Surrender, Surprises, and Sideways Struggles
A very strange day indeed.
The morning meeting was nothing short of chaos. Unclear roles, unclear expectations, and a flood of minor irritations boiling over into conversations that led nowhere. I felt like a conductor trying to tune an orchestra where every instrument was playing a different tune. And so, I chose a completely different approach today—total surrender. Not giving up, but giving in. I let the confusion pass through me instead of resisting it. I listened more than I spoke. Because at this delicate stage of plant stability, I cannot allow the entire system to get rattled over transient waves.
Thankfully, the DPM (Daily Planning Meeting) gave me some breathing space. It was more orderly. I managed to anchor the discussion and presented a small but important concept—the two types of job-lists for maintenance:
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Routine Inspection-Based Job-List – continuously updated as we observe abnormalities.
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Shutdown-Ready Job-List – filtered, prioritized, and ready to execute whenever opportunity strikes.
(Here's the link for reference, hoping it reaches the right minds and hearts.)
Then, something unusual happened.
A call came from an unknown number. The voice on the other end was calm, commanding, and unexpectedly familiar. It was a former director, long retired, calling with an air of authority—as if he still sat at the helm. His request: a transformer on loan. I kept my calm, collected the details, and passed them on to our electrical team. If it fits, we’ll support. But what struck me was the tone—how certain people carry their stature even in absence of title.
Evening descended into fire-fighting.
Our Line#2 Kiln feed bucket elevator was misbehaving again—tripping due to sideway belt movement. The team jumped in. Adjustments were made, alignment checked. There’s never a calm moment when equipment decides to test our patience like this.
In the midst of all this, Line#1 shutdown work quietly began. Without any formal fanfare, tools were picked up, and the process of resurrection was set in motion. These are the small but significant wins of the day.
Reflection:
Strange days don’t always mean bad days. Sometimes, they are reminders to loosen the grip a little. To flow with the disorder while still guiding the direction. Not every day can be structured and strategic. Some days are meant to test our adaptability and emotional maturity.
In such moments, I remind myself:
“Even surrender can be a strategy—when it is done with awareness, not weakness.”
Let’s see what tomorrow holds.
Key Points of the Day:
Confused and chaotic morning meeting – managed with surrender.
DPM meeting went better.
Shared concept of two types of job-lists in maintenance.
Received unexpected call from a former director requesting a transformer.
Evening was fire-fighting: Line#2 bucket elevator tripping.
Line#1 shutdown work started.
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