SEATING NOT arranged as it should be or a flag in the wrong place at official functions makes her cringe.
Jennifer Hinkson’s wide knowledge of protocols makes it hard for her to not nit-pick.
“Sometimes I just have to turn it off. I am always holding my breath and I try to tune out sometimes because once you are trained to recognise these things, it is difficult to overlook them,” she said.
The signature events of the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus, including the recently held graduation ceremony, are all planned by Hinkson, the senior assistant registrar.
“Being the events coordinator here on campus, I sometimes do not like to attend events because I am sitting down there and I am cringing because I will go to a church and I would see the flags in the wrong position, or I will go to an event and I see the seating is not correct. Or in terms of addressing the audience, people say ‘protocol having been established’ – you have not established anything. It is just common courtesy to acknowledge high-ranking officials in attendance. Not to is rude and bad manners,” Hinkson stressed.
That eye for detail and keen understanding of protocol led to her election to the board of directors of Protocol and Diplomacy International – Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA). Hinkson, who will serve a three-year term, is the first person from the Caribbean to sit on that board.
She was “thrilled” with the achievement, she said, adding the Caribbean would also benefit from her exposure.
“When you go to these international organisations, sometimes Caribbean people can feel left out or feel like they are not on par, but being elected I realize that I can rub shoulders with people from any part of the world and I feel very proud and I certainly will represent.
“I can never put a price to it,” she continued. “I have met people from all over the world – Iraq, Asia, Africa, Europe and America – who attend the yearly conference. I learn about their protocols and diplomacy, cultural differences and etiquette.”
Hinkson is trying to bid for Barbados to host the next PDI-POA conference. Not only would the island learn more about protocol and etiquette, but it would boost the economy, she said. “The conference market is big and we really need to be doing more.”
She also wants to have the Caribbean chapter of the PDI-POA established within her term. While noting that there were not that many protocol officers in the Caribbean, Hinkson said this could lead to a group to aid the islands.
Simply put: protocols mean rules and regulations one should follow, especially when having an official or government function.
“What to do when you invite people of importance, where they should sit, where they should stand, how they should be addressed. Basic things like on which side you should stand or walk,” she explained, adding that etiquette was just basic good manners, and how you ate and dressed.
In addition to protocol, Hinkson also has in-depth knowledge of office administration. She is a life member of the Barbados Association of Office Professionals (BAOP), which she joined 29 years ago, and has served as president and later past-president in 2000 to 2001.
From 1992 to 1994 she served as second vice-president and public relations officer of the regional association, the Caribbean Association of Administrative Professionals, and as president in 2006 to 2008. In 2008 she was elected as the international affiliate representative to the board of the International Association of Administrative Professionals.
Now considered a mentor to new members in the BAOP, Hinkson provides a great deal of training, especially in protocol and etiquette. While admitting that the 41-year-old association’s numbers had decreased, she said it was mainly because most young people were into different types of careers.
“When I joined we saw that as a stepping stone to go into other professions,” said Hinkson, who started as a secretary. “Now, people are not seeing office administration as a career; there are more sexy things on the market for the younger folks.”
Hinkson is also lieutenant governor-elect of Division 27 of Kiwanis International, having served the organization for 21 years, including being president of two clubs during the period. She said she had always been committed to serving others.
“I like to give service, I like to help. Some of the skills that I have gained over the years, it is because of these organisations. People do not understand that when you give service, when you volunteer, you are learning different skills that you can bring to the job, or the skills that you learn in your job you can take to the organisation.”
