Lucy Macridis is the Director of ELEMCEE Consultancy. She is an expert in helping women achieve their full potential by adapting to the needs of an ever evolving and dynamic world.
I am an Alumni of Kenya Utalii College, a choice that was made for me by my mother. My heart was in theatre and growing up on the Kenyan Coast, I dreamt of being a big name at the Little Theatre Club. Alas as my mother put it, tourism was the wiser choice. I absolutely fell in love with hospitality & tourism, and this I owe to her.
The hospitality and tourism industry has been home for me for the past 30 years. It has been a time of growth and I have faced my fair share of successes though with some drawbacks. In retrospect, I now see that I am the author of my own success. My perspective in every situation matters and comes down to my mind set; which could either be fixed, or of growth.
I choose a growth mind set and this opens me up to see the possibilities in every situation. For instance during this COVID -19 pandemic, I saw the opportunity to help women reach their full potential through unlocking their limiting beliefs. I encourage women to adopt this mind set and forge forward.
Are you a female profession in the tourism and hospitality industry? Join other women during the 1st Hospitality & Tourism Webinar dubbed “Hospitality & Evolution – The New Normal” on the 5th March, 2021 from 2.30pm Register Here
By choosing a growth or abundant mind set, women in tourism will be able to tap and plug into the current pandemic, by adapting to the needs of the market. For instance, this may call for personal development in the Digital Transformation space, to be able to reach a far wider audience. This is applicable for both employed and business owners. This goes a long way in achieving an equal future for women.
COVID-19 presents a host of opportunities for women in post- pandemic. What it will take is an acceptance of doing things differently from the past; through embracing the digital space. I encourage young women entering the tourism profession to:-
ï‚· Make digital technology a priority.
ï‚· Equip themselves with both hard and soft skills.
ï‚· Tie these skills to artificial intelligence so as to provide
efficient and effective services.
ï‚· Find ways to grow and sustain tourism through collaborations and partnerships thereby providing the customer a holistic experience.
This calls for HR leaders to incorporate a continuous learning
culture in the tourism workplace; which in turn will keep women
abreast with new systems and ways of working. The learning culture must incorporate Emotional Intelligence which builds self-confidence. This will positively influence the individual’s work performance and consequently drive success which is actually the bottom line.