Published on Career Center on ClassifiedPost.com

Finding the essence of service

Moving from a high-powered marketing role to cleaning tables and mopping floors might seem a backward step to most people, but to Randy Lai, it seemed like a smart move. Having worked her way up to the rank of vice-president of McDonald's Restaurants (Hong Kong), she was aware that, compared with other senior colleagues, her resume lacked a crucial element: frontline operational experience.

So, in 2009, as part of a fast-track training programme leading to her appointment as managing director, Lai went back to the basics to understand what makes the business tick. She donned a crew uniform, reported for daily shifts at a branch in Admiralty, and started to work like any young green recruit.

Besides showing aptitude and enthusiasm with a mop, she took her turn cooking French fries, filling orders, and arranging children's birthday parties. Lai was just one of the crew, not quite incognito, but seeing no need to draw attention to her degree in economics, EMBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and marketer of the year award which recognised her work building the McDonald's brand in China.

"For a year, I worked in different restaurants and roles and felt proud to wear my uniform each day," says Lai, who now oversees around 15,000 staff in more than 220 outlets. "Overall, I learned to respect others more, and that a real leader uses the power of influence, not the power of position. I also saw that if you take care of the people, the business takes care of itself."

Applying those lessons, Lai's basic philosophy these days is to be fun, firm and fair. She has no wish to micro-manage, but makes it a priority to engage with staff at every level to inspire opportunities, ideas, and a sense of teamwork. "I can't do everything myself," she says. "So it is important to energise people, boost morale, and stay relevant to consumer needs."

In practical terms, that means responding to local and international trends with a range of initiatives. They include the opening of more McCafe outlets to expand choices and broaden appeal, vegetable and salad alternatives for standard menus, and a special campaign, which started in September, to position the company as a "sunshine" brand.

"We feel people in Hong Kong are