Pipelines looks to empower employees to speak

Held by the Pipelines Department, the second "empowered to speak" event finale took place on Dec. 30. 

The event, which was attended by Mohammed A. Al-Hatlani, Pipelines general manager and department managers, encourages and motivates employees to showcase their presentation and public speaking skills. Eight employees from across Pipelines were chosen as finalists, each had a maximum of 15 minutes to present. 

Three expert judges who are part of Toastmasters and STEP were present at the event: Soliman M. Al-Madi, Nazia T. Iqbal, and Rami M. Jawad. 

Noor T. Alhagbani, career counselor with Pipelines’ Human Resources (HR) started the event noting how this type of competition promotes a healthy, competitive environment in the workplace.

Al-Hatlani thanked the employees for their outstanding efforts and commitment during a challenging year by demonstrating high levels of resilience and performance. About the event, he said, “This is an opportunity for employees to develop their communication and presentation skills and to unleash their potential.” 

This is one of the Pipeline’s initiatives with the HR committee, which includes other initiatives and programs focusing on HR enhancements. 

Outstanding presentations

The first presentation was “A Talk about Routine” by Mohammed A. Fakieh, an engineer from the East-West Pipelines Department (EWPD). He explained the difference between a routine and a habit. Fakieh tackled saving time, building momentum, and coping with change. 

Second, Abdulaziz H. Aljabr, an engineer from the P&DT Projects and Technical Support Department presented “Practice Makes Permanent” — instead of perfect. Aljabr noted that with the right tools and knowledge, we can deliver a high performance. We are all empowered to speak. 

Mohammad M. Alduhaim, an engineer from the P&DT Projects and Technical Support Department was next, with “Pending Update: Brain 1.1,” discussing how memories shape us, how to change our perception of memories by facing our fears, and analyzing why a memory affects us negatively. 

Fourth, Abduljalil H. Almashama, an engineer from the Southern Area Pipelines Department (SAPD) presented on “Behavioral Cognitive Bias,” where he discussed behavioral, action, and authority biases — how to spot, know, and conquer a bias, especially in the workplace. 

Ghazi M. Sumiri, an oil and gas operator from EWPD presented “Meat the Future Earth,” explaining how implementing dietary changes to consume less meat can save the planet from issues like global warming, dead zones, and heat waves.

“Forgiveness” presented by Eman F. Alotaibi, an admin clerk from the Northern Area Pipelines Department (NAPD) shared differences between males and females. She explained how men base their forgiveness on values and principles, where women base theirs on empathy. 

Muhammed S. Chakkungal, a maintenance engineer from NAPD presented “From Seeds to Plantation.” He discussed how facing rough situations while growing up led to him valuing life. Salman was eventually able to give back to the community in turn.

“The Secret to Getting Anything You Want in Life,” presented by Yagoob Y. Alsarouj, a CP technician from SAPD explained why people with self-doubt fail, why you should ask for things you want, and how to implement a mindset shift strategy. 

Accomplishments

The judges chose Fakieh as the third runner up, second was Salman, and Aljabr was the winner. 

The competition discovers talented employees who are excellent in communication skills. This year’s participants have exceeded my expectations. I would like to give special thanks to the departments for encouraging and empowering their employees to participate. The ‘Empowered to Speak’ competition will create exceptional presenters who will advance in their careers, becoming better performers.
— Mohammed A. Al-Hatlani