Once upon a time, in a land not too far away, there was a quaint little office along the well-familiar street in Singapore known as Keong Saik Road. Oh what a wondrous office it was! This little office was home to a team of individuals with diverse thinking and behavioural preferences who in spite of their differences and adorable quirks, were happy to come to work as they loved doing what they do.
Now, this little office with its team, blossomed for many moons; they hosted countless guests, continually initiated new Associates and developed a myriad of ideas in this little space. They were blessed with good people and good fortune since its moving in in 2013.
Unsurprisingly, the team soon began to grow in number to meet the needs of their increasing pool of valued Associates. The existing space became too much of a squash; people were piling on top of each other, bumping into things and knocking over precious books.
“Oh bother. If only we had more space,” said Baby Ninja, the newest member to the team.
Till one fine day, rumours began circulating that the little retail store at level one was shifting to another location. One by one, ears perked up and the office was abuzz.
“Did you know…”
“Have you heard..?”
“Is this true?”
They were not disappointed. Indeed, it was true, and what good news it was! They could ensure that their clients receive utmost service by offering greater convenience, as well as make a more comfortable space for their guests and team mates.
It wasn’t long before the happy team shook hands with the landlord and agreed to take over the space at level one. “Hooray!” they cried in joy.
The team rolled up their sleeves and got to work, as the gears started shifting, ready to welcome the change that was looming.
Pack, pack, pack, into boxes they go!
Heave ho, heave ho, furniture was heaved up and moved along.
Swipe left, swipe right, surfaces were cleaned till no dust remained.
Blood, sweat, and tears went into this project. Paint charts travelled all the way to Sweden, a black hole was formed in the shape of a storeroom and a precious purple penknife went missing for a while.
In all the hubbub, the team bonded greatly, learnt valuable lessons and made new friends along the way (want a paint job? Call Jahan!). It was tough, but they did it!
The little office had transformed, and the team has never been prouder of what they have achieved, only because they did it together as a team.
The trio tried their hands at some paint work!
Gasp! Is Amos removing our values?
Linda making sure operations still go smooth for our Associates, despite having to make do with so little!
Wow! We shifted the whole office down to level 2! Almost there…
Colin making sure the projector is fixed up properly.
Analytical thinkers like Amos prefer that dimensions are accurate down to the decimal point.
Imee is excitedly unpacking her belongings to her new desk!
Our service philosophy displayed as a constant reminder for us of why we do what we do.
Upwards is the only way forward we can go from here!
Moral of the story: For every transformation, it takes a lot of hard work, great determination and every ounce of teamwork. Communication is important and leadership is paramount in any large change. Transformations need not be frightening. Simply break tasks down in smaller parts to make it more digestible.
Thank you Mark Lim, Director of Information Systems and Real Estate King, for leading this project to success. You have exemplified our core values to the rest of us.
With this, we would like to welcome you to our humble and newly renovated office at Keong Saik Road. We hope you have a pleasant experience here with Emergenetics International-Asia Pacific.
By Naweera Sidik, Assistant Manager, Marketing Communications, Emergenetics International – Asia Pacific
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