Dr. Pamela Dottin, Quality Assurance Officer at the UWI Open Campus, as she delivered the feature address.
The forty officers of the Barbados Fire Service who recently benefited from training in supervisory management delivered by the UWI Open Campus, have been encouraged to use the new knowledge acquired to improve themselves, their office and the organisation they serve.
The call came from Dr. Pamela Dottin, Quality Assurance Officer at the UWI Open Campus, as she delivered the feature address during a Recognition Ceremony held for the first and second cohort of officers who successfully completed the Supervisory Management Training Course in June and July respectively. During her address, she urged the officers to fully utilise the skills acquired and ensure that it is not business as usual at the Fire Service.
“Supervisory management provides opportunities for the development of many worthwhile skills, which are important for middle and upper management in organisations, and certainly within our Barbados Fire Service” Dr. Dottin told the officers during the ceremony held on location at the Campus in The Pine, St. Michael.
“The acquisition of new knowledge is in itself an excellent thing. However, many times we attend training and then we go back to the office and it’s business as usual. You have acquired and improved your scope of knowledge in Communication and Conflict Management, Delegation, Problem Solving and Decision Making, Performance Management and Team Building as well as acquired a working knowledge of Employees Rights, Sexual Harassment and Occupational Health and Safety and fine-tuned your understanding of the Barbados Fire Service Regulations. But how will you use that new knowledge? Will you change your practices or will it be business as usual?” Dr. Dottin commented.
“Today, I charge you with the responsibility of being a beacon of the attributes of an excellent supervisor. Be the type of mentor that you not have had. Be the confidential listening ear. Identify the skills of the persons for whom you are responsible and delegate with wisdom, compassion and confidence. Be like the light house which guides the ships safely to harbour,” Dottin told the fire officers.
“As you return to your office, I encourage you to assess your practices and those of your direct charges. Assess their training needs, assess your talk and thoughts, in light of the training. Reflect on how they can benefit from the training that you have had. Do not just let the knowledge that you have acquired become dormant. Use it to improve yourself, your offices and the Barbados Fire Service,” the featured speaker urged.