Q1 Reflections

It has been a while since I took the time to pen thoughts and reflection. After a year of project delivery, some respite to reflect, recuperate and re-strategize was much welcomed. Learning to be better than yesterday seems an insurmountable task at times yet its importance cannot be trivialized in the slightest to individuals and enterprises alike. "Acta non verba"- requires much willful self-scrutiny and coming to terms with personal and collective shortcomings before equipping oneself with the grit and tenacity to realize them.

2024 started with major organizational changes, one that involved many hours of ideation, brainstorming, endless debates upon completion of which came the tough part, implementation. The maxim that led to this nascent shift revolved around change being the only constancy in business, and creating a dynamism that gave us malleability and ductility in meeting today’s demands was and is imperative. A simple fact is that the economy is not in a good place right now. Period. Simply put, bereft of a "conciliatory" global leadership and a positively inert economy, businesses worldwide are facing the brunt of it and are forced to make shifts that disrupt perennial systems that we've come to love and adore.

Amidst the forming and storming of the new team, business as usual saw the team involved in several professional commitments as well as the celebration of a day close to the hearts of Meinhardt EPCM, the 2024 International Women’s Day. Below are my elucidations on a couple that I had the opportunity of participating in.

#1 : Annual Business Review

As part of Meinhardt’s yearly deliverables as well as SHELL Malaysia’s commitment to business excellence, we prepared and participated in the ABR by having a session covering our journey through 2023. The event involved a half-day session in the office before constructive visits to 2 of our completed projects. This unraveled a treasure trove of insight, revealing high and lowlights that provided us as an enterprise with guidance on how to make better business decisions and promote continuous improvement. Being project management consultants, amalgamating business needs with internal processes has and will always be our guiding principles. This may, in my personal view, be the secret sauce, the proverbial x-factor in successful consulting.

#2: Network Imperative Audit

The subsequent week saw us participate in a Network Imperative (NI) Audit. This audit was conducted by representatives from SHELL Global as part of assurances towards sustaining business integrity. I participated in two sessions that covered the Engineering Project Management System, Contractor HSSE, Design Specifications and Process Safety. Aside the common perturbations that come with audits, it was enlightening to learn some of the best practices from other markets as well as sharing on some our own that could be useful to the wider SHELL universe. Forums such as these, aside from it's primordial functions, are catalysts for enhanced creativity, potential risk identification and mitigation as well as cultural appreciation.

#3: Local Contractor Safety Club (LCSC) meeting

In the vibrant and paramount space of HSSE, I attended the LCSC Quarter 1 meeting surrounded by clients, colleagues, partners within the wider SHELL Mobility ecosystem, and our contractors to discuss important issues and latent challenges. Kudos to the LCSC committee who are made up of and run by all the contractors who operate and work in the SHELL Mobility space. Two-way dialogue enabled all parties to express their concerns and challenges followed healthy and encouraging discourse on genuine problems and practical solutions. The conversations that took place bolstered my understanding of the symbiosis between client, EPCM and contractor as well as the environmental factors that influence decision making.

#4: International Women’s Day 2024

On the 8th of March, we took some time to celebrate an important event to Meinhardt EPCM. Our wonderful Recreation Club put together a simple yet meaningful event that saw us attend a half day self defense course conducted by professionals followed by a delicious lunch. This empowering course was well received the men and women of Meinhardt and opened our eyes to the chronic dangers of social crimes. The seasoned professionals from SheFights Malaysia transferred theoretical and practical knowledge which left the participating women and unsurprisingly, men much more aware on the pre-requisites of self-defense which is much before the brawling starts. While we may not have left as budding MMA superstars, the aftermath of the event saw many eyes opened and interests piqued with regards to this activity as a potential hobby or a must-learn.

Overall, Q1, which makes up a fourth of the annual marathon saw many productive hours, meaningful conversations and active learning. With the 2nd quarter dawning upon us, my team and I are looking forward to the delivery of yet another year of projects with improved accuracy and precision being the overarching theme, all whilst learning and improving, incessantly.

When the currents of work and commitments allow, I'll return to the tranquil shores of writing once more. Till next time.