel industry, right from arrival to stay and departure.

The arrival experience was absolutely great, I was in my room in less than 3 minutes upon arrival at the hotel. This was a great service recovery after I had to call hotel for the driver's contact at the airport, as travel desk didn't have my number. I am mentioning the incident as it shows a wonderful service attitude and recovery. I met Ms. Sahu, the Front office manager and learnt that they have created a wow team. It did create that WOW for me throughout the stay.

Housekeeping took great care, the room cleanliness was good. I must mention that the rug (carpet) that I was using as a yoga mat smelled fresh. To me that's the exceptional level of cleanliness. I am not auditing hotel cleaning at all here. The amenities for single lady travelers were very thoughtful and I thank the team for everything that they did. Made me feel like a royalty. Also gives me a lot to talk about in my training sessions. As it is rightly said that knowledge is all about sharing. Applauding whats good and working on things that are not so good, till the time they reach a level of perfection too!

The Train the Trainer Workshop - I had one of the best batches in my TTT programs, have been doing this for more than 15 years now.  One, the job knowledge was very good and I could also notice some of the participants being very passionate about certain aspects of their jobs. Be it  Chef Abdul Shakur Khan for the biryani knowldge or Kadheer for his passion for bars. Even Pankaj Kumar from Aish, our Hyderabadi speciality restaurant, who had qualities to be a good trainer. If I write the qualities of each participant this post will go into pages.I believe right feedback goes a long way.

The SDP workshop - The participants were enthusiatic, receptive and a fairly younger lot than the TTT batch. They delighted me with their presentations on creating a story as a team, where they had to trade  pins for items.  It was an inspiration for me as well, to see the staff attend full day workshop and then get back to their shifts, reporting back for training the next day..... on time! absolute delight for any trainer.

I got to spend some time with some of the HODs and managers. HODs, seeking feedback of their team members attending the training session. This is such a positive thing to do. Training filters top down and I experienced that at TPHD.

Met the Chief Engineer, who showed some to the useful things they had created out of scrap. That's the way forward and a great initiative towards sustainability.

Spent some time with the Executive Chef and learnt about the initiatives followed in the kitchens and the Food Production department as a whole. A dynamic person who permeates that quality in his team. Met HR and Training heads, the interaction was again with a lot of exchange of  ideas and synergy. Got to know so many things that they do,  make them anything but ordinary! Spending some time with the spa manager,  learnt about the new business plan and menu for Aura, our signature spa. Again a very insightful discussion and knowledge sharing.

Team members with disabilities

I was so very touched and inspired by the way they have been working. Got insights from Ms.Suchitra  Naidu, Area Director Housekeeping on this project and a whole lot of other things that they do. Ms. Naidu is an inspirational lady and time spent with her is a huge learning always. I met her exclusively to know more about her initiative of involving the differently abled team members into the work force at TPHD. The one hour that I spent with her, we discussed not just about this project but so many other equally interesting and inspiring ones. Will write about them, later.

Coming to the topic, the term disabled is often associated with people diagnosed with different kinds of physical and mental conditions. The conditions that often restrict normal functioning of an individual on a personal or social situation. The first thing that comes to mind when labelling someone as 'disabled' is the action itself. People aren't and shouldn't be labelled as anything, least of all disabled!  Who they are as a person is not impacted by a medical condition and it certainly doesn't contribute to their identity.

The term disabled has not been favoured in recent times with several alternatives coming up. People have agreed upon 'differently abled' being the most appropriate one to use. Individuals with mental or physical conditions are rightly called differently abled as they possess unique set of abilities and perspectives. Everyone has ability and everyone matters isn't it? It's just the matter of acknowledging it. 'Differently abled' doesn't hide the fact that they do have difficulties and challenges that might hardly matter to the ordinary human beings; but continues to empower them despite it.

Most often, differently- abled people see what we can't, hear what we can't hear and think what we can't imagine. This makes their ability; not inferior, not even superior but just different! The term differently abled recognises talent and value in everybody and treats them equally. The lack of certain mental and physical conditions  need not stop them from enjoying a fulfilling, enriched and loved life. Many differently abled people are known to flourish and rejoice in life with the right opportunities, support, guidance, encouragement, love and care.

I asked Ms. Naidu how she initiated getting differently abled team members on board. She had worked with ITC hotel Kakatiya, that employed  people with disabilities in the laundry, gradually involved them in some other areas too. She got inspiration from there. More than that, she spoke about a problem that she was facing in the laundry, linen and uniform room. It's a big hotel and has many employees. The morning scene in the linen room, where the staff go to pick their uniforms from, used to get tensed. Imagine many employees yelling at the counter staff for their uniforms. They would shout, pick up arguments and do a verbal volley if delayed, certainly not a pleasant way to begin the day.

She thought of getting staff in the uniform room with hearing and speech disabilities. She contacted Take One, an organisation that trains and empowers people with disabilities. It didn't matter what the people are shouting for. They'd just do their job and not get hassled. The outcome was different. The laundry and uniform room became so much quieter and everyone smiled. There was built the culture of understanding and humanity. No one wanted to shout but wanted to encourage the new team members. Slowly the other staff started learning the sign language. It was heartening to see everyone communicating with them in their language. Didn't matter which department they worked in everyone was learning the sign language... the language of love and understanding.

On talking about challenges that she faced, she said that while working in the laundry especially on the flatwork ironers, sometimes they'd have their fingers in the feeder. Whistles were given to them so that in case of any mishap or emergency they could blow the whistle and attract attention and help would reach them. They were trained on SOPs and each team member got better with every passing day. That gave them a lot of confidence, they moved from self pity to the level of being confident and self reliant.

This was evident to all, their families were  grateful to the hotel for giving this life changing opportunity to their loved ones. The mothers came and thanked Ms. Naidu.  Can really identify with their concern, as when a child is diagnosed with a medical condition, there are many questions that emerge such as what does this mean for his future? Will he be able to cope in the real world? How will their own life change after this revelation? How will the family deal with someone who is different from others?

When they saw their differently abled child do well as a professional, learning new skills and enjoying his work More than anything else he is happy! They'd but naturally be grateful.

Their uniforms have, ' Differently abled' monogrammed on them so that no can miss that especially the guests. The hotel guests may find it rude if the staff don't  respond to their requests, the message on the uniforms serves the purpose. They wear whistles around their necks to draw attention when needed. She spoke in details sharing incidents where the differently abled staff showed so much of commitment. She said some of them were immensely talented. One of them gifted her a portrait of hers for her birthday.The journey that started for a few 6 years ago from the laundry now has moved to other areas that are covered by the housekeeping department. Its heart warming to see so many happy faces and happy families have resulted from the small step that was taken by Ms. Naidu. 

She discussed many more ideas in this direction and making work place conducive for the differently abled. She swears by the loyalty that these people bring with them. Also the intelligence that they display. To add the care and understanding of human beings, qualities that are needed in the hospitality industry. I know her ideas will find wings and  will certainly write about them too.  

A portrait gifted to Ms. Naidu by one of her talented differently abled staff.

Changing face of hotel housekeeping

Housekeeping was an area not taken by many students from the catering colleges. There were more graduates from the other streams working as housekeepers. When I graduated in 1997 from IHM Mumbai and joined a reputed hotel group we were only 5 Management Trainees from all over the country, who had taken Housekeeping as a career. We were a batch of 45 Management trainees. The work place was dominated by lady housekeeping managers and the room attendants were all men.

…..I used to wonder why men couldn’t be good housekeepers. And felt that there was certainly a need and there were plenty of opportunities not just in India but also in countries overseas.

Housekeeping is a science more than an art. It requires men, material resources and machines in a good balance. It requires you to have an exceptional eye for detail and good people skills. Can men and women be different at these qualities?

I would say “no” Men are also more open to different shift timings, which can be an advantage for the hotel.

It requires you to prepare for the job and when I was in the catering college I knew I had to take up accommodation operations as there was so much to learn there. We were handling interiors, taking care of all the areas, be it floors, restaurants and other public areas, had a fabulous inventory to maintain and manage and also handling the largest department in terms of manpower and area covered. There was something new to learn each day. The toiletries were changing, the chemicals were improving and more automation was coming in the department. I joined the industry at the time when there was transition happening. SOPs were being made for all operations and were getting standardized.

I think a lot has happened in the last 10 years. Today you walk into any hotel you’ll find quite a few male housekeepers.  Many executive housekeepers are men and yes they are also going on to becoming the General Managers of the hotels.