Say the words HTX, and you may immediately think of groundbreaking tech like Xavier or the Police Beacon. But behind every innovation is a team working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring that piece of technology to life. And the glue holding these teams together? The silent heroes known as supervisors, who push projects forward, ensure deadlines are met, and keep team morale high.
In this article, we get to know 3 silent heroes who have been awarded the IDEAL Supervisor award. This award is given to middle managers who have led and grown their teams to transform and deliver excellent service, as well as driven innovation and change within their teams. IDEAL Supervisors are named as such because they possess the following qualities: Inspire, Dare to try, Empathize, Aim High, and always Learning.
Hazel Chua – Deputy Director, Identity Management, Immigration & Checkpoints Programme Management Centre
Hazel Chua (Photo Credit: Hazel Chua)
Photo of the ICPMC Team at HTX Launch, with Hazel third from left (Photo Credit: HTX)
“Sky down no difficult stuff.” Sounds cryptic? This is Hazel Chua’s motto, proudly declared on her WhatsApp profile status, which she repeatedly uses to encourage her team. The phrase is derived from a Chinese proverb, “天下无难事, 只怕有心人 tiān xià wú nán shì, zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén.” In Hazel’s words, this phrase reflects how nothing is too difficult to accomplish, if you set your mind to it.
And set her mind to it Hazel does. In the face of aggressive timelines and tight budget considerations, Hazel adopts a never-say-die attitude, exemplifying the ‘Dare to Try’ spirit of IDEAL Supervisors. Take the example of the Integrated Processing System project, a flagship project meant to consolidate the processing functions of ICA systems into a central system. Just before the team’s first meeting with PSIRC (People Sector Infocomm Resource Centre), the team was asked to rework their approach. Given the limited time to execute this, this was a tall order. Jacqueline Chan, ICPMC Lead Engineer, recounted how Hazel managed this challenge: “She rolled up her sleeves to work with us on the presentation slides, gather information from the potential vendors and read up materials from various sources. She truly led by example.”
Hazel doesn’t just ensure she maintains a resilient attitude towards unexpected difficulties, she also ensures her whole team is equipped to deal with the challenges they face. Such empathy is another quality making her an IDEAL supervisor. Every fortnight, she chairs a team meeting for each team member to update and share on the progress of projects. Hazel’s rationale for this was to have bi-directional communications with her supervisees, to obtain better understanding of issues on the ground.
Hazel’s mindset has had commendable results. In the words of Lead Engineer Leong Chun Seng, “Hazel sets high expectations for our work. At the same time, she also trusts and displays compassion towards her staff, which is what ultimately motivates us to meet and surpass those high standards.” Truly, under Hazel’s skilled guidance, one can proclaim, “Sky down no difficult stuff!”
Mohamed Amir Arshad – Senior Crime Scene Specialist, Forensics Centre of Expertise
Amir, second from left, on Shooting Reconstruction Course with Dr Henry Lee (Photo Credit: HTX)
Amir, first from left, with his team (Photo Credit: HTX)
When a murder occurs, Mohamed Amir Arshad is one of the first on the scene. As a Senior Crime Scene Specialist, Amir’s role is to maximise the collection of valuable forensic evidence to provide forensic support to investigators. But Amir isn’t just an expert in the complex processes and methods needed to gather and treat evidence, he’s also an excellent leader and mentor to his team. Amir’s supervisee Sandy Tan remarked, “Crime scenes are often high-pressure, stressful situations. But at every crime scene, Amir keeps his cool and manages the team efficiently. He always gives us clear, concise instructions, and trusts us to carry out our tasks instead of micro-managing us. His ability to maintain composure and lead in times of high stress is something many of us admire and aspire to achieve.” An inspiring testimony for an inspiring IDEAL supervisor.
Besides his primary function as a Senior Crime Scene Specialist, Amir is also heavily involved in Forensics’ Capability Development projects, and running major events such as TechXplore. Despite his many responsibilities, he pushes himself to deliver the best he can in whatever he commits himself to, displaying the IDEAL quality of ‘Aiming High’. This quality can also be seen in how Amir selflessly prioritises the interests of his team over his own. When project timelines are tight, he willingly works outside of his regular working hours to vet through the paperwork for projects before submission. During his team’s day shift, he often comes to the office much earlier than necessary to spend time with his team members and ensure everyone is coping well with work. Small wonder that Amir’s sincerity in caring for and developing his officers’ abilities have endeared him to his co-workers.
Willy Ong – Head, Sensor Development Team, Sense-making & Surveillance, Joint Capabilities Programme Management Centre
Willy, first from right, with his team (Photo Credit: HTX)
Willy, second from left, in the HTX office (Photo Credit: HTX)
The key to good sensors is their ability to be attuned to any changes in what they are sensing. Similarly, a sensitive supervisor must be able to sense subordinates’ concerns and stresses. How apt that Willy Ong, Head of the Sensor Development Team, is one such supervisor.
Despite Willy’s busy schedule, he takes the time to have one-on-one sessions with his engineers to get to know them better and understand their needs and workloads. To Engineer Hong Yuan, Willy treats teammates more like friends than subordinates. “Whenever Willy sees his teammates looking down or having a long and tiring day, he never fails to find the right words to motivate and encourage us.” In Willy’s words, he believes in “not being a boss to any individual. Everyone is unique, and being able to cultivate their unique talents is what makes an effective supervisor.”
Besides being sensitive to the personal wellbeing of his team members, Willy is also attuned to his team’s overall needs. Due to the rapidly changing nature of sense-making and surveillance, the team had to quickly adapt to new domains. For a team skilled in traditional ‘brick and mortar’ surveillance systems, cloud surveillance systems were unfamiliar territory. Willy stepped forward to plug the knowledge gap, reading up on cloud technologies and improving his familiarity with them significantly in a very short time. Willy isn’t just content to boost his own knowledge, but also encourages the rest of his team to do the same. He is always on the lookout for helpful training courses, and whenever he comes across a course particularly suitable for an individual colleague, he would forward the materials to him or her. Willy’s spirit of ‘always Learning’ was certainly one component meriting his attainment of the IDEAL supervisor award.
Under the IDEAL leadership of people like Hazel, Amir and Willy, HTX teams have flourished. Want to know how you, too, can lead a team effectively? Perhaps you can take a leaf out of their books!