Looking at the orderly line forming outside the Creation Theatrette at the Matrix Building of Biopolis, it’s simply mind boggling how fast this year is coming to an end. Maybe it’s been a year of surprises big or small for all of us. But I think maybe we’ve all been too busy to keep track of time as it slips away.



 

Many times in life, we are too caught up with the rat race that we forget sometimes we just have to start living for ourselves. Many of us dress to conform to certain office norms. Look around and you will see the majority of men dressed in the same hues of white, blue, black and grey. For ladies (whether they are on the plus side or slim side), they always think of black as their saving colour as it’s slimming. 

But once you have attended today’s grooming talk, you will realise there’s a whole universe out there besides the classical colours or even start thinking black is THE one and only slimming colour. 

If we don’t start to dress for ourselves (within the accepted limits of course – no one is asking you to dye your hair purple or red), you start feeling more confident as it’s your personality you begin to exude. And naturally when you feel more confident, your work performance improves. It may sound incredulous but trust me, it works. If it worked for me, why shouldn’t it work for you?

So sit back, relax and let’s rock this talk together…and get you all spruced up for the new year ahead!

I feel extra bubbly today. It’s not my birthday. Neither is it Christmas yet. But there’s just something special about my mood. Every footstep I take, every smile I flash is one that betrays that momentous feeling within.  

Maybe it’s because I’ll be having two back-to-back grooming talks in a moment’s time at KS Energy. Or maybe it’s because of the extra warm reception from Janice, the lady from HR whom I click so well with even though we are meeting for the first time. 

Did I tell you before a happy mood can be infectious? It fills your body with an expected zest of energy and you feel on top of the world.

Standing in front of the group of all ladies only, I have long banished the ghosts of butterflies in the stomach. I am in the moment and clearly enjoying myself. After the customary self-introduction, I did the unthinkable. Like a little child who wants to shout out to the world after he gets the candy he so desires, I let out the secret.

And now that it’s been revealed, it’s no longer a secret.

I told the ladies KS Energy is the 100th company I have trained thus far since I embarked on this training journey.

They applauded. 

I bowed.

Thank you everyone past and present, for allowing me to share my knowledge with you. I’m truly blessed :)

And to reward myself, I’m going to buy myself a small present and gear up towards the next 100 companies.

In a world where branding isn’t just for mega organizations like Nike or Coca Cola, the name Lionel Lim has now become synonymous and associated with the who’s who in the grooming industry. I am gratified that people think of me when they think of my field.

So live up to the expectations of my audience I must and of course, exceed them and deliver more. Just like in a customer transaction, I have learnt to delight my customers over time and pack more value in it than a McDonalds Happy Meal.

If you think the staff working in an IT firm are always serious and wear stern looks, you cannot be more wrong. At Getronics Singapore, a predominantly IT consulting and network technology company, the staff are a happy-go-lucky, jovial lot who are not afraid to poke fun at each other all in the name of learning. So shows the good camaraderie and bonding amongst them.

Perhaps one of the most light-hearted moments must be the instant I touched on food debris stuck between the teeth which is a turn-off and most stopped eating…until I had to reassure them it was alright as long as they checked their own appearance after meals. Perhaps rinse, gargle or brush their teeth? Not only is this good oral hygiene, it also makes our smile more endearing. 

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Knowledge is meant to be shared and the more people I share with, the more happiness this brings about.

In any service-related industry, good hospitality is never good enough. It has to be great hospitality that leaves an indelible impression on the minds of the customers. Therefore, it was little surprise to learn that the theme for this year’s retreat for Far East Hospitality Hotels & Residences was titled ‘Central Housekeeping – From Good To Great’.

Originally the title of a bestseller by Jim Collins, “few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.” Such words of wisdom.

Applying the same stroke of genius, the retreat aims to challenge all staff of central housekeeping to go that extra mile while providing housekeeping services to 6 Far East Hotels, 11 service residences and other business units.

With occupancy rates constantly at peak high, it is little wonder the Housekeeping team has had to cope with high daily room quotas and delivering clean and neat rooms speedily with consistently high standards of service. Finding new and better improvements of going about its daily tasks in order to boost efficiency and doing more with less is thus the way forward.

In the cozy training room at the newly opened Oasia Hotel, the workshop was a laugh-a-minute, learn-a-minute, close-knitted affair among all. New staff blended in quickly with their more seasoned colleagues as all attempted to destress and discover new things about themselves.

Running the gamut from body measurements which they took on gamely; to fashion styles; to colour analysis which all were only too eager to watch me work my magic drapes on them; to dining etiquette, all of them were as passionate as I was to make the best of this grooming workshop.

This reminds me of Collin’s saying "You can be passionate all you want, but if you can’t be the best at it or it doesn’t make economic sense, then you might have a lot of fun, but you won’t produce great results."

To sum it all up, passion was definitely in the air. So was fun and of course I can only expect to see great results from this wonderful team who made me feel like family from the moment I stepped in. Thanks for the Far East hospitality.

I’ve learnt about the market innovativeness of this Japanese model back in my school days. I’ve also driven one of them before. And in case you are still wondering, I’m talking about Toyota.

I loved the arrangement of the tables in the room in island styles as it meant plenty of interaction space between the participants and myself. Many a times, I don’t see myself as a trainer. Instead, I see my role more as a friend who helps others become more confident of themselves in my own little, non-threatening ways. And tonight was no different.

Setting the pace of the night with an ice-breaker activity, followed by the heavier materials packed behind, the crowd responded with their enthusiasm, laughter and smiles galore. The discussions and activities were attended to with precision and seriousness, just like the hallmarks of the car. In short, there was something for everyone. And their faith in me was rewarded as the hour spent was definitely worth their time. 

Weaving between the male and female aspects for grooming, there was little cause for worry as the males could learn more about female stuff and vice versa. I also spotted one couple who attended together in the audience. Learning should never be rote learning. It’s about taking useful, practical grooming tips and getting the participants to put them into practice into their everyday lives. 

If not for my flight to catch later tonight, I would have loved to share more with this lovely crowd who despite their long day at work, bubbled with energy and enthusiasm.