Interpersonal Skills and Leadership Capabilities

Mr. Kerry appears to enjoy his job and takes pride in being one of the three Duty Managers of the hotel. He is extremely organized and systematic and puts great emphasis on good grooming and a presentable appearance. He prefers to concentrate in finishing a task before venturing into a new activity. He is able to see the bigger picture in things, but is not keen with details or with work that has much to do with details. According to him, he finds reservations accepting change, especially if he is comfortable with his present status. At present, he admits to be happy and satisfied with his current role and responsibilities.

Mr. Kerry appears to heavily rely on his direct supervisors when it comes to decision- making. According to him however, he is able to make quick routine decisions and only consults the General Manager or the Resident Manager if necessary. His position as the Duty Manager authorizes him to issue warnings and other disciplinary action to any employee, even if he or she is of higher rank than him, during his shift. He admits, that he lacks the ability to make firm decisions, especially if there’s a possibility for a staff or co- worker to have negative reactions or feelings towards him. Furthermore, it appears the he uses his social influence rather than his authority, to reprimand or discipline a fellow employee.

According to Mr. Kerry, he is certain that he is able to uphold his commitment to customer satisfaction and even cited situations that verify such claim. He narrates that he attends to hotel guests personally when they have complaints and always maintains a calm attitude and disposition. He also shared that he has received letters of appreciation from guests when he was still the Executive Floor Assistant Manager and during that time, the occupancy rate in the executive floor was nearly 80%- 90%. In addition, he claims that there were instances wherein the guests would personally convey to the General Manager that they have enjoyed their stay in hotel Sun Jaya and will definitely come back, not because of the facilities, but rather of the service that Mr. Kerry and his team in the Executive Floor rendered to them.

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Mr. Kerry appears to be full of energy and zest in his work. He is also resourceful and practical. One example he cited in relation to his resourcefulness is the incident involving burnt out light bulbs. Several light bulbs were off in the hotel lobby and when he checked with the engineering department for replacements, they claimed to have no spare light bulbs. Mr. Kerry, out of his own initiative, instructed them to temporarily switch the light bulbs from the third floor to replace those in the lobby because he felt that it was of higher importance to have a well-lit lobby where most of the guests lounge than an empty hallway in the third floor. Although this was strictly a temporary solution, he felt that he was able to make some difference that eased the “dark” situation in the lobby.

Mr. Kerry has high respect for authority and may even have the tendency to rely heavily on them. He prefers to be closely supervised by his superiors and shows a high need for constant acknowledgements for his efforts and achievements. He displays strict adherence to hotel rules and procedures and uses them as basis for his decisions and actions. He is considered to be a loyal and dedicated employee.

D. PERSONALITY

Mr. Kerry is an extreme extrovert. He is a “people” person and enjoys interacting with groups rather than an individual. He is communicative and has fairly good English speaking skills, which he attributes to his three- year work experience with an American company. He gives a high importance to smooth interpersonal relationships with co- workers and exerts much effort in avoiding any form of dispute or argument.

He is sociable, pleasant and calm thereby making him an effective negotiator whenever there are complaints from hotel guests. He takes pride in the way his co- workers and people who are in the rank and file treat him. According to him, whenever his shift starts as the Duty Manager, all employees are happy and pleasant with him. However, he acknowledges his weakness when it involves firm disciplinary decisions, especially if it may result in a conflict with another co- worker.

He speaks much of his achievements, particularly those relating to instances wherein he appeared to be in the limelight. One example of such was the time when he got chosen to represent Indonesia in an International Bar Tending Competition along with 22 other contestants. He narrates that even though he was not able to bag the first prize, he qualified and made it to the top five. Mr. Kerry has a high need for recognition and enjoys being in the spotlight. For a person like him, his greatest fear is rejection. Thus for this reason, he will always attempt to be pleasing and will never want to have anyone to dislike him.

E. STRENGTHS and AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

STRENGTS
• Good communication and negotiation skills
• Adequate knowledge on all hotel operations
• Places great emphasis on good grooming
• Approachable and a social extrovert

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT
• Weak exercise of leadership authority, tendency to consider personal and social relationships first
• Lacks managerial skills
• Appears overly-conscious of physical appearance and image than work efficiency, not likely to make unpopular decisions
• Not interested to explore a new area, seems to be enjoying his “comfort zone”

F. SUMMARY and RECOMMENDATION

Mr. Kerry has been with Hotel Sun Jaya since 1982. At that time, he was given the responsibility of a Bar Tender and was promoted to be the Bar Supervisor in the same year. He was chosen to represent Indonesia in a Bar Tending Competition held in Thailand and ranked fifth among the 22 candidates. In 1991, he became the Executive Floor Assistant Manager and held this position for almost five years. In 1996, he became the Duty Manager and has held this position since.

Mr. Kerry is a highly sociable person. He gives importance to a neat and tidy appearance, because direct client interaction is one of his responsibilities as a Duty Manager. He is highly organized and systematic. He is not keen with details and prefers to make rational decisions. He appears to be full of energy for his job and actually takes pride in being one of the Duty Managers of Hotel Sun Jaya. He has high respect for his superiors, and may even have the tendency to rely heavily on them. He strictly adheres to hotel rules and procedures and bases most of his disciplinary action according to them. He gives high value to smooth interpersonal relationships with co- workers and exerts much effort in avoiding any form of conflict. At present, he is comfortable in his current position and does not wish to be transferred.

Based on the data collected, Mr. Kerry’s ability to communicate and his “people- oriented” nature, makes him suitable for a position that deals directly with the hotel guests. His current position as Duty Manager allows him to do such, but also has some leadership responsibilities that he may not be able to fully attain and exercise due to his extreme regard for smooth interpersonal relationships with co- workers. Should he be given the appropriate training on leadership, the likelihood of him being a more forceful and firm leader is only slightly possible. It is for this uncertainty, that Mr. Kerry is concluded to lack the ability to develop a more forceful nature needed for further career advancement and is therefore recommended to remain as Duty Manager or probably Guest Relations Manager of Hotel Sun Jaya.