Glass walls all around, minimal furniture and a wide-open glass door add to this open feel exactly what Neil asked for when he moved staff from Singapore Power Building to HarbourFront Tower One this year shortly after he took over as MD. The panoramic harbour view is for his staff. Very graciously, Neil and his senior managers have taken  literally the backseat in their office with second and third-best views for themselves.

This "ang moh" MD jolted the company in many ways after he took over. He came and quickly sank his teeth into what ailed the power supply company and cut about 100 staff earlier this year.

"It was something I could come to terms with because it was the right thing to do to save the company. I had to do it. If we had carried people we would not be competitive. It's what leadership is about," said  Neil.

Four months later, he signed a collective agreement with the Union that put the smile back on the workers who were retained. They now work 12-hour instead of eight-hour shifts, which give them a longer time at work and a longer break with their families.

Women workers too enjoy the same medical benefit as men. And this was two months before Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a similar move for the civil service.

"When one of my managers proposed that we make this change benefiting women, I readily agreed because I saw it as a fair thing to do. Also, we have a small female staff. If we want the best men and women to work for us, we have to be seen to be a good place to work for both sexes. Half the workforce is made up of women and we cannot ignore them."

On the 12-hour shifts, Neil said: "We were losing too much time in the changeover of shifts at our plants which are all on Jurong Island. Our staff have to make a long journey from their homes on the mainland to and from work. Once there, they have to be briefed by the man on the earlier shift before taking over. With the 12-hour shifts, they work longer but it's more productive because travelling time and briefing time is now cut."

"If you treat people right, you don't have to worry about delivery. A worker who works for you is also a father, son, brother, husband. We need to understand that and make realistic demands on them."

The source of Neil's philosophical approach to management is his own family, wife Annabel and children Katie, 14, Aidan, 12 and Anna, 10. His wish that he had more time with them has been translated into planning better working hours for his own staff so that they can enjoy time with their families.

If only more bosses would think this way.