Every year in KTP,
I assign someone to run a outside-work project.
It is the best way to test their organising skill and leadership.

That year, I gave the responsibility of organising our company trip to Ms. Sqchai, my assistant manager.

She was in a senior position that year.
Professional, diligent, and dependable in her work.
I trusted her fully.

When I delegate, I always tell my managers:
“Don’t guide too much. Give free hand.”
That’s my way of testing them.

One afternoon before the trip,
Sqchai texted me.
Her tone was cautious.
She told me she might have been cheated in handling the trip.

As an accountant, she was cost-conscious and tried her best to save for the company. But this time, unknowingly, she fell into a Facebook scam.

I asked her calmly:
“How much is the damage?”

She replied softly:
“RMxx,000.”

I could feel her guilt.
She thought she had failed me.

But my answer surprised her.
“Forget the money.”

(Later, she managed to recover it thankfully.)

Then I asked her one thing:
“What lesson did you learn from this incident?”

I told her to write it down and WhatsApp me.

To me, money can be replaced and earned.
But the lesson she carried from this experience?
That is priceless.

This is not just about a company trip or
lost of $$$
It is about trust.

I trusted her enough to give the project.
I trusted her enough not to interfere.
And I trusted her enough to handle mistakes.

If I doubted her, she would never have had this chance.
If I doubted her, she would never have learned this lesson.

Looking back,
I am both proud and grateful.

Proud because
Sqchai did not hide her mistake.
She faced it with honesty.
Grateful because the lesson she learned will stay with her for life.

That’s why I always hold to this principle:
“用人不疑，疑人不用。”
“Trust the people you employ, and don’t employ the people you doubt.”

Sqchai is not just my assistant manager. She is also someone who keeps challenging herself.

Two years ago,
she completed her first half marathon.
I trained alongside her and other colleagues.
She finished tired but proud within 3 hours o her attempt

This year,
we wish to take up the challenge again.
Running, like work, requires preparation, trust, and courage.
Both will test your stamina.
Both will make you stronger.