Aish’s Development story

As we continue our focus on development, we’re spotlighting another example of how one of our colleagues has been focusing on their own development journey. Here’s Aish’s story…

Introducing Aishwarya Parui, Manager, Hotel Standards (Guest Experience)

I joined the company around 5 months back in the role of a Project Manager within Guest Experience to manage and drive the Hotel Standards Programme. Soon after joining my line manager, Emily, supported me to enrol into the Prince2 project management foundation & practitioner course. Having gained the Prince2 qualification post-exam, I immediately began investigating if there were any peer groups within the business that I could join, to collaborate with colleagues and convert my theoretical gain to practical experience and how best to do so.

After numerous conversations, I realised there was no peer support group for Project Managers (new & existing) within CUK. There were, however, several individuals in roles like mine who were very keen to subscribe to a support group as the benefits and scope of learning from each other could hugely impact our day-to-day progress. 

Following a peer group can be incredibly reassuring…

Working in a project management role can often mean a lot of work in isolation. Individuals, especially new joiners like myself, may be left to their own devices to navigate through the day-to-day challenges and make quick decisions without having the time to consult or review. Following a peer group can be incredibly reassuring to deliver successful project management with confidence. It helps to build each other’s strength and cultivate cross-skills.

I therefore chose to set up a peer support group where project managers (new or experienced; in the role or the business) can join to exchange best practices and ideas.

Looking back over the last 5 months, I can see how much this has benefitted me. We bring our individual toolkits, explore best practices, address challenges, share project management experiences from different functions and take away what is currently lacking in our units.

My top tips for learning and development…

• Reach out to other practitioners on LinkedIn and reflect on relevant blogs to help assess your performance, what you still need to develop, where you can grow better in your practices, and how to be more efficient.
• Meet with practitioners in the industry and the business whose performance and advice can encourage you to continue your development journey.
• Put your ideas into action so you can make the most out of learning from others in the here and now.

Thanks for sharing, Aish!

As Aish mentions, making the most of opportunities can help you go far. But being open and proactively seeking what you need can also be the most beneficial part of navigating and achieving your own personal development goals.

We know it can also be tricky to come up with the types of activities that will help you get ahead. So why not try taking the MyBestMe quiz on The Cove to get you started or alternatively check out one of our bite-sized Power Hour or Leaders Exchange sessions to help aid your development this Autumn.