In the Know
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 17
SPE CI AL POINTS OF INTEREST:
Bright Ideas
A note from Bernard
Message from Mary
Competitions
Staff News
Work News
Extra Mile Award
FunZone
What's Cooking
Notice board
The Social Committee
Charity
It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test. Elbert Hubbard
Dear Readers, I am pleased to publish our 1st edition of Grosvenor in the Know for 2016—now into its 5th year. As always, Thank You all for your contributions and very positive feedback relating to the magazine over the past 4 years. Please do continue to send in your good news, achievements, ideas, articles, and opinions because without you, ITK doesn't work. We have some new features this quarter but if you have any ideas or thoughts please do let me know. If you have anything you would like featured please email me and I would be happy to include it in our next edition. Thank you all again for your continued feedback and support! Happy reading!
Marianne x
March 2016 This Quarter Wardrobe… Malfunction? Or wardrobe function!!
Use shower rings to create individual holders for all your scarves, ties and belts
[Left] Add a couple of extra hooks and hang your ‘everyday’ bags up on the back of the closet door
[Right] Double up your hangers—particularly for 2 piece clothes sets by looping the ring of a soft drink can over the hanger hook so that you can add a second hanger below! If you have a bright idea or suggestion please do send it in for the next edition.
Hello everyone!
As the end of the financial year approaches, I am pleased to say that Grosvenor has had a good year of growth and success. Since January, we are proud of key projects and I will just like to list them here by way of snapshot: Primark’s head office - the beautiful Arthur Ryan House – a proud addition to our portfolio started in January and a strong testament to our 34 year association with Primark M&S new store in UK mainland – great opportunity to expand on our 16 year relationship with M&S Debenhams – celebrated 20 years of association ECS - our membership of this European associations continues to provide us with opportunities – we hosted Apple in February at our head office and now are on the shortlist for the chance to deliver
services Paddy Power – 329 stores throughout UK started on 01 March – a massive challenge to mobilise and this is still ongoing – huge tribute to the team for the efforts to handle this contract especially during Cheltenham week
I am delighted too to see so many of our supervisors succeeding in achieving Supervisory Skills QQ1 Level 6 accreditation. Congratulations to all who embraced and completed the programme. We believe this training not only benefits the individual but enhances career progression and confidence as well as improving overall service delivery. My thanks too to the HR team for co-ordinating this training in various locations. Most significantly, we are changing the leadership structure of the company from 01 May as outlined in the company notice recently circulated. The purpose of the changes is to improve our strategic and operational focus and make ourselves more fit for growth. Thank you all for your continued commitment and hard work in helping Grosvenor achieve our objectives. The results can be seen in the longevity and quality of our client base. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Easter.
Bernard Mc Cauley Group Managing Director
A note from Mary
Celebrating team work
Spring is here and the daffodils are out. The end of our financial year is fast approaching at Grosvenor Services and many people are looking back at the year gone by, reflecting on what went well and what did not go so well. This is a time for planning ahead and making a fresh start too. Today I am going to share with you a few thoughts about working as part of a team. Franklin Delano Roosevelt put it like this: People acting together as a group can accomplish things that no individual acting alone could ever hope to bring about. A team can be a group of people organised to work together or a group that do similar tasks and report to the same person. But I think we all know that it’s a bit more complicated than that and that not every “team” is really a true team. A functional team could be an organisational group that reports to the same boss but they may or may not be working to meet the group’s goals. Cross functional teams are those drawn from different parts of the company and who may be dedicated to delivering a specific project before returning to their own day to day responsibilities. Ad hoc teams or task forces could be a temporary group put together to solve a specific problem or explore a new opportunity. This can happen in our business when we mobilise a new contract or when we are tendering for a new opportunity. Tiger team is an expression I love which refers to a group picked from different functions who are totally dedicated to the team objective. I can think of so many great projects around the business where team work played a huge part in getting a great result.
High performing teams
We may also have heard about the high performing team. This is a group of people with complementary skills who work together to achieve a common objective. The high performing team will have common purpose, common performance goals and will approach the work holding themselves collectively responsible. There are many great examples of this from the sports world of teams working together to produce great results. As Roosevelt pointed out, the useful thing to remember is that teams can achieve things that no individual acting alone can achieve. I think we need to remember that every day in our own roles in the organisation.
Continued on next page...
A few useful questions to get started on a team plan
If you are part of a team or the team leader, here are a few useful questions to ask: Have we got a clear objective? Who is supporting our objective and have we got a sponsor? Have we a budget approved for resources and tools? Have we the right people on the team with the right skills and qualities? Do we have a plan and overall approach? Have we an agreed timeline to deliver? Have we assigned the tasks clearly and do we know what the other members of the team are responsible for? Whatever role you have or whatever project you are on, I’m sure you will find something useful in this brief reflection on working as a team. May I take this opportunity to thank all the teams large and small working on various projects throughout Grosvenor Services to deliver great results. If you have a good story to share about your own team and the work you have done to achieve results, please email me mhorgan@grosvenorservices.com
Super feedback regarding our Teams
For the team effort, commitment and spirit to complete UK and Irish payrolls back to back to ensure all staff were paid on time at Christmas. The team put extra hours in over a number of days to ensure this happened.
“I really would like to compliment and express my appreciation of the prompt and professional assistance offered by your Control Room Team. They always respond in a positive and prompt manner to our requests. I am grateful for their support ..Please do pass on my sincere appreciation to them, as they have been a great help to me and the hostel staff team.”
Mary Horgan HR Director
Our News In February we said farewell to Laura Ludwig from the HR Team in Ireland. We would like to wish Laura all the very best for the future!
Contract Wins Fancy a bargain?
Visit GroupSchemes.com—from holiday and travels discounts to discounts on shopping, eating out and even cash back offers visit your groupscheme.
Well done to the many teams and support functions across the business who have put huge effort into winning and mobilising the following contracts.
Paddy Power UK Raidío Teilifís Éireann
M&S Cannock
Primark Arthur Ryan House GPO Witness History Museum
EXTRA MILE AWARD WINNERS
Congratulations and Well Done !! to all of our Extra Mile Award Winners. Thank you for your hard efforts and keep up the good work. December: Abi Payne (Admin, Skegness) Thomas Steven Jackson (NSG, Gateshead) Catherine Meadows (Primark, Blackpool) Alan O’Keeffe (Area Manager, ROI) January:
Elzbieta Ras Elzbieta Ras, Grzegorz Zielinski (Primark HQ Arthur Ryan House, Dublin) The Control Room Team (Charter Security) Inesa Endolfa (Thomond Park, ROI) Rod Salter, Pat Crossling, Hassan Speight, Stefano Bernasconi, Felix Mashedi, Russell Norwood (Brooklands P&G Team) Sarah Smith (GC2)
February: Lisa Kane (BSU / M&S Helpdesk) Leckie Manville (Skegness) Marion Mc Eniff (NUI Maynooth) Ricardo Paulo (Bicester Village)
Well done to all who were nominated & Thanks for your hard work!
Work News SUPERVISOR SKILLS TRAINING, CORK
12 of our Munster based Supervisors and Area Managers recently completed their six week Supervisory Skills Training Course which took place in our Cork office. All successfully completed their course on 1st March last. This is the third Grosvenor group in Ireland to complete this intensive training course, which is a QQI Level 6 qualification, and involves a lot of hard work and plenty of home work. Some of our clients have already commented on the difference they have seen on site as all our supervisors who have completed the course are now seen as highly qualified leaders. There will be more supervisory training starting in late Spring so anyone interested in taking part should let their Area Manager know as soon as possible. Pictured on the final day are: (left to right) Back row: Robert Klosowiak (Debenhams Patrick St, Cork) and Marcin Klosowiak (M&S Patrick St and Douglas, Cork). Middle row: Ruhan Chowdhury (Debenhams, Mahon Point), Agnieszka Jasulska (M&S Killarney), Julia Cupeti (M&S Clonmel), Karol Fila (DSP, Cork), Norbert Usarek (Debenhams Patrick St, Cork) and Roberta Dapkute (Penneys, Clonmel). Front row: Ramune Marcinkeviute (Debenhams, Tralee), Sharon Hennessy (Debenhams Patrick St, Cork), Mary Horgan (HR Director), Charlie Murnagh (Course Instructor) and Caroline Downey (Area Manager). Missing from the picture (as someone had to take the photo!) is Yvonne Mc Sweeney (Area Manager) who also completed the course. Congratulations and well done to all!
Mountain Problem
Listed in the triangles below are 12 famous mountains from around the world. Match up each one with the continent in which its found.
MONT BLANC
K2
MOUNT KENYA
Please see email received from Louth Search Dogs Thanking us for our continued support.
MOUNT RUSHMORE
MOUNT VESUVIUS
MOUNT ETNA
MOUNT KILIMANJARO
MOUNT ST HELENS
MOUNT FUJI
MOUNT EVEREST
MOUNT OLYMPUS
SCAFELL PIKE
One of the continents is associated with more of the listed mountains than any other窶馬ame this continent. Send your answers to newsletter@grosvenorservices.com to win a 竄ｬ20 / ﾂ｣20 voucher.
If you have a charity or charity event you would like to suggest, please email newsletter@grosvenorservices.com and we would be happy to look into it for you.
Health Assured EAP
Work News
Did you know that Grosvenor has funded a Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). EAPs are intended to help employees with personal problems that might adversely impact their work performance, health, and wellbeing. The telephone services are accessed via the Freephone numbers ROI: 1800 936 071 and UK: The EAP offers cover for the employee and their immediate family members who reside at the same address, including children in full-time education. Your call will be answered by a fully trained and qualified Counsellor who will provide initial emotional support.
Your Health Assured EAP offers guidance and support on a wide range of issues including:
Specialist information in regards to legal queries, consumer rights, debt or domestic
matters – the counsellor will assess your requirements and transfer you to an appropriate specialist, eg legal, consumer, or financial information.
Personal – marital, relationship and family concerns, emotional issues, anxiety, depres-
sion, trauma, substance abuse, behavioural difficulties, bereavement and sexual identity. The counsellor will conduct an in-depth assessment and if appropriate telephone counselling will commence immediately, otherwise the counsellor will agree a convenient time to begin counselling sessions.
Work-related – the counsellors offer 24-hour confidential support for work-related concerns
such as stress, bullying, anger management and career direction.
Employee management – support to managers from counsellors, experienced HR special-
ists, or occupational psychologists.
Health – advice on health issues such as symptoms and treatments, medication and sur-
gery, inoculations, travel vaccinations and lifestyle programmes (e.g quitting smoking). Child and dependent care – such as advice on caring for children, elderly relatives and disabled dependents, and searches for finding care homes, nurseries etc. Go to www.healthassuredeap.co.uk where you can take a personal helth check questionnaire and get advise on how to lose weight/ give up smoking /reduce alcohol.
Well Done! To the team at Bicester who received this great feedback following a VIP visit to :
Some feedback from Suzy Menkes (international fashion journalist), as she walked the length of the Bicester Village Mall on Saturday, Jan. 2nd, with Colin and Ollie Woodhead. Vogue International Editor Suzy Menkes is the best-known fashion journalist in the world. After 25 years commenting on fashion for the International Herald Tribune (rebranded recently as The International New York Times), Suzy Menkes now writes exclusively for Vogue online, covering fashion worldwide. Suzi had been making a personal visit to stay with us for New Year, but having been routed via Bicester Village Station, she could not resist looking in to see how BV had grown in the 20 years since she first reported on it for the IHT. Her observations were not taken down but they should be clear enough. Although the mall didn’t fill up until Suzi had gone for her train at 12.16, it was quite full enough. A chance meeting with Halil, who was able to give her an understanding of The Christmas Footfall, was helpful.
Suzi dislikes the use of BLACK FRIDAY, saying that it does not tally with better end shopping anywhere – neither do BLOGGERS.
She was, naturally, impressed by the range of brands now on site. Interestingly her favourites appeared to be Marni –for product quality and consistency, Loro Piana and Tod’s likewise, plus she admired the latter’s shop-fit. She did remark on how many brands’ shop-fits now accurately matched their full-price offers. Virtually no mention of ‘outlet’ was made, except on the occasional blade-sign. ‘Diffusion-style’ works better.
On the other hand she was rather disparaging about the volume of ladies’ bags which the brands had on show, most of which were indistinguishable, were it not for the logo badge prominently displayed!
She was mystified by the queue which had already formed outside of Pandora and I was at a loss to explain why it should be.
We discussed the men's’ initiative “One-Stop Shopping for the Busy Man” and was encouraged to get her eldest son, Gideon Spanier, up to the BV shops soonest.
Brunch at the Farmhouse was very good, as was the service and the reserved parking space just outside.
The two words Suzi used on various occasions were just how CLEAN everything was and how SECURE she and her handbag felt. Colin Woodhead.
You absolutely MUST make this if you’re a Creme Egg fan! Though needless to say this would also taste great with caramel eggs, Daim bar eggs or anything else you want to use! If you’re unfamiliar with any of the ingredients used, here’s a little explanation for you: Caster sugar – also called superfine sugar in the US – you could also use light brown sugar Plain chocolate – between milk and dark chocolate but may be billed as ‘dark’ chocolate in your local supermarket – plain has between 50 and 60% cocoa solids, such as Bournville. I always use the cheapest For the shortbread base 150g / 5.3 ounces / 1 stick plus 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened 50g / 1.7 ounces / 1/4 cup golden caster sugar 160g / 5.6 ounces / 1 1/3 cups plain flour For the caramel layer 1 397g can condensed milk (normal sized can) 150g / 5.3 ounces / 1 stick plus 3 tbsp unsalted butter 150g / 5.3 ounces / 3/4 cup golden caster sugar
For the chocolate 100g / 3.5 ounces / 1/2 cup milk chocolate 200g / 7 ounces / 1 cup plain chocolate For the Creme Egg topping 3 Cadbury Creme Eggs (or however many you want go crazy!)
1. Preheat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4/350F and prepare a square or rectangular tin that's roughly 9 inch square (if you use a smaller tin, your Shortbread will just be thicker).
2. To make your shortbread base, combine the very soft butter with the sugar, and then mix in the flour until you have a delicious sticky mess. Pop into your tin, and work into the corners with the back of a wet spoon (it's sticky!). Prick with a fork all over, and bake for 25-30 minutes (depending on oven shelf - mine was on the middle shelf) or until golden brown (see photo in post). Remove and leave to cool.
3. To make your caramel, combine the condensed milk, butter and sugar together in a saucepan over a medium heat. As the sugar dissolves, the mixture will turn from yellow-y to golden, and thicken (see pictures below). Heat gently for approx ten minutes, until it's come to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat and set aside for ten minutes before pouring it onto your shortbread layer.
4. Simply break your two bars of chocolate into chunks and pop into a microwave proof bowl. Heat on 30 sec-
ond intervals until soft, not forgetting to remove and stir after every 30 seconds. Be careful - the bowl may get very hot! When it's almost melted, remove from the microwave as the residual heat will continue to melt the chocolate. Pour over your caramel layer, using the back of a spoon to spread into the corners.
5. I separated the creme eggs as much in half as possible, then just placed 'artistically' on top of the still melty chocolate layer.
Chill in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight. Use a very sharp knife (dip in boiling water if you're having trouble cutting) to cut into squares.
Knowing Me, Knowing you With Noeleen Davies, Finance Team 1. How long have you worked in the company? 9 Years this August 2. What did you want to be when you were little? A police woman (to catch all the bad people) 3. If you could describe yourself in 2 words what words would you use? Fun and Loyal. 4. If you could be a fictional character who would you be? Worzel Gummidge (for all you young people who remember him) so I could change my head to suit whatever situation I had to deal with.
5. Who would you get to play you in a movie about your life? Scarlett Johansson ( as the likeness is uncanny) 6. If you could be anywhere in the world right now? Surfing around Europe in a camper van, meeting new people enjoying the sun and care free life, like I did in my twenties. Great memories and great fun.
A Picture that sums you up!
Welcome Aboard! We would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of our new colleagues to Grosvenor. James Breen Systems Coordinator Based in Sandyford
Find Us Head Office Ireland (Dublin):64C Heather Road, Sandyford Ind Estate, Dublin 18, Ire Phone: +353 1 295 4866 Fax: +353 1 2954301 Email: ireland@grosvenorservices.com
Dublin Stores / Training Centre Ireland:Unit C2, 14 Magna Business Park, City West, Dublin 24, Ire Phone: +353 1 421 5082
Athlone / Midlands Office:Magazine Road, Athlone, Co.Westmeath, Ire Phone: +353 906 490 748
Barry Mc Crane Finance Director
Melita Power Area Manager, Dublin
Cork Office:Ground Floor, Unit 28, East Gate Drive, Little Island, Cork, Ire Phone: +353 21 435 5112
Belfast OfficeGround Floor, Unit 4, Building 9, Citylink Business Park, Belfast, BT12 4HQ Phone: +353 906 490 748
Head Office UK (Skegness) The Lodge, 10 Algitha Road, Skegness, Lincolnshire, PE25 2AG, UK Phone: +44 1754 879 080
Niall Kelly Operations Manager, Dublin
Please send in a picture of your new team members to mlambert@grosvenorservices.com
UK StoresUnit 3, Hardwick Court, Alford, Lincolnshire, LN13 9JE Phone: +44 1507 466 388
Birmingham OfficeQuattro House, The Courtyard, Roman Way, Birmingham, B46 1HQ Phone: +44 121 366 0560