I joined Pivot GIS in April 2010 as a Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) professional with a background in Geology and Mining Engineering but with little knowledge of Honeywell Group. I only knew that Pivot GIS was a joint venture between Grand Island Shipyard of USA and Pivot Engineering, a subsidiary of the Honeywell Group owned by the renowned entrepreneur and businessman, Oba Otudeko. I applied for the position in search of better career prospects, professional growth and work opportunities.  

Many things account for my stay with the Group for nine years and counting. First, Honeywell Group ‘s core values, especially excellence and respect for the individual, resonate deeply with me. Secondly, I cherish the confidence my boss, Mr. Kehinde Bolodeoku, has in me coupled with his democratic leadership style.  

I have experienced impressive career growth over the past nine years at Pivot GIS. I began my career as a young Site Health Safety and Environment (HSE) Officer with “grunt work”, daily routine, paperwork, and common tasks dominating my time and challenging my endurance. But they developed my skills, particularly, time management and an eye for detail, all of which I had to employ to get tasks done in a timely and efficient manner. I became more accurate technically and with my time and can better manage relevant data to improve my work. 

I remained an HSE Officer for three years and my path moved laterally between projects, but I was optimistic that my true calling is not to stay busy, but to make a difference. So, I focused on gaining the skills and experience to enable me to create more value and move through the milestones of growth.  

One key lesson I learnt from my career growth is that you should never think that someone needs to be demoted for you to move up. Most of the time, your next steps are visible to you and the organization, and patience and timing play important parts in your progression. Also, you must develop your skills and be prepared for the next level. In July 2013, I was given a double promotion from HSE Officer to HSE Coordinator. In this position, I began to move beyond the daily chores to the oversight of HSE. I began to see the big picture and the need to take care of issues before they get out of hand. I learnt the crucial skills of delegation and oversight. I helped workers and supervisors take ownership of safety instead of trying to do it all myself. With that, they began to view me as a resource rather than a workhorse, and my sphere of influence grew.  

When you create value, you will attract higher responsibilities. I was promoted to the position of Corporate Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Manager in May 2015 with the challenge of relocating to Lagos to work at the head office. After fourteen years in Port Harcourt, it was a tough decision considering family and other commitments, but after consultation with my family I relocated to Lagos. In this position all my prior experience helped me see the big picture clearly. At this level, I worked more from a strategic perspective than executing routine tasks.  

As Corporate HSSE Manager, I am ultimately accountable for company HSSE performance, budget and the people that deliver on those commitments. At this level I continually feed on new ideas and methods. I update myself on current HSE trends and practices. My outlook has grown beyond HSSE to other parts of the business. I provide expert HSSE service as a part of the business rather than a conflicting priority. It really has been a great journey.  
                                                                                                   
My key learning from my nine years with the Honeywell Group, through Pivot GIS is, a career at the Honeywell affords you the opportunity of great teamwork, networking, learning, and growing professionally. Workers are encouraged to freely provide essential information and contribute ideas that lead to decision making.  A just and open culture of trust is promoted, where it is accepted that mistakes can be made but they must be reported and learnt from, without allocating blame to individuals. Honeywell truly cares about workers and treats them with respect. 

I advise prospective applicants to look at their career strategically and begin to take steps toward the next stage; get into the habit of continuous learning, network with those in your field at the next level and make contact with good mentors. Form a support network of like-minded individuals in your field who also value these three stages of growth and development, you can grow faster. Climb the ladder of personal worth and the corporate ladder will take care of itself.