Fazilah's story

I like to stimulate my mind and challenge myself. I’m always looking for new opportunities and trying to see things differently. I’m not the type of person to settle; I always want to see what’s around the corner!

I also want to help develop other people and it’s great that I get to lead a dynamic group of individuals in Shell. I have about 75 staff reporting to me now, and I work to ensure my team is successful.

I think it’s important that people are comfortable enough to come and talk to me if they have a problem, or if there’s something they would like to do to try and boost their career prospects. I’m very open, and part of being a manager is showing people that they shouldn’t be afraid of coming to me and having a conversation.

However, I’m also very aware that there’s a balance. I want to be friendly and personable as much as possible, but it’s also essential that I’m entirely honest when giving feedback, whether good or bad. It isn’t very difficult, though, because the people I work with are generally fantastic, so nearly all of the discussions I have are very positive!

It’s also good for me to set time aside to have my own catch up and focus on personal learning. I know it’s important to spend a set amount of time assessing my own performance and trying to figure out if there are more efficient ways of working. At Shell, I am able to focus on learning and development for myself and my staff, and because a strong focus on development is encouraged, we are always able to inject learning even in our day-to-day discussions and engagements.

It was a good way to network and meet people in the same industry who are working in a similar field, but might be tackling things in a different way. These events are a great way to mix with people that I wouldn’t normally speak to. There are always new techniques or methods that I pick up that can be incredibly valuable.

However, it’s not all about discussing work! These events are also about relaxing and enjoying being in other people’s company. I really think that having the opportunity to be with colleagues outside of the office is a great way to build relationships and enhance team spirit. It’s important to celebrate successes and engage with colleagues on a personal level, as well as a work level.

I think one of the most important things I’ve learned at Shell is that it’s important to be resilient, and this enables me to grow as an individual as well. There are a lot of challenges you can go through, and it’s important to remain positive. I try to do things that make me feel proud, and do my best to remain positive at all times. Connecting with colleagues and putting in the time to understand them is definitely part of how I do that.

I love to travel, and I am glad that Shell gives me the flexibility to balance both my work and personal life. I used to visit Europe quite often when I was single, but now that I have a daughter my trips are a bit more restricted. I wouldn’t change it for the world, though! The above image was taken in Frankfurt, Germany. You can see the cathedral in the background; it’s a very impressive building, even when it’s covering in scaffolding! 

It’s such an interesting city; there’s so much to see, the food is amazing, and the people are some of the friendliest in the world.

The castle is huge and incredibly impressive; I always marvel at the scale and scope of those buildings. It’s incredible thinking about the efforts that went into constructing and maintaining such huge structures, especially in the days when everything was done by hand.

I’ve taken my daughter to Sydney and Tokyo already, but she’s not quite right ready for longer journeys. However, when she’s a bit older I’m certain we’ll come back and explore the cities of Europe; there is so much history and so much to learn, and I can’t wait to go back.

Disclaimer: Views expressed are of the individuals featured and are not representative of the views of the Shell group of companies and their affiliates.