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OAI is a leading Contract Staffing and Outsourcing company with over 15 years of experience. We are also the Aviation Industry Labour Supplies approved by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower.

Joshua is also an employee of OAI, who is outsourced to one of the world’s leading airlines.

My name is F. Joshua, and I’m from the Philippines. I’ve worked for one of the world-class leading airlines for seven years.

Leading a team of my own, we’re responsible for scheduled aircraft maintenance with more extended layovers, focusing on preventive maintenance on Business Class, First Class seats, and lavatories. We also perform in-depth cabin maintenance, including component replacement, cleaning, and repair.

1. Can you share your journey before becoming a Team Leader and what contributed to your growth and experience?

At the start of my career with the airline, I was attached to the initial training ground for newly joined technicians to learn everything about the airline’s cabin maintenance.

After gaining more experience, I was recommended by my Supervisor for a transfer and then shortly after to detail inspection of Business Class seats.

I was told that my hard work and performance were recognised, which led me to the Team Leader position recommended by a fellow Senior Technician. I was given the golden opportunity to lead a maintenance team.

In terms of what contributed to my growth and experience, I was actively looking for and creating new learning opportunities for myself every day.

Whether learning to perform everyday tasks more effectively or learning things outside my usual job scope and then practising them. I told myself these new skills and hands-on experience I picked up might come in handy someday, and when it does, I want to be ready.

It did.

2. What has changed since you became a leader? Name some things that you now do differently.

Back then, the only person I had to look out for was myself; now that I have a team,  I must constantly look out for my members. I oversee tasks assigned to us, ensuring my team understands our daily goals and how we can work more efficiently and faster.

And if unforeseen circumstances crop up, I must ensure we understand the problem and achieve the same goals. The solutions we come up with result from brainstorming together, and it dramatically encourages teamwork and a healthy team culture.

3. What steps do you take to ensure effective work management and communication are consistent with your team throughout the day?

To ensure effective work management, I start each day with a team briefing to ensure we’re all on the same page. Tasks are then delegated to everyone, along with the expected goals. To ensure everything runs smoothly, I regularly check in with my team. Should they encounter any hiccups, I’d be there alongside them.

The team culture we built plays a significant role in ensuring effective communication: we communicate our needs, offer physical support, and keep each other accountable. Actively listening in times like these ensures the needs of my members are met; I also encourage transparency in speech and actions within the team.

4. Can you share a specific example of a challenging situation your team faced and how you handled it as a leader?

Once, we were tasked to remove seats from their mounting—it was a massive task for our department as a separate team usually does this. What was meant to be a week-long task was expected to be completed in two days.

Such a challenge was an ample learning opportunity for us. I started by considering a few factors: the breakdown and end goal of the task, the manpower required and procedures, and the expected completion timing for each task.

We have a long to-do list in a day, and we get it done within the stipulated time by prioritising what’s urgent and important. The time for each task varies as specific part maintenance would take longer than necessary—wise delegation is important.

One thing that still amazes me is the professionalism of each member; we’re still able to trust, respect and support each other to get the job done.

5. How have you adapted to changes in procedures or unexpected challenges, especially considering the impact of the pandemic on the aviation industry?

When the pandemic hit in late 2019, the airline industry suffered a massive blow; most planes were grounded, and many of us, myself included, were sent home to our countries.

Only in December 2021 was I allowed to return to Singapore to serve the aviation industry again. It was then that I was also approached by OAI, where I would be outsourced to work for the same leading airline company.

When I moved back to Singapore, members of OAI were checking in on me to ensure that I was doing well—mentally and physically. This made me feel important and cared for during a pandemic, especially when social distancing was still widespread, and every form of connection was precious.

Since most planes were still grounded, we focused on maintenance.

With news of the borders reopening, things on the ground became challenging due to limited manpower. Through this, I have learned how to adapt to extreme changes by training my focus and rewiring my mindset to see the positive in the negative, working one thing at a time.

I felt like I was mentally training myself to be more resilient. Working in this field requires you to be flexible in many ways and adapt quickly.

6. How do you encourage continuous improvement within your team? What is your goal as a Team Leader for your team members during your leadership tenure?

In this line of work, there are times when specific tasks still take us by surprise. Leading by example is an effective management style. When I started, I created learning opportunities because I knew it would be helpful someday.

I desire the best for my team, for them to continuously learn on the job, refine their skill sets and always aim to produce excellent work.

For new joiners, I assign them to tasks they’ve not done before and rotate them around with a buddy so both parties can learn from one another. They often develop better alternatives and improvements to make the job easier.

I encourage them to ask questions, be vocal when they face challenges and offer valuable and practical guidance to each other. And my team sees its usefulness as we share the new things we learn every other day.

Ultimately, my goal is to help my team excel in their roles. That’s when I know I’ve done my job well.

Interview by Destiny Goh

Marketing Communications