Briefings Guidline

Objectives
• The purpose of the daily briefing is to:
• provide operational information, which will help the team to perform at the required standards;
• remind the employees about the Princess D’Annam’s ’s vision statement, the department’s and thea team’s goals, and the standards of service and team behaviours, which will enable the team to achieve those goals;
• motivate the employees;
• create a united, harmonious team;
• to reinforce and develop the core values and behaviours, which are essential to the development of a vibrant, warm, and caring Princess D’Annam team culture. For all employees, the core values are: love (care, warmth), empathy, passion, teamwork, integrity, and creativity.
• provide training and development activities for individuals and/or the whole team.
• Every day the team leader should hold a briefing with his/her staff. The briefing should last about 15 minutes, depending on the volume of business in the section, and it should not be conducted in the full view of guests.

Recommendations
• It is recommended that the Department Head considers a briefing to be a training opportunity, and that the team leader therefore plans every briefing carefully. The planning process should be taken seriously because a briefing can be a very effective tool in helping to achieve the team’s goals. The Briefing Form will help.
• A briefing should be interactive, and not a monologue by the team leader. It should be a lively occasion, but always dignified. The employees may stand or sit, depending on the location, but they may not sit down in areas where guests can see or hear them.
• The employees are expected to give their full attention to the content of the briefing, and to contribute actively with comments, ideas, recommendations and suggestions.
• The Team leader should show the Briefing Forms to the Department Head on a weekly basis, and discuss the effectiveness of their briefings.

Briefing Topics
Here are some recommended topics for a briefing.
1. The Grooming and Appearance of the Employees: Inspect the grooming of the team at every briefing. Explain the importance of good grooming.
2. Guest-related Information:
• VIP guest arrivals and departures: The names (and pictures, if available) of VIP guest arrivals, so that they can be greeted by name; and departing guests, so that they can be asked, if they have enjoyed their stay, and be thanked for staying at the Princess D’Annam. Departing guests should be pointed out so that they can be thanked for staying at the Princess D’Annam, and wished a pleasant journey.
• Guest history information: Share and discuss information about the likes and dislikes of in-house guests, including any problems any guest may have incurred. This will enable all the employees to impress and delight at least one guest per day with guest history information.


• Guest comments: Mention positive guest comments from the previous day or shift, so that the employees can further impress the guest(s) in question. Discuss negative comments so that the employees know what will be done to provide the guest(s) in question with extra special attention.
3. Assignment of Duties: Inform the employees about any special work, which they should do. Remind new staff about what they should do.
4. The Quality of the Service: Discuss positive and negative aspects. Ask for suggestions on how to improve or solve problems in the service, and how to provide warmth in the service.
5. Service English: Practise job-specific service English, especially the key service English. Provide remedial help on weak areas.
6. The Princess D’Annam’s Service Standards: Revise one of more of the sections trained during the General Employee Orientation, and which can be found in the Employee General Orientation handout.
7. Information about the Princess D’Annam: Remind the staff about the Princess D’Annam’s services and facilities (opening and closing times, charges, how to explain the location in English, etc.). Familiarise everyone with the details of current and coming events and promotions.
8. Environmental Protection in the Department: Ask for suggestions about how the department (or hotel) can become more environmentally friendly. For example, talk about how to reduce waste, save energy, reduce the consumption of water and/or chemicals, etc.
9. Princess D’Annam’s Policies and Procedures: Inform the staff about new or current policies and procedures, and check their understanding of the fire, life, health, safety and security procedures.

10. Information About Training: Talk about the departmental training plan (e.g. the
results of the previous month’s plan, the content of the next month’s plan). Outline the
purpose and importance of upcoming courses. Employees, who have just attended a training course or cross-exposure training, should talk about what they have
learned, and the benefits of the training.
11. Teambuilding: Talk about the team goals, the vision statement, and positive and negative team behaviours so that each employee is clear about:
• how to work as a team;
• the team’s values, and how to practise them;
• the Princess D’Annam’s expectations about teamwork;
• the team’s vision, mission and goals. Praise the team when a goal is achieved, discuss how the team can achieve outstanding goals, and if a goal was not achieved, consult on what the team should do better to achieve it next time;
• the behaviours, which harm the team;
• the behaviours, which improve teamwork.
12. Financial Matters: Talk about information received concerning the financial performance of the Princess D’Annam, department and outlet. Discuss how the team can improve the financial performance, set financial goals together, and consult about how to achieve the goals.
13. Recognise Exemplary Performance: Remember to praise team members for any excellent individual performances, in addition to praising the team as a whole for excellent team performances. Recognise individuals, who have created and are carrying out their personal vision.
14. Emphasise the Importance of and Develop the Core Values: Use the daily briefing to reinforce and develop the core values, which are essential to the development of a vibrant Princess D’Annam’s team culture. The core values are: love (care, warmth), empathy, passion, teamwork, integrity, and creativity.

15. Customer Service Follow-up Material: Use the daily briefing material to follow up on the customer service workshop, How to Add Emotional Value to Your Customer Service and Create Memorable Experiences. Even just 5 minutes of this per day will deepen the understanding of the team members about the core values; how to practise them; and to make them want to practise them.
16. Culture Orientation Manual: Work through the manual, one PowerPoint slide at a time for 5-10 minutes every day or every 2 days. It will deepen the understanding of the team members about the core values; how to practise them; and to make them want to practise them, as in 15. above..
17. Stories: Tell the stories and ask the questions at the end. They will deepen the understanding of the team members about the core values; how to practise them; and to make them want to practise them, as in 15. above..