Passionate about being of service, for the right reasons
Lindiwe SangweniSiddo is the new COO for the City Lodge Hotel Group
Why did you choose to work in the hospitality industry?
I fell in love with the hospitality industry when I completed my Cambridge A-levels while living in Nairobi, Kenya, with my parents.
I was always fascinated by visits to hotels and restaurants, and began imagining myself owning a hotel one day. I love serving others, seeing them become happy because of our friendly, warm employees, and I love their reactions when they have had a good night’s sleep in our rooms or when they enjoy our delicious breakfasts.
What makes your job stressful?
Hotels are 24/7 business units, so all sorts of activities take place. You get thrown curveballs some days, such as no electricity or water in a hotel running at 100% occupancy; some days, the phone lines ring incessantly with all sorts of issues to deal with; or you could be simply busy from a great week, like when the Brics conference took place in Sandton. But it is always a great feeling when you resolve issues and deal with challenges that may have been stressful.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I would pretend I was a teacher when I played with my playmates. I think it made me feel like I was going to be great when I grew up. I loved the feeling of being the teacher imparting knowledge, and being in charge of others. My parents described me as being a little “bossy boots”.
What do you find most meaningful about the work you do?
The best part of my work is when all our hotels are fully occupied and milling with guests. When our hotels are busy, our employees are at their best. When employees are running optimally, our guests are at their happiest, and all they think of is when they can come back to enjoy the same great experience they had.
What part of your job would you like to change or not do at all?
I am always amazed at the large number of e-mails in my inbox. Some are extremely important, but often we tend to overextend ourselves with e-mails, instead of just picking up the phone or walking over to a colleague’s office to talk. I wish I could come up with a way to change e-mail behaviour in the workplace.
I used to dream of owning a hospitality training academy of excellence one day. I think the hospitality industry is a sector that has so much to offer, and training young people to specialise in the various aspects of this industry would ensure that we deliver excel- lent service standards as a country.
What advice do you have for young women entering the industry?
Once you decide to join, make sure you are doing so for all the right reasons. You need to be passionate about being of service to others. Not subservient, rather being a gracious individual who enjoys being hospitable.
The industry can look very glamorous from a distance, but it can also be very demanding with long hours. Besides learning to be hands-on and skilled, I would also advise young women joining this industry to think big, and think of specialisation in finance, accounting, marketing, and so on — there are very few women CEOs, COOs and CFOs. These senior positions require skill, expertise and perseverance.