Today’s plus insight is by Lee Sze Zhin, a former Head Consultant at Halogen (Singapore). Drawing from his 7 years in the social sector, Sze Zhin reflects on how a single individual can make a meaningful impact and contribute to a larger purpose in society.
As I wrap up 7 years of journeying with Halogen, I started thinking back to when I started with this organisation, in 2017. As a fresh graduate, I knew that I was pursuing a path of passion, but I did not foresee the special opportunities, growth and amazing experiences I received along the way. Standing at the end of this adventure, I pen down my personal reflections on how we can make the most out of a career of passion.
Throwback to December, 2015 - I was a participant in the Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) Classic Challenge Course, which spanned across 21 days. Somewhere deep in the Pulau Ubin wilderness, I wrote in my journal that one day, I would like to become a trainer myself.
Every single day from 2017 to 2024, I was living out the dreams of my 23 year-old self.
Standing at the end of this current journey, I have only just started to see so clearly the joy and complexities of working on a social mission. We are at our best when we fight hard to advance the cause, taking care of one another at the same time, all while balancing our conviction with the ability to unlearn and relearn.
Passion binds, and can also divide.
In my first few years of being at Halogen, I often found myself sitting in discomfort, as I witnessed multiple heated debates in meetings. I then found myself looking on incredulously as I saw the very same people who were in said heated debates, chatting and laughing over lunch right after.
I have realised that in a desire to do the right things, and to do them in the right way, it often feels like a responsibility to advocate strongly for the best ideas, especially when they differ from others. Unbridled, these tensions can seed doubt in our colleagues’ intentions. In leveraging the best of passions, we must learn to fight the issue, not the person. In the book Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury, effective negotiators go behind the stated positions and probe for underlying assumptions, principles and decision considerations.
For example, offering bespoke programmes is undeniably beneficial for participants, but can also take up time and resources away from other equally important work. As we probed deeper, we agreed that bespoke programmes are good, only if a more realistic lead time exists. Customising the work concurrently between team members also proved to be even better, resulting in better quality programmes and a more balanced staff workload. We might not always agree with each other immediately, but with the right mindset we can strive to find mutual ground, and use that platform to collaborate.
Passion drives the work, and can also drive burnout.
Every year, in the months of October & November, I see teammates and facilitators tirelessly reviewing hundreds of presentation decks - in preparation for the NFTE Business Plan Competitions, which tends to happen back to back. On top of that, before every major event, colleagues work overtime to push out collaterals, pack logistics, and organise venue spaces.
Passion sometimes requires sacrifices, and at Halogen, I see that we have all sacrificed in one way or another, to ensure excellence in the work that goes out to our youths and partners. As we focus outwards in this giving profession, we must simultaneously look inwards, to help one another.
Trust isn’t only built solely by offering help, it is also fostered when people have the courage to ask for it. When colleagues show up unconditionally to see us through the season, it results in the development of mutual trust and respect. It is in the busiest of times that we need these interactions most; a quick 1:1 conversation over coffee or while on commute can serve as great opportunities to help colleagues feel seen and heard. Any one of us can go first - when we model the way we ask for help and support, we give permission for others to do the same.
Passion stems from conviction, and can also form narrow-mindedness.
We are here because we truly believe that the work we do is required, and we form an opinion of how best to tackle some of the issues. We put our heads down each day, chipping away at the problem bit by bit. It is a purposeful pursuit, but we must also remember to fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
It is only in my 7th year, that I started to deeply observe and appreciate the broader system, the complexities around social mobility and access - and its relation to youth development work in Halogen. This both called into question and strengthened my perspectives on how our work actually contributes to realising a generation of future-ready young people.
It became evident to me that we must take a step back from time to time, to consider the developments and trends around us. In the context of our vision, we must proactively gain deep insight and “outsight” through learning and conversing widely, so that we can effectively create well-designed, relevant solutions.
Passion work is meaningful work. Let’s make it worthwhile, together.
Passion is the unfair advantage of a purpose-driven organisation like Halogen, and we must wield it well, lest it becomes our Achilles Heel. Passion must bind us, drive us and keep us intentional in tackling our most important goals. In these 7 years, many things have changed for youths, and the organisation. Yet, there remains a familiar mountain of complexities and issues to conquer. Regardless of the level of passion, the issues are too big for the sector to manage alone.
I was first a volunteer in the youth development space before I took this up full-time. Having come full circle, I now embrace the journey ahead, in finding my own space to continue giving back - this time with a deeper, more seasoned understanding of service and purpose.
