Royalty comes to call
It's been an interesting time since my last diary was published, on both the personal and the professional fronts.
Personally, it was a great surprise to hear from two friends I had lost touch with. I was so pleased to hear from them again and catch up on all their news. It is always good to catch up with old friends.
Then, in February, we had a royal visit to cater for when the Princess Royal opened the new headquarters building for one of my units. The staff were ecstatic to be involved in the preparation of such a special occasion. The food looked superb and the staff who were on hand that day thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It's not often that we get to cater for a member of the royal family and their entourage.
After the excitement of the royal visit, I was lucky enough to have a week's holiday and escaped to the ski slopes of Austria. The snow was rather thin when we arrived, but about a foot fell while we were there and we could exert ourselves on the slopes.
We all arrived home unhurt, so that was a bonus, too.
As usual, I have been whizzing about my patch in Devon and Cornwall, meeting clients and staff.
The weather has been on my side - not too severe. This is imperative when planning my days, as I have to cover so many miles. Every journey requires careful thought, what with the usual obstacles such as roadworks, because if the weather turns bad and causes more delays my life becomes very difficult.
Anyway, help is on the way. I recently employed Caroline as my deputy, and she has helped me recruit a support services manager for the biggest contract in my area.
We received a good response to the advert and, as part of her development programme, Caroline and I worked together on what we were looking for in a person and then devised questions that would best assess applicants' suitability.
I enjoyed the whole process, as it was interesting to take a step back and look at how an interview should be conducted so that Caroline understood the whole process.
Our most suitable applicant is young and very keen, so Caroline and I are busy now developing his management skills and ensuring that he becomes part of the team.
Another project that has gone on during the past month is a marketing plan for our largest staff restaurant, where we are introducing some new food offers. Some may not understand the excitement of a project like this but, when the whole team has worked hard at every aspect of the offer, the opening day with the new signage and menus always proves to be an exciting one for customers and staff alike.
Sara Carless is Sodexho's district manager for the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary
Next diary from Sara Carless: 2 May
