Great Huts Presentation

            The day as every other spent at Great Huts commenced with a delightful breakfast with fresh orange juice, and coffee. After breakfast and a quick team discussion, the groups split up. One to enjoy their well deserved day of adventure in the sun, and the other began perfecting the presentation that was an hour away.

The Great Huts team meeting before their presentation.

            Around 11 a.m,. the management team and owner of Great Huts Dr. Rhodes assembled in the main dining area for the presentation. The Presentation went off without a hitch; the message was very well received from the Great Huts team. The goal of the presentation was to give Great Huts the tools needed to start a proper performance appraisal system.  We covered; the what, why and how of each tool. The presentation became something more of a collaborative team meeting, with our ideas turning into group discussions that I believe both sides took a lot from. It was great to see how appreciative the Great Huts team was.  They loved our tools, and couldn't wait to implement them. After each tool was brought forth, the first question was always “when can I start using this? I can use this right now.”  The feeling of knowing how much we had helped Great Huts and how happy they were with our tools was indescribable, the months of work had all been worth it. All of the work Leslie made us do in advance was tiring.  At times it was exhausting, but the feeling of being well prepared during the presentation was well worth it, and we couldn't have done it without her leadership. What was originally planned to be an hour-long presentation, quickly turned into two hours. This was due to so much feedback, questions, and other engagement. This is just a sign of both their gratitude and a testament to all our hard work.  Alas it was all over; it was time for some fun.

Cole Lehman and Brea-Anna Jacksic discussing their performance appraisal system with managers and owner Dr. Rhodes

Group photo of Great Huts Team and Professor Leslie Wardley, Owner Dr. Rhodes, and Great Huts Managers after the presentation.

     After a quick lunch, the Great Huts team were off with Natalya and Leslie to the famous Blue Lagoon. The sight of the lagoon had us all in awe, the blue colour was a pure bright blue that could not be captured by a camera. A very friendly tour guide drove us around the lagoon, and down the beach explaining the lagoon's history. The guide explained that the many villas lining the coast were rental units owned by a wealthy Jamaican people.  He then listed some of the many celebrities that have visited the spot over the years including: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, 50 Cent,  and Mariah Carey. The guide then dropped us off at a private island for a chance to swim in what he called “the oceans swimming pool." From there we were driven back to the guide's shop to check out some of his authentic Jamaican souvenirs. 

From left to right: Cole Lehman, Kimberly Knobl, Leslie Wardley, Natalya Brown, Brea-Anna Jacksic, Gina D'Antonio, and Matt Lewis

 The day ended with the two groups being reunited at Great Huts for a night of good food, great company, and some fun card games.  Our adventures at Great Huts may be ending but we look forward to travelling back to the Holiday Inn Sunspree tomorrow.

Cole Lehman