2019

STAFF RETREAT AUGUST 2019

The weather was a little cloudy as the group of 14 of us arrived at Heritage Chalet in Pasir Ris.

Serene Seng of Senserene, the agency organising the event started a Master Chef challenge to get everybody into team spirit. The group was divided into 2 teams and given one hour to make ourselves lunch! Team ‘Hulk’ won with presentation of the food, whereas Team ‘Delicious’ won for taste, obviously true to it’s team’s name! However, team Delicious was the final winner as the team’s ‘chef’ also catered a special dish for the children who attended the retreat!

After a delicious lunch, we were briefed on the training and development program which the company is undertaking for the next 12 months until mid 2020. This program includes:

  1.  a survey to ascertain the perception of employees’ on the company’s current training program and the gaps
  2.  training needs analysis
  3.  updated job description for each position and the required job competencies
  4.  competency profiling for each staff member
  5.  learning plans and needs for the individual staff member
  6.  training and coaching skills for managers and supervisors to support continuous learning and skills development for staff

The group was then drawn into a discussion on how the orientation program for new staff should improve. The 3 teams made suggestions and improvements on the orientation programme including a competency sign off for nursing skills. A good start to the training and development project!

After the launch of the project, the team continued with a team bonding session on dragon boat rowing! 14 of us plus a couple of staff from Senserene took out a 20- persons dragon boat with instructors, Wayne and Bruce. We were taught the basic dragon boat racing language like ‘ All Up”, “Easy”, ‘Hold Water” and “ Paddles Up” . Altogether back and forth, we must have each taken less than 250 paddle strokes, however our arms were already tired and sore ! Although some of us got splashed by the back and the front persons, everybody enjoyed it and enjoyed the great fun as it was the first time all of us had done a dragon boat row!

Family members then arrived. All 35 of us then proceeded to have a big seafood barbeque dinner before calling it a day!