Expect the unexpected

A typical day for me involves checking both my work and personal emails before I leave for the office. I usually plan what to do the day before. But checking the emails allows me to adjust my plans accordingly, when needed. In our audit function, we are trained to expect any unexpected matters to pop up.

Choosing the office over working from home

I love going into my office whenever I am in town. My job requires almost 50% travelling attention, and despite our group having a WFH policy, I believe that going into the office allows me to get in touch with my team and/or colleagues in more personal ways.

Building in-person relationships

Like it or not, building relationships requires constant face contact that virtual platforms cannot be effective in. When I am in the office, I review reports, attend meetings and discussions, and attend to ad hoc enquiries, solve problems and conduct training. I usually leave the office by 5pm if possible, to avoid traffic jams on the road and to spend quality time with my family during dinner. After dinner, I re-start my laptop and continue with work and/or volunteer tasks. Since I am currently studying for my PhD, I also use the last hour before bedtime to do some catch-up reading.

Staying relevant, staying grounded

For me, being relevant is what gets me most excited about my company’s future. When the company makes changes to business strategies, I try my best to lead my team into relevant areas and get prepared with relevant training. When I am doing this, I feel I am progressing personally and professionally. In terms of mental wellbeing, I know my own limit.

Restoring balance

If I feel tired and start to forget things, I find time to rest. When I am emotionally challenged at work (trust me, being an auditor is not easy and we are regularly challenged), I will read positive mindset-related books to refine my current thinking and balance my emotions.

When leadership feels isolating

Sometimes, I find leadership can be very lonely. You can talk to your friends, but they may not be able to relate as they are not in similar positions. You cannot truly talk to your working peers as they may not be objective. Plus given my auditor role, it makes it tougher to be able to speak to my work peers openly. So, I learn how to self-help! Most of the time, I am very stress tolerant. However, there will be times when my “immunity” is low, and I get affected. That’s why I need to know my limit.

From inspiration to action

A person I look up to is the founder of modern Singapore – Mr Lee Kuan Yew! He has demonstrated perseverance, commitment and passion to what he believed in. He has also been very confident in handling matters professionally, and he made tough decisions that make sense. One project I am happy I was part of was setting up the ISACA SheLeadsTech Conversion Programme. I curated the whole programme syllabus and took a hands-on approach to personally deliver the first programme.

Driving change through leadership

I have positively impacted national employers and trainees, and contributed to talent development in all aspects. The highly successful programme is now in its third year and it has won me many awards. I am super happy when my efforts can positively impact lives.

Hope, trust, and open-mindedness

Time and self-belief give me hope. When you believe in the things you do, you will be excited to execute and fulfil them. Time gives you the runway that your belief will materialise. There is no hope when there is no belief (whatever you believe in), and to me, hope can be defined as opportunity. I believe trust is underrated. And the greatest gift we can give ourselves is open-mindedness.

The importance of an open mind

Whatever may drive you to act (or react), having an open mind can help you derive an opportunity! The greatest gift we can give each other is listening ears. When you can listen to others, respect and friendship are reciprocated, because when you really listen, there is no bias in the process.

Looking to the future

Looking ahead, I plan to continue doing what I do best and explore opportunities to stay ahead of the game that society presents to us. That is, staying relevant is my current “motto” in everything I do. By doing so, the value of my contribution will make the best sense at that point in time. If I could send myself a note to the year 2030 it would say “I am so proud of you!”