Mei Chen Tan

7:20 AM

After getting my morning coffee I am ready to hit the journey to the office. It takes me 10 minutes to walk and to arrive at our usual meeting point. Joyce is already there waiting for me. “Ha! You’re late today, MC!” she teased.

8:00 AM

Arrived at the office and after having breakfast, I’m ready to start my day. The first thing I do is to check emails and my calendar. After that, I will start vetting project documents and correspondences such as Monthly Financial statements, Progress Billing, etc. submitted by my team members to ensure they are fit to be submitted to our Client. All vetted project documents will be handed to the secretary for the signing of the project Executive Director/ Director.

9:00 AM

My first meeting of the day is usually with my team members to discuss project concerns and deliverables. I highlighted a few concerns and observations from the vetted project documents earlier to the project surveyors to ensure our understandings are aligned. During our meetings, I always make sure my team member raises their hand for any project concerns, and I also ensure they have enough resources to perform at work.

10:00 AM

I head to the pantry to make myself a cup of coffee before burying myself with the work. Today, we will meet our prestigious Client (real estate Owner) to present the cost plan to build their desired 262m high Grade-A banking office building at Makati. After double-checking the cost plan, my team and I brief our project Director on the costings.

12:00 PM

It’s lunchtime! My lunch buddies and I will head out to the restaurant near our office. During this time, I get to catch up with a few friends from other teams. On our way back to the office after lunch, I treat myself to an orange juice.

3:00 PM

After presenting the cost plan at the Client’s office, I have a quick catch-up with my project Director to concur and align on revisions or next steps on the project cost plan. Value-engineering ideas on the project’s design and considerations discussed in the meeting earlier will be incorporated for cost plan revision prior to presenting to the Client again next week.

4:30 PM

Back in the office and managed to make it in time for our team photo shooting session for Arcadis Asia Excellence Awards contest. So excited because Arcadis Philippines has been shortlisted as a finalist under the category of “Client Account Growth”. All project teams engaged in the same Client Account from both Cost Management and Project Management services gathered to complete the photoshoot. We had fun and laughs over some snacks and drinks.

5:30 PM

It’s the monthly catch-up with my Mentor, Ms. Katherine (Head of Cost and Commercial Management, HK and Macao) from Mentorloop. Mentorlooop is a program made available for all Arcadians to connect and be inspired by leaders across the globe. The 30-minutes call was fruitful as Ms. Katherine shared with me her insights and advice related to my concerns at work.

8:00 PM

I head home after dinner with friends and call my family to catch up. After that, I hop on my iPad to treat myself to an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” before proceeding with a 15-minute light exercise.

10:30 PM

After showering, I meditate for a while before going to bed. It’s my habit to spend 15 minutes to reflect on today’s experience and learning at work. This helps me to be prepared for tomorrow. The last thing to do double-check the morning alarms on my phone before I snug up.