TWENTY-five senior executives of the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) have benefited from training in protocol and professional etiquette.

The two-day training course, which ended on Friday, was aimed at equipping the participants to more effectively lead their teams to manage relations with the public, both at the passport office and at the island’s air and sea ports.

The course covered protocol and diplomacy, including the Vienna Convention, diplomatic missions, inviolability; the Table of Precedence, and modes of address. It also included matters dealing with the offices of the governor general and prime minister, boardroom etiquette, social graces, wardrobe management, and voice and speech.

Speaking at the luncheon to culminate the training, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, consultant to the governor general, Ambassador Evadney Coye said it is important to master the art of protocol and apply it to business as well as everyday life.

Stating that protocol is the universal language of diplomacy, she said that breaches have been known to cause tension and even war between countries. “In business, such breaches can result in lost clients, accumulated complaints and dwindling revenues. In relationships, frequent discourtesy is perceived as deliberate insult, which could lead to conflict, separation and, in the worse case, violence… think about these in the way you treat other people,” she advised the participants.

Ambassador Coye also told the participants to be aware that foreigners may have different habits and customs, even though the International Convention of Protocols ensures that various countries adhere to specific guidelines.

“When you are dealing with foreigners coming into your country expect too that there could be differences in the way they expect to be approached,” she said.

During her interactive address, Ambassador Coye also posed questions to the participants regarding the training they received.

She encouraged them to use the knowledge gained to improve teamwork, rapport and interpersonal relationships among staff.

In his remarks, Executive Director of Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo), Dennis Hickey said the training was crucial as, without the smooth management of people in and out of the island, the tourist industry suffers.

“You are therefore a very integral part of the sector, serving both our international tourists and our domestic tourists, who move to and fro in great numbers and deserve the utmost respect and professional, quality service,” he stated.

He further noted that their training should have equipped them with an acute sense of the order of precedence and a better understanding of why and how to treat VIPs who visit the island and the courtesies that are extended based on international conventions.

Chief Executive Officer of PICA Jennifer McDonald said that other members of staff will be exposed to the training over time.

PICA partnered with TPDCo to undertake the training. Resource persons were Custos of St Andrew, Marigold Harding; Chief of State Protocol in the Office of the Prime Minister, Ambassador Elinor Felix; Lecturer at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication Charmaine Henry; and Security Consultant, Captain Everton Phillips.