When Amiruddin was promoted to Mill Manager at Batu Niah Palm Oil Mill, Miri, Sarawak, he thought the only way to keep production on track was to monitor every move.
Every report, every breakdown, every shift change — he was there, checking, questioning, correcting.
At first, it seemed to work. Output was stable, defects reduced.
But beneath the surface, something was breaking.
Operators stopped offering ideas. Supervisors only did the bare minimum.
It wasn’t sabotage — it was suffocation.
One day, a senior fitter named Pak Salleh pulled him aside and said,
“Boss… we follow your way, but the mill feels… quiet now. People takut silap. They don’t try new things anymore.”
That night, Amiruddin couldn’t sleep.
He remembered reading a Gallup report saying only 1 in 5 employees felt truly motivated by how they were managed. He realised he was the problem, not the team.
The next morning, he called his supervisors together.
“From today,” he began, “I will stop telling you how to do the job. I will only tell you what success looks like.”
He made five changes:
1️⃣ Define outcomes, not tasks – Instead of dictating boiler firing sequences, he said, “I want a stable 28-bar pressure at peak hours. Find your best method.”
2️⃣ Share clear checkpoints – Weekly performance reviews were scheduled in advance, so updates felt planned, not like surprise inspections.
3️⃣ Equip, then step back – He ensured the workshop had the right tools, spare parts were stocked, and authority given to act without waiting for his signature.
4️⃣ Stay available, not attached – His office door stayed open, but he no longer hovered in the control room unless needed.
5️⃣ Coach in public, correct in private – Good performance was praised during morning toolbox meetings. Mistakes were addressed quietly in one-on-one discussions.
At first, the team was unsure. But slowly, things began to shift.
Operators experimented with better oil loss control in clarification. Fitters took initiative to prevent breakdowns instead of waiting for instructions.
Three months later, Batu Niah Mill recorded its highest OER in five years. Not because Amiruddin worked harder — but because his people worked smarter.
And when a visiting auditor asked the assistant engineer what had changed, he simply said,
“Boss trusts us now. So we trust ourselves.”
Amiruddin smiled quietly.
Control had kept the mill running.
But trust had made it grow.
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