Fresh out of university, Lolen stepped into the palm oil mill with wide eyes and a heart full of ambition. The heat, the noise, the smell of oil and machinery—it was a far cry from the quiet classrooms he was used to. Assigned to Block C, the most temperamental section of the mill, Lolen quickly realized that technical knowledge alone wouldn't get him far.
The machines weren’t the only ones with issues.
The team in Block C had talent, no doubt. But they were plagued by internal friction. Senior technician Pak Hamid preferred to work alone. Suria, the lab analyst, avoided group meetings altogether. Even the supervisor, Encik Fauzi, was often too busy handling disputes to focus on improving output.
At first, Lolen felt overwhelmed. He tried to keep his head down, focusing on preventive maintenance schedules, vibration readings, and SOPs. But one day, during a shutdown drill, things came to a head. A minor miscommunication between the operations and maintenance teams led to a dangerous pressure buildup.
No one was hurt, but the incident shook everyone.
That night, Lolen stayed late at the mill. Not because he was instructed to, but because something clicked in his mind: It’s not just about the machines—it’s about the people.
He started observing more closely—not just equipment performance, but how team members interacted. He noticed that Pak Hamid worked best when his suggestions were acknowledged first. Suria became more open when given room to speak without being interrupted. Fauzi often felt unsupported by upper management and needed someone to back him up.
Armed with this awareness, Lolen took small steps.
He initiated informal lunch meetings—not to talk about work, but to hear stories. He asked questions about family, about why they chose this job, about their hopes. Slowly, trust formed. When a disagreement arose, he gently helped each person understand the other's point of view. He learned to listen more than he spoke.
He also made an effort to talk to the other departments—shipping, admin, even the canteen staff—building bridges across the entire mill. His efforts didn’t go unnoticed.
Months later, during the peak crushing season, Block C broke its own production record with zero safety incidents. More importantly, the team operated like a well-oiled machine. Team members who once avoided each other were now solving problems together and even cracking jokes in the break room.
Encik Fauzi pulled Lolen aside one evening and said, “You know, I’ve been here 20 years. Never seen Block C run this smooth. What did you do?”
Lolen smiled. “I stopped looking only at the machines and started seeing the people.”
Moral of the Story
Lolen’s journey is a reminder that social skills and emotional intelligence are not soft skills—they are core skills, especially for those who aspire to lead. By learning how to read people, manage conflict, and foster collaboration, Lolen didn’t just improve productivity; he built a team that trusted and respected each other.
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