W

hile Alexander Nayoan usually picks his words carefully, as might be expected in his position as the managing director of The Dharmawangsa Jakarta, he is not averse to coming out with unexpected, disarming replies.

 “My management style? Oh, I’m authoritarian and hot-tempered, like Mussolini, you know,” he said with a smile, referring to the 1930s’ Italian dictator.

He paused for effect, and then explained his deliberately startling statement.

 ”I like to deliver those kind of surprising words and see the reaction. My management style is perhaps democratic, in the sense that I try to involve the team in taking decisions. I like to push the employees to do better while I monitor them. The Javanese word is mengayomi [nurturing].”

After completing his studies at the School of Management of Parahyangan University, Bandung, Alex joined the management trainee program at The Oberoi in India for two years. Upon returning to Indonesia, he was assigned to Oberoi Bali.

“I learned a lot from a general manager in Oberoi, Arun Aggarwal, about hotel knowledge and his management style. I also took management styles from other people in order to be able to manage Indonesians, expatriates and international guests,” he said.

Alex later worked with Japan’s The Imperial Hotel and opened a luxury apartment in Jakarta. He also worked with the Four Seasons group for almost 15 years, and has been with The Dharmawangsa
Jakarta for five years.

Now 52, he looks back at his career as a gradual process of climbing the ladder one position at a time.

“Career wise, I went step by step. I have worked as front office manager, assistant F&B manager, hotel manager and then GM here,” he said.

 Alex is more than happy to share his vast experience and knowledge with employees. He said that it was difficult to find training managers in Jakarta because most went abroad or to Bali, which offer better remuneration.

He works with his HR director to develop their training department, and himself conducts employee training once a week at the five-star hotel.

“I usually deliver tips on management, such as how to handle your bosses, difficult people, guests, how to motivate yourself, how to improve yourself, how to up sell and how always be the best,” he said.

“I also push the department heads to give further motivation and training. Training shouldn’t just come from me. I only share my vision and mission and they should also push, give feedback and have an eye for details.”

It’s a win-win situation, for “their success is my motivation”.

Lira Dachlan, the South Jakarta hotel’s director of communications, describes Bapak Alex as a people-oriented person who leads by example. The hotel often hosts large weddings of more than 1,000 guests. Although they are handled by the functions department, the GM will still come by to check the venue, inspiring others by his attention to detail and professionalism.

“Bapak also allocates time to visit us and give encouragement despite his hectic schedule. He give two-hour training in a month, or if the schedule permits up to six-seven times’ training in a month,” Lira said.

When employees are not working to expectations, Alex said he abided by the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry and gave them the chance to improve by providing training and a set plan of action.

“Employees are assets. I believe people want to be better and improve themselves. If they don’t do things right, we should consider whether it is their fault or our fault, and whether we have made the right standard operation procedures,” he said.

Second chances

He mentioned an employee with a headstrong belief in his own ideas and superiority to others. With the choice of either ending the relationship with the employee or considering the situation to be an opportunity, Alex opted for the latter.

He discovered the employee wanted to improve and was open to advice. And the person has achieved success.

“Always give them another chance, because that person can gain more success than us. Sometimes being different and thinking out of the box are the characteristics of a successful person of the people,” he said.

“I respect other people. I try to not disrespect other people.”

Alex notes the explosive growth in room capacity in the hotel industry, but without an attendant improvement in the available human resources. It is resulting in high turnover of quality resources as some employees of top hotels moved to lower-rated facilities.

“If this situation is not addressed carefully, it can lead to low quality and [reduced] customer satisfaction,” he said.

“I am glad if the employees get a better place and position in the new workplace, because it means I have done well in educating them. After all, they move to another place for the good of this nation,” he said.

Alex said former employees also could serve as excellent promoters of their previous workplace.

“For example, if an employee moves to a nearby hotel and guests ask if they know other good restaurants, I’m sure that the first restaurant the employee remembers will be in this hotel,” he said.

He said the government needed to pay attention to the disparity between the hotel room growth and actual market growth.

“The government should be creative and aggressive in developing the market of foreign customers and control hotel growth. We need to improve English-language proficiency and transportation,” he said.

Alex pronounces the hotel industry to be a promising and interesting one, with great prospects.

“If you want to enter the business, do it wholeheartedly,” is his advice.

“Take ownership. Learn as meticulous as possible, do it with discipline. Strive to overachieve yourself.”

And one more thing: show some heart.

“Use your heart in running the hospitality business because we are handling humans. Do a little bit extra.”