My Work-life Balance - Tony Wong

“As part of the project management team, you must have a can-do attitude. If you don?t believe in yourself, how can you lead your team?” Tony Wong joined Hip Hing as an Assistant Construction Officer (ACO) 7 years ago, and he is now a Deputy Project Manager who has taken part in a number of large-scale construction projects, including the Inland Revenue Centre at Kai Tak. In recognition of his distinguished achievements in the industry, Tony received the Excellent Young Lo Pan Award and the HKICM?s Young Construction Manager Grand Award in 2022.

Site visits and networking at work

The accolades are the reward for Tony?s diligence and dedication to his personal development and to Hip Hing. Back in the early days of his career as an ACO, he already knew that what he had learned at school was far from enough, so he frequently visited construction sites to make observations. For example, by learning how a steel fixer positioned reinforcing bars, and how workmen built a curtain wall, he gained an essential understanding of the construction crafts. “There is no end to paperwork. You can never wait for the day when ?all the paperwork is done? to do a site visit. You simply go there to know how things actually run.” When faced with challenges, he would ask for the opinion of experienced colleagues, and that?s how he could avoid mistakes and swiftly find a solution, “We have to take care of all parties, networking skills are critical.”

The power of teamwork

Apart from setting himself as an example, Tony believes that team-building takes time. He consistently encourages his team to provide and discuss their own initiatives, so that each of them is more willing to give their best. During the Inland Revenue Centre project, he recalled one of the challenging issues was transplanting a Chinese Banyan tree. If the project team had followed the standard procedures, then it would have taken 9 months to a year and might have delayed the piling. Eventually, Tony and the project team put in all their efforts, sifting through research papers and soliciting expert opinions, to figure out a more efficient method to reduce the transplanting time to 6 months.

Keep yourself in good shape

In the dynamic and fast-paced construction industry, Tony highlights the importance of being energetic to deal with challenges, “I strive for the best at work, and, for that, I keep myself in good shape. If you don?t maintain a work-life balance, you may be burnout soon and lose your direction.” In his spare time, Tony goes hiking, camping, and doing water sports. He finds colleagues who share his hobbies and, through regular outdoor gatherings, they build strong bonds with each other. Tony is also a committee member of the Hip Hing-Vibro Volunteer Team and enjoys the happiness of helping others. Recently, he accompanied a group of elderly to visit movie sets and had a vegetarian meal together.

At work or leisure, Tony leads a fruitful life. To him, the true work-life balance does not make the two mutually exclusive but rather enables him to conduct time management efficiently and make the most out of both.

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