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Rosaline Mayapada: Leaders need not be feared to be respected
Photos: JP/Arief SuhardimanRosaline Mayapada emphasizes the effectiveness of casual, semi-formal communication to inspire employees to reach company objectives
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Photos: JP/Arief Suhardiman
Rosaline Mayapada emphasizes the effectiveness of casual, semi-formal communication to inspire employees to reach company objectives.
An open communication channel allowing employees to speak openly about the challenges they face is very important for tackling problems rapidly on a day-to-day basis, and something vital for meeting company objectives, according to Fortice chief operating officer (COO) Rosaline Mayapada.
Fortice serviced offices has been operating in Indonesia since 2010. It currently has nine centers, one of which is in the Graha Bukopin Tower in Surabaya, East Java, and the eight others in Jakarta: in the Allianz Tower, Summitmas and Midplaza in Central Jakarta; Sentral Senayan II and the World Trade Center 2 in Sudirman; and the Palma Tower on Jl. TB Simatupang, South Jakarta.
As COO, Rosaline supervises the managers of each center as well as the company's marketing communications team.
'The service industry, especially serviced offices, involves lots of people, be it our own employees or our clients. Employees, particularly office managers, need to be alert to every single detail of their operations in order to maintain client satisfaction, thereby retaining those clients,' Rosaline said during a recent interview with The Jakarta Post.
She reflects this to her day-to-day role, as she attempts to open all channels of communication, including modern platforms like WhatsApp and Skype, in order to ensure that operations run smoothly and problems can be tackled rapidly.
'Obviously, I conduct regular meetings with the management board. We create communication networks through WhatsApp and Skype to keep each other abreast of our business operations. This is important because the service industry is a complex business that deals with different types of people. We also need to ensure that our clients are always satisfied. It's easy to get clients but difficult to keep them,' she said.
The communication network help managers share their problems and tap into their colleagues' experiences in order to solve problems rapidly.
'They can just exchange ideas and devise solutions through a WhatsApp group or an email blast. We are flexible in solving problems but still adhere to company rules. If at a particular time a client needs to have a meeting and all meeting rooms are occupied, for example, we can ask if they are willing to use an unoccupied working space,' she explained.
To effectively keep communication channels open, employees need to be encouraged to speak up openly and honestly about their problems and difficulties, she adds.
'I maintain a good relationship with the managers I supervise to make them comfortable asking me questions and conveying their thoughts openly. I avoid using language that's too formal; it could create distance, thereby making them a bit uncomfortable. It's okay to use casual language as long as you're still able to get the message across.'
The mother of three boys went on to say, 'I am quite relaxed when dealing with people while still firmly sticking to standards and objectives. That way, I can earn people's respect a positive way. Some leaders might think that in order to earn respect, they need to project the image of a scary boss. The truth is, making people fear you is much easier than earning respect; just because they're afraid of you doesn't mean they respect you.'
According to her, respect is signified by other people's willingness to cooperate with you in order to achieve company objectives. This wouldn't be achieved without the implementation of sound leadership skills.
'To me, leadership is about being able to empower my subordinates to work independently and engage with clients without constantly seeking my advice. Customers need to be confident that they are dealing with competent human resources. In order to be competent, human resources need to be coached properly by their supervisors,' she explained.
She said that in order to groom managers that customers could have faith in, she always attempted to constantly motivate her center managers to step their game.
'During our meetings, we are not only talking about business but also trends. We need to keep ourselves abreast of business trends, so that when we talk to clients, we know what we are talking about,' she said.
'We also have to be resourceful when fulfilling our clients' requests. We need to be able to find alternatives, especially for international clients who have just come to Indonesia. We need to give them confidence despite administrative matters taking much longer in Indonesia due to the complex bureaucracy. They can definitely be done,' she added.
According to her, the complexities of dealing with numerous clients on a day-to-day basis can also be made easier by maintaining a positive attitude.
'Take client complaints for instance, something that might be unpleasant to some people. Whatever it is, you have to be aware that when they complain, it must be because some aspect of their needs is unfulfilled. We need to know why this client is unhappy, try to find a win-win solution without finding faults and check whether we can fulfill the client's needs.'
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Birth
Bandung, October 13, 1969
Career Highlights
* Chief operations officer (COO), Fortice serviced office (2009 - current)
* General manager, The Executive Centre serviced office (1997-2009)
* Sales manager, Mandarin Oriental Hotel (1993-1997)
Education
Diploma in Room Management from the Bandung Tourism Education and Training Academy (1991)
At Ease
Exercise enthusiast
I exercise every day. Every morning before I go to work, I always take time to go for a short walk. After office hours, I always swim or do yoga practice. I also enjoy spending my time beneath a warm shower after finishing my workouts. These things really act as stress relief for me, and these small delights remind me to be grateful for life; how wonderful it is to find joy in simple things.
Socializing with friends
I like socializing with old friends, not only to maintain good relationships with them but also to learn from them. Although they work in different fields, I can always learn a thing or two from their problems and their ways of coping without having experienced their problems firsthand. Learning from other people's experiences is a great way to improve ourselves.
Lifelong learner
I love being a student and going back to the classroom ' it just helps me to refuel. For instance, I took a certified business management course at the Prasetya Mulya Business School, and it's very fun to gather with fellow trainees and discover theoretical terms for things we face every day in the workplace.
Discerned traveler
My family and I always travel at least twice a year. With my husband, I always take a weekend getaway to maintain good communication, since we both work and rarely have time to see each other during our weekdays. My favorite local destinations include Bali and West Sumatra. The latter has the terrific and beautiful Harau multiple waterfalls. Japan is also one of my favorite destinations for its beautiful scenery.
