SOME OF BAPCO REFINING ACHIEVEMENTS
Five Star Safety, Health and Environmental Integrated Audit
- Five Stars, 2018
Sword of Honour, 2016
Five Star Occupational Health and Safety Audit
- Five Stars, 2017
Safety Award Highly Commended, 2013
International Safety AwardMerit, 2013
Five Star Health and Safety Management System Audit, 2008
Robert W. Campbell Award, 2007
Gold Award Occupational Safety, 2006
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents - Highly Commends, 2005
INTRODUCTION
Let us think about motivation and its main driver. Motivation is the main catalyst for individuals to have the will to preform better. It is a key factor and a pillar for those who are fortunate enough to work at Bapco Refining. Whether you are an Industrial; Trainee, graduate who is being developed for future responsibilities, Operator, Engineer, Superintendent or a member of Executive. This book is aimed to cater to all employees regardless of their level.
Within the following pages, it is your motivation that is being tested! I am confident that you will find something that interests or challenges you! If you find inspiration, please spread the world and the positivity so others to follow suit.
CHAPTER 1: EXCELLENCE
1. Strive for excellence: Bapco Refining is the best – let’s prove it every day! We all know the real meaning of “Excellence” in our own specialist area within the Company. We know that when “everything comes together” then we can produce top level work and products. We actually exceed 100% rates of production of petrochemicals, so maybe we could do the same in the “softer” areas of management, safety or our care for the environment.
2. Master the art of public speaking and leadership: Bapco Refining’s young graduates are the envy of the greater population. Why? Because they all participate in Toastmasters. Being able to prepare a topic for public dissemination and to deliver it with confidence is an art that has been admired since the ancient Greeks. If you have a talent for leadership, this experience will surely develop it.
3. Be Enthusiastic: Positive vibes and enthusiasm is contagious. Let us spread positivity within the workplace.
5. Set a good example to others: It is not your Supervisor who is watching you, it is everyone else, particularly the younger, less experienced colleagues. We want everyone to have a chance to develop in the best way possible, so please set the bar high and lead by example.
4. Do things: To hear is to forget; to see is to remember; to do is to remember and understand. “Hands on.” If you wished to bake a cake, you could either listen to someone talk about baking, read about baking or have a go in the kitchen. Even if you have to clean the oven afterwards, you will understand more about cakes. And that is a delicious thought!
6. Celebrate your achievements. It helps others to achieve: Our most valued awards are for Safety, but we are also proud of our record production, our Responsible Care and Social Responsibility and especially the development of our local national workforce. Bapco strives to be a leader within its field and we aim for more success.
7. Emulate success: Never be afraid to imitate someone else’s way of doing things if it has proved to be successful. You could try to reinvent the wheel, but it will probably be the same shape. Best practice is best practice, so join the club of success!
8. Strive for quality in everything you do: A job done is a task completed, is a burden carried, is a chore fulfilled. So you have earned a C – minus (barely satisfactory.) If you want a better grade, in the range A+ (excellent) to at least a C+ (fully satisfactory,) you had better add some quality. At Bapco Refining, we always strive for an A Grade.
9. Read, Read and Read: Assign at least half an hour daily for reading for personal development and to widen your horizon and knowledge. As any good teacher will tell you: Reading is the basis for all learning. Read articles, journals, books, and stay abreast of the latest news and developments.
10. Elevator pitch: If you choose your words carefully, you can really make a great impression with the briefest of statements. Choose your words well, practise assiduously and have a topnotch vocabulary. Ask a member of the Bapco Toastmasters Club for support.
11. Record your successes: Bapco Refining always records its successes through the portal and some publications. Someone, somewhere, could benefit from even your smallest success. If you have found a better way of doing something, allow others access to this success by: writing it down, publishing it, putting it on the Web, burning a CD or a DVD or keeping a notebook that is accessible to all. Posterity demands it!
12. Think like a winner: So how does a “Winner” think? Perhaps the reason he or she is a winner is because of always working a little harder, preparing a little more thoroughly than the competition. Even petrochemical companies compete. At Bapco Refining, we receive many awards for being the best at what we do. Let’s keep working a little harder, and preparing a little more thoroughly.
13. Be prepared to change: Change is inevitable, thus it is recommended that we all accept change as a natural progression.
14. Be a part of something good: There are so many good things going on at Bapco Refining, it is hard to know where to begin. Everyone in the Company seems to have at least one “special skill”, so join in – with your colleagues, your friends – and be part of something good as we move towards achieving the vision of Bapco of Tomorrow.
15. Lead and be there: If it is your chance to be the leader, then show the way. The best Generals are with their troops; the best Captains take the ball forward; true leaders are at the point of the arrow that is travelling in the right direction. Be a good General, a competent Captain, the blade of the arrow. Hit that bull’s-eye!
17. Go the extra mile: At Bapco Refining we don’t just believe in putting in a little extra, we go the extra mile. It’s all about working as a team, supporting each other and never stopping until you have given your utmost – and more. Always work with the end result in mind so we can achieve the highest results.
16. Do not hesitate, do it now: Strike while the iron is hot! He who hesitates is lost! Fools rush in where angels fear to tread! Too many conflicting proverbs will squash us! But, if you do have a good plan, put it into action, don’t wait. If it is at work, tell colleagues who need to know and they will just encourage you anyway!
18. Set your standards high: Start by setting small, low hanging fruits and work towards higher targets. When it comes to worthy principles, there shoud be no compromise, no cutting corners and no surrender. From there, up, up and away!
19. Be unique: Your DNA is already unique but, when the time comes, are you going to shrink into the background or take your place in the spotlight? You have been well-trained, you have a good brain, you have been given some experience so, be ready, be you, be “younique!”
20. Be a winner: We are not just talking about first prize in the tournament, first past the post in a race. How about when you did say NO to the voice of temptation? How about when you did take the time to help someone else or when you did keep the promise you wish you had never made? If you stayed strong, did the right thing and resisted the easy way out, then you just won first prize in the “Meaning of Life Stakes.”
21. Be the master of your life: Just think; the world is your oyster because, during your life you will sail the seven seas of work, adventure, marriage, family, health, wealth and fortune. How stable is your ship, how powerful are the engines that drive it; do you have a lifeboat and, most importantly, are you the Captain of your life’s boat? Don’t be a passenger on someone else’s ship, steer your own.
22. Live with your top 1%: In a rugby union game, 14 players dedicate themselves to putting the 15th player in for a score. A score is called a “try.” Just think if you could do the same, but in fact you could train your 14 players (your 99%) in how to put your 15th man (your best 1%) in for a score. Go on – give it a “try!”
23. Set yourself inspiring goals: Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution? Did you keep it? If not, why not? Perhaps because it was so mundane that it was quickly forgotten? Why not try to learn the name of everyone you ever meet in the Company? Why not join the Toastmasters and become one of the best speakers? Why not plant one date palm tree for every year of your life? Inspire yourself? Why not?
25. Make the impossible possible: A Bapco Refining mantra for some years. Why? Because at Bapco Refining we seem to have done just that: When the world said it wasn’t possible for the industrial manufacture of methanol, ammonia and urea to be combined with beautiful gardens, a fish farm and a sanctuary for delicate birds, we proved them wrong and then just carried on to plant rare herbs and an olive grove! Impossible? Not at Bapco Refining. Keep our tradition going!
24. Focus on winning strategies: How come a few teams seem to dominate the leagues in most countries? It is not just plentiful resources to buy the “best” players, it is also good management and having the right plan. Teams that keep winning have good plans all the time; we call them “winning strategies.” If you notice that someone else has a good plan, a winning strategy, adapt it to your needs and copy it!
26. Overcome fear with action, not thought: It is fine to be fearful sometimes. Life can be pretty scary on occasions. But no-one has to suffer alone. At Bapco, everyone seems to be willing to help everyone else – providing they have the good sense to ask! So – be good to yourself, if you have a worry, ask someone who best to ask and then ask!
27. Be “obsessed”: That’s what lazy people call determination! In other words, focus fully and with all available resources if you really wish to be a success at what you do. When around 3000 employees do this, the “Dream Team” at Bapco Refining achieves huge success and well-deserved accolades.
28. Expect the best: There are two unpleasant maxims doing the rounds: 1) No good deed goes unpunished and 2) Expect the best but fear the worst. These are sad indictments of unsavoury aspects of human thinking. In fact, at Bapco Refining we believe that every good deed is welcomed and that, while preparing for the worst, we actually expect the best – of others and of ourselves. That’s another reason why Bapco Refining has been so successful for the past 90-plus years.
29. Autograph your work with quality: We sometimes read that leaders are born, not made. In fact, in the end, leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination and, in particular, people who leave the stamp of quality on all they do. Your turn will come when you have to be the leader, even if it is not a grand scheme, even if not for very long. As well as some good old-fashioned determination, the main quality you will need to show is that of quality itself.
CHAPTER 2: INTEGRITY AND FAIRNESS
1. Be fair: Treat all your colleagues in the way you yourself would like to be treated. Do as you would be done by. Always make sure that the other person leaves the transaction as satisfied as you would like to be.
2. Give praise: Everyone likes to be praised. Be selective, don’t just “dish it out,” but when anyone you work with has done a good job, let them know with a BIG thank you, well done, great job.
3. Walk the talk: Practise what you preach: Do you “preach?” Have you ever said, “Do as I say, not as I do?” Well, now is your chance to turn over a new leaf and invite those impressionable others to be more like you, when you do what you say you will do.
4. Encourage: “Thank you” has a great impact on people: Apart from “I love you,” a few simple words of thanks are the most joyous sounds we can hear. Everyone likes praise and even the blessing of modesty cannot obscure the pleasure of hearing a sincere “Thank you,” in return for an act of kindness or a job well done.
5. Be responsible for your actions: If you did it, say so – good, bad or ugly, your actions belong to you. There is no point in false modesty if you did something well and no point in escapism if you could have done better. “That didn’t go so well” is the starting point for a better attempt. If you take responsibility, you acquire rights, too.
6. Give ten-fold, receive a hundred-fold: It is not only better to give than to receive, but the rewards may indeed be “spiritual.” If you put your heart into assisting someone, without expecting any return, you will indeed find that the joys of having helped are somehow multiplied. Some philosophers tell us that there is no such thing as an unselfish act. Common sense tells us that there is.
7. Have values that you live by: If you believe in –and practise in your daily life – qualities such as loyalty, perseverance, discretion and compassion, then you have values which, within the context of your culture, are in themselves worthwhile and certainly worthy of your and others’, respect. Good for you!
8. Be truthful to yourself: This is a tricky idea: how can we know if we are deceiving ourselves; surely if our self deceit is successful, we can never know! But, in reality, so long as we guard against any deliberate policy of self deception, then we will have a decent grasp on the reality of the many influences placed upon us each day.
9. Make the right decisions not the popular ones: It feels good to be popular, it’s always nice to be liked. But popularity isn’t everything. In fact, if you court popularity but make a bad decision, it is nothing. In the end, any small “gain” from being “popular” will seem insignificant compared to the respect you will earn for making the right decisions.
10. Put others first: In other words, please don’t be selfish. If things have been arranged correctly, then instead of everyone getting the same, it will be everyone getting what they need. In which case, no need to panic. Your turn (and time) will come, so be reassured and put others first.
11. Always look on the bright side of life: This is just a cheery reminder that we are almost certainly better off then we may think. There is a tendency to measure our happiness in terms of feeling better off than others who are like us and who are around us. This a rather grim way of looking at life, so try to see your glass as half full. It probably is.
12. Breathe the same air we all breathe: Have you ever met someone who thought he or she was “better” than you? Not nice, is it? But as we are all equal in the eyes of the Almighty, so we must try to be so in the imperfect eyes of each other. If you deserve respect, it will come anyway, through your actions and attitude. Keep your feet on the ground, breathe the same air.
13. Develop broad shoulders: No-one said life would be a bowl of cherries. Sometimes, it is just “harsh but fair.” So, if you are going to avoid looking like a drooping flower, a wilting rose, then it’s time to toughen up a little, stand straight and have those broad shoulders ready to take any knocks that come your way.
14. Know what you want: Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But if you stop and think, then knowing what you want (in real life terms) and, perhaps more importantly, knowing how to achieve it with dignity is not so easy. Rather than one huge, grand scheme, perhaps start with a series of short-term goals and then, if you get somewhere, a five-year plan.
15. Use your power wisely and well: In many children’s books, we find the expression, “The Wise Old Owl.” Owls are powerful creatures, too. So are we – as individuals, we hold much power over ourselves and must use that autonomy as wisely as an old owl if we are to succeed. If you do end up having any “power” over others, please be wise with that, too.
17. Don’t try just to please others: It is lovely to be loved and nice to be liked. but at what cost, if you are “buying” these affections? If you set out just to please people at work, you probably won’t do a very good job and oddly enough you are unlikely to please anyone. Sometimes the right decision is a tough one, but if it is right, then at the end of the day everyone will be pleased.
16. Do what “feels” right: There is a strong link between our emotions and our reasoning. Therefore, if your “gut” feeling about whether doing something is queasy, then it is probably the wrong thing to do. You should at least check with a line manager (if at work) before you do it. We absorb all kinds of morally correct principles as we grow up and, even as an adult, these morals should still hold. It is often said that everything one really needs to know is learned in kindergarten. How true.
18. Take actions that have a positive impact: So –you think you know what you want to achieve and you think you know how to get there. Did you remember to tell everyone involved, so that they are “on board” and ready to move forward in a helpful way? Almost anything you do will have a positive impact, provided you have the understanding and agreement of all the other people involved.
19. Be patient with everyone: Are you one of those who hoots the horn at the car in front just as the lights turn green? Oh dear. You have much to learn, especially when the guy in front doesn’t move an inch, but switches off his engine and walks around the back of his car, wondering why you are drawing his attention to a possible fault. Patience really is a virtue and the beneficial results will justify all your deep breathing.
20. Encourage the timid: Now you have learned to be patient, you should put your new skills into action: some people are just naturally shy or timid. This does not mean that they have nothing useful to say or that they have no bright ideas. Quite the opposite is often the case. Therefore, if you come across someone like this, make sure you do your best to help them feel welcome and let them know that their voice will be heard.
21. Be honest: When we grow up, we are told, “Honesty is the best policy.” But while we know never to be dishonest, do we always dare to be really honest in everything we do or say? If you have a tough encounter, start with praise: “I like the way you.” Come to the issue: “I’d like to talk about.” Discuss: “Can you tell me what you think?” Empathise: “I can imagine how you must feel.” Solve: “Can you suggest how to avoid this happening again?” No need to be brutal, just be honest.
22. Give an equal opportunity to all: Quite apart from it being law at work, giving everyone a fair and equal opportunity just makes plain good sense. Just as you would wish to be considered only via your relevant qualifications, skills, experience and eligibility, so you should view others in the same light. As a society, we all develop and advance when we give an equal opportunity for everyone to advance and develop, with no regard paid to their gender, colour or creed.
23. Fine tune your work ethics: Any code of conduct worth its salt will tell you that the Company’s reputation and the trust and confidence of those with whom the Company deals are among its most vital corporate resources. These are powerful words, but providing we keep to the law, follow the regulations and act with integrity, we can continue to hold our heads up high.
CHAPTER 3: RESPECT
1. Have respect for others: Look your colleagues in the eye; you will notice your respect reflected. When a fellow member of the Bapco Refining family speaks, listen first, before answering. Within the family hierarchy, there is always a place for every member to stand tall.
2. Use proper language: The old song runs: “It ain’t what you say, it’s the way that you say it.” Jargon is rarely useful and the correct use of language always leads to better communication. It’s good to talk, so use the right words at the right time and the ears at which you are aiming will remain open.
3. Respect rules and regulations: Whoever said that rules are meant to be broken is probably either helping medical research or the police with their enquiries. At Bapco Refining we have sensible, useful rules so that we may remain safe, useful and sensible. That’s why everyone is able to go home each day to their loved ones.
5. Look after property: Everything belongs to someone, somewhere. When something is needed, it needs to work properly and to be in the right place. In an industrial complex such as Bapco Refining, lives may depend on the good care of property. The same is true at home: from your favourite teddy bear to your kitchen fire extinguisher, take good care of everyone’s property. Teddy’s life may depend on it – as could yours.
4. Dress properly: Have you ever wondered why policemen and soldiers wear uniforms, as do nurses and schoolboys, and even sportsmen and women? The answers are simple: first impressions are lasting impressions, so you may immediately identify who is who and what they do. Proper clothes lead to a proper understanding and good understanding “underpins” everything!
6. Express yourself freely but without offending others: Having the chance to hold an opinion is a blessing. Living in a society where dialogue is encouraged is a double blessing. But so is the Godgiven right to feel sensitive about certain issues. If you are going to speak out, make sure your audience is properly prepared to hear your opinions. Green is for Go, Orange means be careful and Red will be the colour of your cheeks if you do not take proper care.
7. Use proper etiquette: People who have achieved a certain position have usually arrived at this status because they have deserved it. Their merit merits your politeness and good etiquette. What’s the difference between: “Good morning, Your Excellency” and “Hi Abdulla?” The answer is: your knowledge of the right behaviour and the right words to use at the right time.
9. Love your country: Is it possible to “love” a country?
Yes, indeed, as we don’t just mean the beauty of the desert at night or the sparkling waters of the Gulf that lap gently at the shores of this small Kingdom, we also mean all our brothers and sisters, from Muharraq to Manama, from A’ali to Awali. As with most abstract ideas, it is, in the end, the people who give life to our love and our love that brings them life.
8. Love all others who deserve your love: Maybe everyone deserves our “love” until anyone proves otherwise. The Beatles claimed that: “All you need is love.” The Bapco Refining family contains much love and, with each small act of kindness, politeness, friendship or generosity, that love grows a little. The trickle of little white granules from the roof of the Urea shed seems so small, but the mountain of pure white product lying beneath testifies to the power of that trickle.
10. Accept other people’s views even if you do not agree with them: Voltaire, one of the world’s greatest ever thinkers and humanitarians, is often paraphrased with: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will always defend your right to say it.” Tolerance is indeed a blessing.
11. Respect the law. It is there for your own benefit: Rules are rules – they help guide. The Law is a rather more serious matter and rightly so. Almost every law protects us all in some way. Be a good “judge of life,” obey The Law!
13. Do not spread rumours: Just as we stand shoulder to shoulder to protect out hard won respect, so we will avoid falling into the disrespect trap ourselves. Rumours are often “fun,” but not if they could damage anyone’s good reputation. Which will it be: “Send reinforcements, we are going to advance,” or “Send three and fourpence, we are going to a dance?” Rumours are just like Chinese whispers – silly!
12. Care for people: The Chief Executive Officer often says that the people at Bapco Refining are our most valuable resource. He puts this firm belief into action in many ways, so that all employees are adequately trained, well cared for and therefore ready for the challenges ahead.
14. Be trusting: Give other people a chance, trust them to be worthy in your eyes. Perhaps people are like shoes; offer your colleagues or those you supervise the opportunity to shine. If in some way they let you down, take out the polish and try to buff them up again. Even a scuff mark or a worn heel may be mended.If a damaged sole damages your soul, at least you tried, at least you trusted.
15. Show humility: Being humble is not being weak or timid. In fact, it is a great strength to be able to direct your ego away from yourself, to achieve the larger goal of helping to lead your Company, project or group towards greatness. Be humble, be great!
17. Have pride in yourself: If you are a decent human, a good person, someone who is modest, helpful, tries hard and thinks of others, my word, you should be proud of yourself! I’ll bet you look good, too. Well done and keep it up!
16. Be honourable: How are your intentions? Do you have good principles? Does your attitude and behaviour attract esteem? All this sounds very grand but, in practice, you may realise these lofty ideals just by being a genuine, “Honest Joe.”
18. Have respect for yourself: Once you have taken care of your hair, teeth and skin, think about applying the same levels of maintenance to your inner self. Take a quick measure of your morality, run a diagnostic on your decency, how is the temperature of your temperament? All in order? Good and with such regular check-ups, you will ensure that you respect yourself and that others will respect you, too.
19. Seek to understand before you can be understood: Good communication is a two-way process. You are always 50% of any problem where you and someone else do not understand each other. So – lead the way, make sure you understand the other guy; that way there’s a much better chance that he will understand you.
20. Make YOU a priority: L’Oréal, the French cosmetics company, once ran a series of adverts for shampoo. As the lovely lady with the shiny hair sashayed into the distance, she would say she had treated herself to the expensive shampoo “Because I’m worth it.”
Well, so are you! If you have worked hard all day, then helped out at home and finally have a moment to yourself, treat yourself to something, anything special; a chocolate, your favourite TV show, an early night, even an expensive shampoo! You are worth it, too.
CHAPTER 4: TRANSPARENCY
1. Be transparent: Tell everyone who should know what you are doing at work. The strongest, most productive partnerships have no secrets. If you have a good idea, work on it but include your colleagues as soon as possible. Their contribution could make your good idea even better!
2. Be willing to give: Always give people a piece of your heart, not a piece of your mind. If a colleague needs assistance, be there. If a friend needs an ear, listen. If a poor man needs money, give it. And do so gladly. The reward, if you need one, will be a good heart.
3. Be self critical: Ask yourself: “Could I have done better that time? Is this my best work?” If we are honest with ourselves, we usually know when we have done a good job or when we might have given a little bit more.
4. Document events and knowledge as much as possible: All progress is built on improving what went before. If we keep good records, we can use that information to improve all the time. Not just who did what and when, but also how things were done and at what cost. By consistently applying our well-documented knowledge, Bapco Refining breaks records year on year.
5. Ask. You will never know everything: The more we learn, the more we seem to discover how little we know. Somehow, the most knowledgeable people are the ones who are not afraid to ask others or consult sources of information. Ask a book, too – it’s called reading!
6. Learn. Knowledge is a life long journey: If you no longer want to learn, you probably no longer wish to live. What a wonderful journey: the longer you live, the more you are able to learn! The good ship of knowledge is always ready to set sail.
7. Simplify systems and procedures: Some things really are complicated, but most things are not so intricate. Let’s keep it simple and straightforward whenever we can. Simplicity is often more beautiful anyway and the greatest minds have often come up with the simplest of ways of putting things. For example the ratio: 3.142. It’s a lovely system and as simple as…er… pie?
8. Share knowledge with others: Isaac Newton was one of the foremost scientific intellects of all time, but for years did not wish to part with his brilliant ideas. When he was finally persuaded, he wrote in Latin! We may not share Newton’s brilliance, but what we do know is that we are being kind to our colleagues if we share our knowledge with them.
9. Have principles that you stand by: With luck, you won’t often feel that you are being in some way “threatened” by another person’s words or actions. But if you do, then don’t just slink away, have the courage to tell them that they are wrong and why they are wrong. Stick up for yourself and for the ideals that are somehow bigger than all of us.
10. Mix with successful people: It’s OK, you don’t have to hang around at the Ritz Carlton in the hope that the rich, famous and successful will brush past you. Instead, identify those people around you who seem to embody the systems, values and principles you are trying to adopt. Watch how they do it and be a good learner.
11. Mix with positive people: Some people just seem to be able to put a positive spin on life. Their glass is half full; they see a setback as just another opportunity to get it right next time; they know how to turn around a failing project and set it back on the right course. Stick with them – they tend to be the majority once the winners’ enclosure has opened.
13. Trust your own instincts: What are “instincts?” How useful are they? In fact, your “gut feeling” is one of the most useful tools you have when it comes to making almost any decision about almost anything. This is because our emotions underline our reasoning powers – we can actually physically experience the tension and release of tension associated with a sound piece of reason. It is more than “fight or flight” so rely on your instincts, let them take flight!
12. Trust in yourself: It is only human to have doubts. If you doubt too often, you will “freeze.” If you doubt too little, you risk being “taken in.” But just enough self-examination will test your resolve and allow you to trust in yourself. As other people show that they are reliable, you will learn to trust them, too.
CHAPTER 5: SAFETY
1. Be safe: What is the first thing you see at the Bapco Refining Main Gate? The board that shows the hundreds of thousands of hours of safe operation of the plant. Why? Because that’s the thing we value most: the safety of all our staff, all the time. Please be safe off the company premises, too!
2. Eat healthily: You are what you eat – and drink. Your body is about 75% water (the brain is 85% water.) The conclusions are as clear as sweet water and as nourishing as good food – in moderation, of course! Again, at Bapco Refining, we are fortunate that our Refinery cafeteria and Bapco Club provides healthy and nourishing food and drinks.
3. Be involved in sport, stay fit: Even if you are not lucky enough to share a talent as rich as bowling gold medal winner, you do not have to share your body with the couch or the potato patch. Walking is great exercise, too. Hundreds of Bapco Refining employees participate in World Health Day each year. We can all stay active, even if we cannot all play for the fabulously successful Bapco basketball team!
4. Drive safely: Around two tons of metal, rubber and plastic is a dangerous thing, when not well controlled. Suppose that child does cross the road without looking? We can easily replace parts on a vehicle, but not so easily on people. Cars don’t cry. Take it easy, both on the Bapco Refining premises and on the highway.
5. Respect pedestrians: It is very pleasant to be sitting on your leather seat, the air conditioning just right, radio on with soothing music. The engine is purring; you feel like the cat that got the cream. But the poor pedestrian is waiting to cross, about to breathe in a little more of your dust. He thinks, “Nice car.” Even better if he thinks, “Nice driver,” when you stop to let him cross.
6. Live in safety: At the end of HSE Week in 2020, the Company distributed a free home fire extinguisher and a smoke alarm. Do you keep your extinguisher in a handy place? Did you install your smoke alarm; do you test it regularly? There’s no need to be sorry at Bapco Refining, just be safe.
7. Be healthy: The Cheif Executive Officer often says that the people at Bapco Refining are the Company’s greatest asset. The medical facilities at Bapco Refining are second to none. The Doctor and his staff are friendly, welcoming and genuinely care for the employees’ health. All employees are encouraged to stay fit by using the excellent facilities. There is even a nutritionist and there are healthy meals in the canteen. All that remains is for the employees to care as much for themselves as does the Company!
8. Be strong: Don’t just think of a young Schwarzenegger, think mental strength, too. If your preparations are thorough, have the courage of your convictions, be firm in your resolve. Stand up for what you know is right, whether it is a good SOP or to support a colleague who deserves it.
9. Be powerful: You think you have no power?
Just because you are not the Big Boss, it does not mean you have no power. An elegant mathematical proof is said to be “powerful.”
A forceful argument in a Toastmasters debate is certainly “powerful.” A job well done has the power to enable others to achieve something, too. As the song says: “You have the power!”
10. Be free of dependency: Of course, we all depend on people and things in some ways, but here we are talking about allowing others or substances to take control of us. Stand tall – say NO to any substance you do not wish to take – by saying NO to whoever is offering it. Similarly, feel free to exert your independence if someone else is trying to coerce you into an unwise move. Use your sound ethical judgement to stay “clean.” If in doubt, ask the advice of a wise elder.
12. Adhere to rules and procedures: If you ask a small child about school, he or she is likely to tell you all about the class “rules.” When we are small, we see the sense in having such rules and procedures. Now we are much larger, we still need to embrace the rules and procedures that keep us safe and the Plants operating efficiently. Just like the Kindergarten, it all works together for all of us.
11. Be Secure: The Eagles sang, “Life in the fast lane.” Sounds good, sounds fun, exhilarating. But later in the song come the important words: “Will surely make you lose your mind.” It really is possible to have fun, take a risk even and still be secure. Inner security may also be important to us. You need to be able to trust yourself, your inner feelings and principles, just as you need to be able to trust your family and friends. Just as Bapco Refining may give a contractor a “Permit to Work,” so you should give yourself a “Permit to Trust.”
13. Ensure the safety of your colleagues: When you attend a safety workshop or lecture or refresher, you may think that the good advice you hear and see is directed at you. It is, but because we are all part of one team, everything that keeps you safe will also ensure that your colleagues remain safe, too. Accidents may always happen, but there will be many less if we all ensure each other’s safety by staying safe ourselves. There really is safety in numbers.
14. Ensure the safety of equipment and tools: We wear our safety helmets and goggles, our steel toe capped shoes, our ear plugs and overalls. We take good care when climbing ladders or using dangerous chemicals. But all this personal protective equipment will do little for us if our tools and equipment are not safe, too. We expect our equipment to be designed to be as safe as possible, but we must still check the electrical input, the guard, the correct way to operate a tool. In the end, we are only as safe as our equipment.
15. Keep information safe: Most employees, when faced with the word “safety,” quite naturally think of averting physical danger. It is true that Bapco has a proud record of thousands of days of work with no lost time accidents. The employees are the Company’s greatest asset, but after that, the Company’s information is also very, very valuable. In what we hope is becoming a green, paper free work environment, the IT Department provides all manner of security for our electronic materials. But it is still the “hard” human who must take care of the soft copies.
CHAPTER 6: PROFESSIONALISM
1. Be professional: Professional sportsmen are so called because they get paid for playing their sport.
But, as we know, not all of them always behave either sportingly or professionally. Here at Bapco, we are also well paid, but have higher standards in that we avoid gossip and maintain a friendly but always business-like manner.
2. Be punctual: How good does it feel when your plane takes off on time? How happy are you when the school bus brings your children home “on the dot?” It is said that “Punctuality is the politeness of Kings.” Your colleagues are pleased to see you follow the Company’s schedules at work, so you could be a “king,” too!
3. Be a self learner: When we are 16 we sometimes think our father is a fool. When we reach 22, we can be amazed at how much the old man has learned. Older dogs can also learn new tricks if they wish to and while there may be no fool like an old fool, to become a fool in the first place you have to give up trying to learn. Teachers are wonderful people. So, be wonderful, keep teaching yourself.
5. Be an active listener: Listening could be tough and tiring, but if you are prepared to listen actively, you will hear better and understand more. Take a few notes; process some of the information you hear while you are listening; if you have a chance, ask a question to clarify a point.
4. Use work time well: Eight or more hours at work is a good stretch of time and needs to be organised in a way that will allow you to enjoy your work and the Company to benefit from your work. The Company supplies desk calendars, notebooks, everything you need to organise your day.
6. Work hard and smart: There is always plenty to do at Bapco Refining. Various branches of the Bapco Refining family manage production, planning, export, safety, security, human resources, maintenance, corporate communications and so on and so forth. All this keeps around 3000 of us busy. Better keep at it!
7. Be dedicated: It is possible to “get all the work done” but not be really “involved” in the Company. If, metaphorically, we sliced open the CEO’s heart, we know we would find “Bapco” written right through it, like a stick of Blackpool rock. Now that is dedication!
8. Love your organisation: If we can love our country (which we do), can we also love Bapco? Indeed we can – from the sweet flowers and herbs of the Princess Sabeeka Park to the Bapco Refining Oasis. From Dar Al Nakheel to the Mangrove Nursery. But we may also, through our respect and collegiality, show our love for all who work at the Company. We are brothers and sisters who fortunately do not have to bear arms.
9. Be neat, keep things tidy: Viewed from the air, the Bapco Refining premises are a neat layout of things that are “in the right place.” The various plants, the warehouses, buildings and causeway all make sense. So does being neat, keeping things tidy. That way, you can find them – and they are safer, too!
10. Be clean: Keep the workplace clean: If we ever become dirty, we can hop into the shower. It’s not so easy to squeeze the Bapco Refining into the washroom; that’s why we have to keep it spick and span.
11. Measure: What you cannot measure, you cannot control. Even if you make a good measure, you may not have total control, but your chances are greatly improved. Decide what it is you wish to measure and then use the correct measuring tool. At Bapco Refining, we even use psychometric tools to help us make informed decisions about who will be the best person to do the job.
13. Be calm: Life may be hectic, your schedule could be manic, your world spinning like a mad roulette wheel, but: Don’t be frantic, be tantric. Reeeelaaaaxx. When all about you are losing their heads, be as calm as you can. Breathe, breathe deeply and rise above the turmoil. Your cool head could save the day.
12. Be motivated: What drives you on? What makes you want to work and succeed? Are you just collecting a pile of cash for a Porsche? Are you hoping to fund cancer research? Are you working for your children’s future or your retirement? Whatever it is that moves you along, it is better than apathy!
14. Plan your work, then work your plan: People don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan and that is often the reason behind many small and some very large disasters. If you organise things ahead of action time, then you will usually have thought out most of the likely problems. As the champion golfer once said, “The more I practise, the luckier I get”.
15. Apply the knowledge that you have learned: Theory is fine – necessary if we are to “think” our way forward and not just trust to luck – but sooner or later we need to take action, put our money where our mouth is, apply the idea, put it into practice. After all, the proof of the pudding is in the eating!
16. Form good habits: A habit is a behaviour that has become so automatic that we no longer really have to think about it very consciously. Do you wash your hands or bite your nails? Do you say, “Give me water,” or “May I have some water please?” Do you open the door for someone else or just walk through first? Such small gestures quickly become good or bad habits. You choose.
17. Think what you can do: Bapco Refining has just opened a record of employees’ talents. This is going to be a very large book. With around 3000 employees, there will be so many people who can do so many things. Be positive – you can do many things and each day you may be able to add a new talent to your own list.
18. Be patient: But buy a ticket, too. Everything comes to he who waits, but you need to be ready to move when the time does come – and it will.
Try a little patience it will come in handy in a world where champing at the bit often seems the norm.
19. Be determined: If you are well prepared for the task in hand; if you have motivation, the knowledge required to do the job and any support you need, then being determined is easy. The real test is when the ice is thinner than you would like. You can still do it – yalla!
20. Be resilient: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again. And, in the meantime, don’t be over-sensitive about the journey from initial failure to eventual success. A rhinoceros may have a thick skin, but baby rhinos hide under their mothers, in case of sunburn. You are not a baby, so walk tall in the sun and keep on trying!
21. Do not think you have failed; you have just learned what doesn’t work: Come on, pay attention! Concentrate! Don’t be distracted! Over here, yes here! No, your other left. Question: What’s the difference between being focussed and multitasking? Answer: About three days in hospital. Stay focussed until the job is done. Then you can chill.
22. Be ambitious: For some people “ambition” seems to be a bad word, redolent of ideas like fortune and fame. But really, ambition is the desire for personal achievement. It provides the motivation and determination necessary to achieve goals in life. Ambitious people seek to be the best at what they do. And if you get lucky and become rich and famous, don’t forget your old friends at Bapco Refining.
23. Be a role model: Is your Boss watching you? No, but you can be sure that other, maybe younger, more impressionable people are. They’re not spying on you, they respect you and look up to you. Don’t let them down, be worthy of their trust in your abilities. Give them something worthwhile to emulate.
24. Don’t go through life, grow through life: Are you trying to treat every day as if it is your last? If so, you must be making fantastic progress. Are you always trying to learn something new (just in case tomorrow is your last day, after all.) Are you just “cruising by” or are you really driving the car? Life’s a long song: sing a new tune as often as possible (or at least, mix a new metaphor).
25. Move with the times: Back in the 1960’s The Who had a hit with a song called My Generation. Perhaps the key line was: “Hope I die before I get old.” My Grandfather is 92 and my Grandmother is always telling him to “Grow up.” I bet Grandpa still sings My Generation in the shower, every morning.
26. Look forward: Don’t live in the past, learn from it and move on. Even in Star Trek, time moves only forward, even if our heroes have “gone back” in the first place. If you deal positively with what lies ahead, then what lay behind will usually resolve itself.
27. Never say never: Perhaps the exception does prove the rule. For years, it was claimed that humans could never run faster than 10 seconds for the 100 metres. It was physically impossible, they said. The current world record is 9.58 seconds. Bapco Refining has a saying: We make the impossible possible. And sometimes we do.
28. Be confident in your ability: You know what you can do – and you know what you can do well. No need to hide your light under a bushel. By the way, a bushel was a bowl made to measure a certain amount. Better to put the candle on a candlestick, not under a bowl.
29. Make the single step that begins the journey of a thousand miles: Bapco Refining has some fabulous long-term plans, as well as the objectives for the current year. We know it will be a long journey to realise those long-term goals, but we also know that we need to start now, even though the final destination is a long way off. If you have a great plan, start today.
30. Be tough: When the going gets tough, the tough get going: What are you, man or mouse, mallet or marshmallow, sand or sandstone? Sometimes, it just isn’t easy. You feel like giving up, you feel as if nothing you do will make a difference, improve anything. But, for sure, if you do nothing, then that is exactly what will improve. So – be tough, grit those teeth and struggle on. At Bapco Refining you are never alone!
31. Take control: “Of what?” you ask. Well, start with yourself: Take control of your routine – be on time, allow for delays – Stay as healthy and fit as possible, don’t let any “substance” rule your body –Stay up to date with your personal paperwork, so that the system will not assume control of your life – Stay with “The Programme.” Then, you will have control.
33. Believe in the power of small steps: Do you know who said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind?” Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. When a small boy, he could surely have scarcely conceived of what would await him as an adult, an astronaut. His journey, from a small town to the surface of the moon was, for him, a series of small steps. Keep taking those small steps; the end result could be a giant leap.
32. Don’t try just to please others: It is lovely to be loved and nice to be liked. but at what cost, if you are “buying” these affections? If you set out just to please people at work, you probably won’t do a very good job and oddly enough you are unlikely to please anyone. Sometimes the right decision is a tough one, but if it is right then at the end of the day everyone will be pleased.
34. Fuel change with a positive mindset: Change can be a tricky business. Probably all of us have a comfort zone or develop one as soon as possible after the last “upheaval.” Managing change successfully is one of the most challenging skills. Infant school – junior school – senior school – college – work – marriage - retirement; all these are big changes for each of us, individually. Set your mind to the positive: when you need to fuel a change, power forward with Mumtaz!
35. Think practically, be practical: A good theory is a thing of beauty; it is probably mathematically, or linguistically or logically elegant. But sooner or later we will have to put our theories to the test. And most of us do not have the luxury of the time to form theories, no matter how elegant. So – mentally at least, put on your hard hat, your Bapco FRC, your safety shoes and goggles, and think how best to get the job done.
37. Keep swimming: Your ship will arrive. Much of the time, we have to keep on “swimming,” plodding along and fighting the good fight. And if we do, then just occasionally, there will be a clearing in the sky, a “eureka” moment and perhaps even our ship will appear on the horizon.
36. Put your mind and heart into your work: Some people are great thinkers, but come across as cold fish. Others are warm and welcoming, but lack the logic. Can you combine some of both? Can you put in your best effort with a warm heart and great thinking? It’s a challenge, but at Bapco Refining, it’s one we welcome.
38. Believe you can and you’re half way there: When Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas (in fact, probably the Bahamas) he was actually looking for a faster passage to the East Indies so that the Spanish might dominate the spice trade. His unshakeable belief that he was doing the “right thing” certainly led him “half way there!” Like Columbus, believe you can do it and you probably will.
39. Keep trying, the only failure is not to try: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Of the various claimants to the maxim, the most attractive story is that of Robert The Bruce, the Scottish freedom fighter who was inspired to keep trying to secure Scottish independence from the arrogant English. When hiding in a cave, he watched a small spider refusing to give up while trying to build a web. Bruce failed to secure Scottish independence, but he is remembered so fondly because he never stopped trying. Therefore, he succeeded.
40. Set a goal. A goal is a dream with a deadline: Are you a“Daydream Believer?” Or have you captured your dream, turned it into a purpose and a plan and then applied a realistic deadline? If you have, then you are well on the way to success, because you now have a goal.
41. Begin with the end in mind: If you are making a plan of any kind – at home or at work, it is always a good idea to have a clear vision of where you would like to be at the end of your “journey.” If your mind is like the kids in the rear seat of the car on a long trip, or the donkey in Shrek, “Are we there yet?“ then you need to go back and review the plan.
42. Keep shooting: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. If life may be compared to a game of basketball, then perhaps you could think of yourself as an individual, part of a team, obeying the rules (five fouls and you’re off!) but being creative where possible, helping the team attack and defend when necessary, hoping you are not substituted and then, when your big chance comes, making a great shot. So – keep shooting!
43. Never give up; you are a little closer each day: “Never give in – never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently Overwhelming might of the enemy.” Time is the enemy. Enough said.
44. Do not think you have failed, just learn how not to do things: OK, so something you were involved with did not go so well. Never mind, you have just learned how not to do it. There may be many other ways not to do it, too, but you don’t have to try them all!
45. Have a strong code of conduct: Protection for all may be guaranteed by adhering to the sensible and worthy practices detailed in the company code of conduct booklet. We too should have a “mental booklet” of such good conduct, rolled up and ready, like an umbrella, so that even if it does look like behavioural rain in Bahrain, we are able to protect ourselves and our co-workers.
CHAPTER 7: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
1. Be aware of Social Responsibility: Making a profit every year is satisfying for both the Company shareholders and the employees whose good work ensured this success. But there is more to life than mere corporate achievements. What we take out of the ground to produce our products, we try to put back into the community in responsible ways. We do this by running environmentally friendly systems within the company and supporting all good works, charities and worthy organisations outside the company. It is good to be both profitable and proud.
2. Be involved in community service: Your community means everyone, not just your friends. There are people out there who need others to assist them and there are organisations ready to help them, in all kinds of small and large ways. Are you ready to help those who need it – in small or perhaps a large way?
3. Protect the environment: At Bapco Refining, (We Care) does not only reflect on us as individuals but also on the environment around us. This means that, not only do we not pollute our beloved Kingdom, but in fact we actually clean the environment around us and prove it with our Mangrove nursery, our WWTP, our beautiful Princess Sabeeka Park and our Bapco Refining Oasis.
5. Embrace and learn from all cultures: If there were ever a “Culture Olympics” which culture would win the gold medal? None, there would be a dead heat for first place, with every culture contributing a little something. In Bahrain, we are lucky, because the world seems to come to us, so let’s go to the “Culture Souk” and do some trading.
4. Help the poor: What is rich or poor? Who is rich or poor? We usually think of money, but taking good care of everyone may mean assisting with a hug or a kind word, too. If we do mean money, then assisting the poor is easy. When you can, throw in a kind word, too.
6. Celebrate the gift of living: If you are able to hold this book, turn the pages and read and understand this book, then you are one of the lucky ones on our planet. You must be fit enough to manipulate using your arms and hands, and educated and well fed enough to have the time to read. That’s not a bad start and I’ll bet it gets much better than that for you. Life is indeed a gift – accept it and show your thanks by using it positively.
7. Give equal time to mind and body: The whole mind / body philosophical debate has raged since the time of the ancient Greeks. Philosophy is a challenge, for sure, but a good philosopher will still remind you that you should maintain a balance in all things. Exercise is wonderful, but the brain needs its workout, too.
9. Be happy: It is true that a little rain may fall from time to time in every life; it is indeed true that the occasional sad cloud will pass but: just as the sun shines nearly every day in Bahrain, so we should shine too. If you have no specific reason to be down, then a smile is just a frown turned upside down – be happy!
8. Share your success: It is wonderful to have experienced success. But no-one likes people who boast. So – how to share success without being boastful? It is like a good joke, it’s the way you tell it. Let people know if you have achieved something, but do it with a little modesty and all will be well.
10. Don’t worry: “What’s the point of worrying, it never is worthwhile.” So ran the song as the soldiers trooped off to war. A little gallows humour may remind us from time to time that worry is usually a little indulgent. You can plan for most contingencies and prepare yourself for the worst while hoping for the best. So, plan and prepare, don’t worry.
11. Fill your heart with joy: So, you have your health, inshallah you have family, friends, parents, children, food, shelter, education and best of all, you have spent some time at Bapco Refining. In fact, your heart is already full of joy, just celebrate it.
13. Be harmonious: There are many, many moments of discord awaiting us as we play our part in the great orchestra or choir of humanity. We always have the choice to be in the loud, discordant percussion section, the out-of-tune brass section, a member of the scraping strings or, perhaps, to play our part as a sweet, melodious woodwind. We may not have a chance to conduct, but we are still able, if we choose, to round off the sound of the smoothest harmony. Play or sing sweet music whenever you can.
12. Fill your life with meaning: When did you last read a “good” book? When did you last put in the effort to listen to some intellectually demanding music or read a great poet? Do you look for an opportunity to be as socially responsible as is Bapco Refining towards the environment? From time to time, take stock: don’t just “go through the motions,” go the extra mile for a life with meaning and purpose – and not just at work.
14. Be at peace: Conflict is costly, at whatever level it occurs. With hindsight, we almost always find that a hot tempered word, a big dispute or even a war could have been avoided. Conflict resolution is a lengthy and painful process, but surely the resulting peace is worth it. You too can find inner peace if you live your life with honesty and dignity. “Inner peace” is most definitely worth having.
15. Create joyous relationships: If the idea of “six degrees of separation” is true, then every human on the planet is in some way related to every other. In that case, if we all do a little, we can together all do a lot about those relationships. According to Chaos Theory, the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in one part of the world may cause a hurricane to blow elsewhere on the planet. Be a butterfly, but flap the wings of joy and let’s hope to reap a hurricane of happiness all around the world.
16. Know that the world is a beautiful place to be: The world was certainly a beautiful place until – guess who? – caused some mess. But it is still a beautiful world if you want it to be. If everyone keeps their patch clean, then all those patches will add up to a whole clean globe. At Bapco Refining, we have proved already that industry and beauty may live together – just take a walk in the Princess Sabeeka Park!
17. Help the weak: We all have our strengths and our weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to admit to either – false modesty is a waste of time and trying to cover up a weakness will only leave you exposed later. Where you are strong, offer to help those weaker than you – and don’t be too proud to accept help from others – it will only make you stronger.
19. Empower women: In terms of employment, Bapco Refining again leads the way in terms of its efforts to ensure that the ladies in our society are treated as equal first class citizens. We have lady engineers and IT specialists, we have several lady Superintendents as well as a number of ladies in Office Administration. For us, ladies are at the forefront of our organisation, equal in status to the men. Around the world, very few industrial companies can hold a candle to that achievement.
18. Support good causes: Under the guidance of our Chairman, Bapco Refining has a policy of supporting good causes. Bahrain, as a community, is lucky in that there are many social, charitable and sporting societies deserving our support, both in terms of time and money. In Bapco Refining, we all care for each other in our “We Care” approach; in Bahrain in general, many people care for deserving others. Let’s make sure we keep up the good works.
CHAPTER 8: CREATIVITY
1. Be creative: “Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.” Before you can be a great creative genius, you need to know your subject really, really well. But don’t underestimate yourself – everyone knows a lot about something, so be brave, be creative!
2. Have self initiative: It is easy to wait for someone else to instruct us, tell us what to do, and how and when to do it. Once you know the routine, why wait for the instruction? Go ahead, take control of your own life, push yourself to be your own leader. Make your choices, based on your thoughtful reflections. Be your own leader!
3. Be courageous: A famous fashion designer once said: “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” So – there is no need to worry that only soldiers have the chance to be courageous, any one of us may have not just the courage of our convictions, but also the conviction to be brave in the right way at the right time. Stay physically safe, but be brave, be courageous, take a chance!
4. Change what you can for the better but within the rules and regulations. Do not just accept the status quo: The status quo is the way things are now. Can we improve things? Of course we can, but if we do change something, let’s be sure it is a good change and a real benefit for all, not just for ourselves.
5. Challenge ideas and satisfy yourself that they are correct: Remember, it is the idea you are challenging, not the person! If you are to make a successful challenge, you will have to really understand the idea you are challenging, so the worst that can happen is that you improve your understanding. And the best? If your challenge is successful, you have improved the idea; if the idea is already a good one, you will be satisfied!
6. Improvise: There is nothing that cannot be done better. When the time is right, take a chance; try something a little different, a new angle, a tweak here or there. And don’t forget to record what you did – we don’t want to lose a better way of doing something or miss out on hearing a lovelier tune.
7. Enjoy life: You only live once. Heaven may have a greater purpose for us, but while we are on this earthly plane, we need to be able to enjoy our successes, our happiness, our joy. If you have done a good job, revel in that feeling, taste the pleasure. Current wisdom has it that this is not a rehearsal.
9. Take action: Are you a thinker or a doer?
Thinking is a good thing, but once you have done your thinking, take action. When all is said and done, there’s a lot more said than done, so go ahead and do it!
8. Be proactive: Why did the early bird get the worm? Because he was proactive! He took it upon himself to act, to go and look for his tasty breakfast and not wait for it to come to him. Bapco Refining did the same with the WWTP. The environment won’t protect itself, so we went ahead and started the process ourselves.
10. Have a vision: The Company’s vision is, “To contribute to Bahrain’s economic diversification and growth by achieving sustained excellence in performance from a portfolio of domestic and international investments.” This vision is lofty, but reachable. Create your own vision, make it an ideal and then stretch yourself to try to reach it.
11. Accept that less is sometimes more: Perhaps it is good to care, to be “on a mission,” to be really committed. But perhaps, sometimes, we drone on and on too much, or we try to “control” others with too many words. Sometimes, silence is golden.
12. Be prepared for anything: At first glance, this seems like a tall order but, unless we receive a visit from the Seaweed Robot Creatures of Alpha Centauri, we can relax to some extent in the knowledge that, at Bapco, the “Permit to Work” system and the millions man hours without a lost time accident are just two reasons why we really are prepared. In your own daily routine, you could take good care, too.
13. Be a risk-taker: Sounds dangerous, but we don’t mean physically! This is just like “genius,” which is really 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration; if you know your field well, you should be able to think like the inventor of Lateral Thinking, Dr. Edward De Bono and, at the right time, in the right place, take a calculated risk. If you have done your homework, it could just pay off.
14. Be innovative: Did you ever claim you were bored, tired of the same old routine? Did you do anything about it? Now is your chance: try a new way of doing things. It doesn’t have to be radical, but it could just be the refresher you needed. If you are a timid mouse who asks “Who moved my cheese?” then it’s time to be a cat for a day.
15. Look for solutions: Some people seem to love a “problem.” That’s because every time they find a supposed “difficulty” they have a chance for a moan – and some folk LOVE to moan and complain! You can avoid this trap by looking instead for solutions to problems. Find the key, seek out the answer, bring a little sunshine into everyone’s lives!
16. Be fearless: Here you are – qualified from High School and maybe University too, made it through the interviews, done your three months’ probation, got some experience – there’s nothing left to be afraid of! Have no fear, the Bapco Refininfg family is here!
17. Try to treat every day as if it is your last:
At first, this advice sounds a trifle depressing and perhaps too much of a challenge, but then judging by the standards of driving you sometimes see in Bahrain, perhaps some people are taking this advice too seriously. But seriously, too: give it a go, have a great day and live it to the full.
18. Always look at the possibilities: Are you set in your ways? Do you have a comfortable groove that you don’t really want to leave? That is natural enough, but if it doesn’t ever rain, the water in the pond will stagnate. We should all welcome a little refreshing rain from time to time and just use a brightly coloured umbrella if it rains too heavily!
19. Show initiative: How do we go about moving things forward? Who will take the lead? At Bapco, we could have sat back and waited for someone else to be the first to install and run a Carbon Dioxide Recovery unit. But we took the initiative and are reaping the rewards, as is the environment. When you can, be the one to start things off.
20. Be opportunistic: Sometimes you get just the one chance (or very few chances) to achieve something. Again, the better you know your field, the greater the chance that you will spot this rare opportunity if and when it presents itself. Then, it is GFI time. Go For It!
21. Use your potential: If you have ever lifted an object up onto a shelf, you have created potential energy. If you have ever raised yourself up in some way – education, thought, reasoning – you have created a potential in yourself. Because of gravity, the object you lifted will release its potential energy by coming crashing down. But your potential, when released, will see you soaring up.
22. If you cannot make a new beginning, create a new ending: Sometimes there is just not the time or a point in starting over. Even if something has gone badly, what has passed is the past. So, from whatever point you are at when you realise things need to be fixed, go from there and create, at the least, a happy ending.
23. Achieve whatever the mind can believe and conceive: They say there is no limit to the capabilities of the human mind. In that case, there should be no limit to what we can achieve. It is said that some people will believe anything. In that case, we should be able to achieve anything. Don’t hold back, believe it and then achieve it!
24. Be bold: Once you have a decent project, once you have done your thorough preparation, the time has come for action. That is why we talk about “actioning” a plan. You have done all the work, so do not try to slip your scheme into the system as if you are embarrassed about it. Stand tall, look the world in th eye and give it a go!
25. Create the life that you want: Of the 24 hours each day, let’s say you spend 10 hours at work or travelling, 8 hours sleeping, an hour or so washing etc and two hours eating. You may even have some chores to do in the remaining three hours.
So, if your “really free” time each day is around two hours or less, then you had better put some effort into making sure that it counts. Don’t let other people or “things” run your life – it is yours!
26. Create your own reality: Did you ever have the feeling that your life may be part of “something else?” Do you ever feel like an actor in the movie “The Matrix?” Then perhaps you have been led astray by other people, perhaps you have been lazy about your own starring role in your movie: “The life of me.” Make sure the plot belongs to you and that your part is a good one. If all the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players, then you should be sure to be your own Director.
27. Be proactive in your choices: Did anyone ever show you a card trick? “Choose a card,” they will say. 52 choices seem a lot, but they are still all just playing cards. If you are going to make choices, don’t limit yourself; try to seek actively the opportunities and choices you would like to choose from; don’t sit back and allow others to limit the number of your choices. You choose!
29. Love a challenge: If you have “done your homework” and profited fully with the experiences you have had, you should be ready to face any challenge. It could be just for you alone or perhaps as part of a team. Whatever the challenge is, try to really enjoy being engaged in it, encourage the others in the team, be encouraged yourself as you make progress towards meeting the challenge. Then go the extra mile!
28. Step outside your comfort zone: There is no doubt that humans are creatures of routine. Routine is in itself a comfort. Routine work can be comfortable if perhaps boring sometimes. Are you well prepared? Do you have a bright idea, but one that may reap benefits for the Company? Will this require you to take a chance? Then tell your Line Manager and go for it!
30. Predict your own future: Create the future for yourself. To predict it, surely you would need a crystal ball, Tarot cards, a diviner’s stick? Not necessarily. No paranormal powers are required, just your regular powers of careful attention to your training, your performance at work and your involvement in the excellent “extra-curricular” activities on offer within Bapco. The future is bright, the future is you and Bapco!
31. Go where there is no path: But, leave a trail. We tend to revere our ancient (and modern) explorers.
From Sulaiman Al Mahri to Ahmad ibn Majid, from Magellan to Amerigo Vespucci, such trailblazing exploits seem daring and impossible to emulate. But great sea voyages are not the only form of travel; each of us has a personal journey to make and, if you use your experience wisely, you too may feel bold enough to venture into “unknown” territory and leave a trail for others to follow.
32. Set no limits: The sky is not the limit; there are footprints on the moon. Any household washing machine now has greater memory, more sophisticated programming and faster processing power than the entire sum of Nasa’s computing resources when Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon in 1969. He was determined, brave and well trained, but he was an “ordinary man.” So –set your sights as high as you can, even as an “ordinary man.”
33. Have a sense of humour: Show me a man who doesn’t like a jest, a laugh and I’ll show you someone who is either tired of life or not enjoying this great gift. The French say that laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face, while the Irish proverb tells us that a good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book. If the Irish and the French agree on something, it MUST be true!
35. Discover your talent: Perhaps it is only natural to wish that we were skilled in some way that we find attractive in others? For example, to have a good singing voice or to be able to draw an amusing caricature, with little apparent effort. In fact, everyone does have a talent for something, the tough part is being exposed to enough areas until we find the one where we have that talent. So – if you haven’t discovered yours yet, keep trying new things until you do.
34. Have a hobby: Hobbies are strange things, in some ways. It is quite natural to have and pursue an interest, be it sporty, arty, collecting, creating, puzzling, whatever. A hobby helps relieve stress or tension and gives us an interest and a focus outside of work. In the past, many great discoveries have been made as a consequence of an interest that became a hobby. Perhaps your great discovery will be that you enjoy having a hobby?
CHAPTER 9: TEAMWORK
1. Work as part of a team: Each of us has great potential and we are all individuals. But the collective joy of good team work is even greater. Plus, in a team, we have the chance to enjoy being a leader, as well as a productive follower. Join the team! Success shared is success multiplied!
2. Present yourself as able and willing: You know when you feel confident about something. Let it show – offer to help with any plan or project in your field of expertise. Volunteer to assist, your colleagues will be grateful and you will benefit, too.
3. Collaborate with others: Be part of the team. At Bapco Refininfg there are some great teams, at all levels from the Executive Management Team to the important Security Team. In fact, all our teams are important and they work well because the defence, the midfield and the attack all combine to collaborate well. No need to be the “Star” of the team – with good collaboration, we don’t need one!
5. Teach: The best way to learn is to teach. Research shows that, in most classrooms, 80% of the learning is done not by the students but by the teacher. So – unless you are one of the world’s “Superteachers,” you too will benefit from explaining and demonstrating to others.
4. Discuss: Two heads are better than one. Just as in science fiction movies, we are not alone!! But, even better than sharing our lives with little green men from Mars, we can benefit from our colleagues’ wisdom and advice. Don’t go it alone, find the right partner in the Company and talk over the issue until you find the best solution.
6. Empathize: Share happiness and sadness with people. At Bapco Refininfg, we celebrate our successes publicly and we let everyone know if there is a need for condolences. It’s a family affair and we know that together, as one big “family,” we understand each other’s joys and sorrows.
7. Protect the reputation of your colleagues and Company: The efforts of all the individuals at Bapco Refininfg over the years have earned the Company a great reputation, not just in Bahrain, but regionally, and globally even. Reputations are hard won, but easily damaged, so be prepared to support your colleagues and Company if ever they are the victim of unfair attack. Stand by the Company family!
8. Advise whenever you can: Ever had someone say, “I don’t need your advice!” Well, what about all the people who DID need your advice, but you didn’t give it? Don’t be pushy – just offer a little help, when you know a colleague could use a small piece of wisdom.
9. Be flexible: No wonder stubborn people are called “bull headed.” Whatever it is called, flexibility is better than stubbornness. Weigh up the options, be prepared to listen, bend a little. Everyone should receive what they need, not just “the same”.
10. Be inspired by someone: Do you have a “hero?” Is there someone, somewhere whom you admire for a sound reason? If not, keep looking!
For all you know, you could be someone else’s “hero” and it is great to have someone else as our role model, our inspiration.
11. Achieve more: Together everyone achieves more. We can do so much on our own; we can be good singles players. We can also isolate ourselves if we are not careful. At Bapco Refininfg, we have a “Dream Team” approach and boy, does it work well! Be a team player and achieve even more.
13. Find one good reason why something will work, not 100 why it won’t: Sometimes a good idea just won’t sell itself. It needs an advocate, someone to persuade the rest of the team to go with it. But above all, you need to be positive. Your mind is like a radio; if it is not quite tuned in to the right station, there is a noise, a hiss, interference. Tune in, be positive, look for the “can do.” You could choose either to drown in water or to save your life by drinking it.
12. Build a strong support system: Would you rather be out on a limb, standing alone and exposed on the top of a hill or would you rather be part of a sleek and well-groomed team, in which every player knows his role and how to provide support for the other team players? Building a good support system takes time, care and good planning. Take your time, take care and have a good plan.
14. Be engaged; be a strong link in the chain of your team: It is true enough that any chain is only as strong as its weakest link. In the Bapco Refininfg team, we are always looking for ways to strengthen all our links, to keep our team, our chain, really strong. Because our people are good, often excellent, perhaps the only real enemy is indifference? Don’t be indifferent, take a stand, be involved, be part of a strong chain and a great team.
