Mentoring others has honed my speaking skills.
Anthony talks of how the CoRe Programme challenged him to study and research more in addition to helping him acquire the new skill of virtual public speaking. He shares his story.
I am Anthony Andoh and I am into Tourism. I had the opportunity to mentor the Tourism Mentoring Group under the CoRe Programme. From the very start of the mentoring programme, I thought it was going to be a walk in the park, but with time I began to rethink the responsibility that had been bestowed on me as a mentor.
The protégés’ engagement and the various perspectives they brought to bear during the sessions increased my deep-seated hunger to search for more detailed knowledge coupled with creative intelligence and practical examples to deepen their understanding.
The programme has certainly widened and deepened my understanding of the hospitality and tourism industry, especially with regards to how the rules of the game have changed abruptly since the inception of COVID-19.
Key areas like operations, managerial leadership and industry best practices have been modified due to COVID-19, and this, in a way, has also shifted my knowledge and understanding of the industry.
A practical example is, due to COVID-19, tableware and crockery are no longer laid on tables before customers arrive. Instead, they are nicely and neatly packaged, sealed, and only placed on tables which have guests seated and ready to dine.
Through the programme, my skills and confidence in virtual public speaking have been tremendously boosted. The skills needed are not the same as having a physical audience in a space. It is natural to think that virtual speaking should be easy but it’s a whole different ball game. I have made some strides in this area, and it has been so fulfilling.
I must say that although COVID-19 has had a negative impact on our lives and livelihoods, it also led to significant leaps in our lives. Many talents, dreams, creative abilities, intelligence, and crafts have been unearthed in this extraordinary era.
Thank you, CoRe.