Mogomotsi at your service
- Wits University
The new Director of Services at Wits, Israel Mogomotsi is committed to rendering excellent services.
Mogomotsi joined Wits earlier this year where his role is to ensure that the Services Department provides quality services to staff and students.
The Wits Services Department comprises a number of divisions including Transport and Fleet Management, Cleaning and Hygiene, Wits Rural Campus, Printing and Mailing, Professional Development Hub , Retail Operations Management, Dining hall Catering and many others. All these divisions are crucial to the efficacy of operations and contribute to the University’s overall objectives.
In the academic space, Wits University is renowned for excellence in research and this needs to be reflected not only through teaching and learning, but also through the capacity of support departments and divisions to deliver.
“The Services Department is important to the University. I believe in a ‘services par excellence approach’ and believe we need to continuously improve our service offering to our clients – staff, students and visitors. The Services Department contributes to the production of knowledge, academic excellence and impacts the students’ experience on campus and also plays a role in producing graduates,” says Mogomotsi.
With over 28 years of experiences in facilities management and the hospitality sector, Mogomotsi is poised to inspire quality in his department. Prior to joining to Wits, he worked at the University of South Africa (Unisa) for 14 years in different roles, including Campus Director and then Executive Director for all the university estates. In this role, he was responsible for all Unisa’s facilities support services, project management, building maintenance, property management and the Florida Science Campus.
Mogomotsi’s career in the services sector began in 1986 when he joined Sun International as an in-service trainee working in the kitchen and banqueting department. His dedication and hard work during this time earned him a three-year scholarship to the Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management, a Mafikeng -based hotel school in partnership with Belvoirpark Hotel Management School in Switzerland. He subsequently obtained a Diploma in Hotel and Tourism Management. In addition to his hotel diploma, he holds a Master of Business Administration and he is an alumnus of the Management Advancement Programme offered by the Wits Business School.
“I work in a very fascinating environment – extremely versatile. There is so much to do within my scope of work. Most importantly, as the Director of Services at Wits, my job impacts the experience of every person that passes through Wits’ gates and doors,” says Mogomotsi, whose mandate is to:
- operationalise the recently completed insourcing project
- implement quality management systems
- build a united, customer focused team
- encourage training and development
- capacitate the departmental structure, and
- instill culture of continuous improvement and customer centricity in the Services department.
Let’s work together
When it comes to management, Mogomotsi describes himself as a democratic person who believes in an open and engaging approach where his staff are free to raise any operational issues with him. He is open to suggestions and ideas from his staff, which can enable them to render the best possible services to the University.
“I believe in team work, in an integrated managerial approach. I want my team members to know that I am here to support them to execute their duties successfully. All of us have key performance areas and we must ensure that we consistently deliver on our mandate,” he says.
“We must work together. Managerial and operational staff must be free to communicate any challenges or any events which have occurred on the ground. We can then collectively share ideas on how to resolve those issues.”
Wits Pride
One of Mogomotsi’s plans is to align his team members with the University’s Vision 2022 and the Operations Portfolio strategies, and to instill a sense of pride in their contribution to the success of the institution.
With insourcing, different workplace cultures from other companies were absorbed and he now wants his staff to adopt the Wits culture of working.
“Now that we have insourced, our new staff members must be supported by the entire university community as we strive towards building a formidable department, through their work. They should represent the Wits brand with confidence and be proud to be associated with one of the best universities in Africa,” says Mogomotsi.
He, too, is proud to serve at Wits University – an institution for which he always dream of working.
“Wits University is a reputable institution that is known for excellence and quality. It has always been my wish to work at Wits. My dream has now become a reality.”
The importance of communication and training to services
Mogomotsi, who served as the President of the Higher Education Facilities Management Association (HEFMA) of southern Africa from 2016 to 2017, understands the importance of keeping abreast of trends in the facilities management industry. He has had extensive exposure and integrated training with fellow international facilities management directors through his membership with HEFMA , the Association of Universities Directors of Estates and Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association .
He envisions horizontal communication as an effort to create synergy in his department. Moreover, he will explore some of the best services delivery practices in the market which can be used to enhance the quality of services in his department. To improve the skills sets of his staff members, customer services training and more training will be offered to employees in his department.