Kia Baptist, HR Business Partnering and Global Mobility, Diamond Offshore
As one of today’s go-to people for global mobility guidance at Houston’s Diamond Offshore, Kia Baptist’s career literally started underground.
A geochemist from Baltimore, MD with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and the University of Michigan, respectively, Kia began her professional journey in oil exploration geoscience.
As often happens in the energy sector, things then changed. Kia explains, “I had a developmental opportunity to join HR, and to my surprise, that’s where my career has remained for the past 17 years or so. I’ve been fortunate enough to have varied experiences in the industry but have spent much of my career in recent years with drilling contractors. Talk about an unexpected turn of events.”
Although not her initial career plan, Kia finds HR and global mobility rewarding. It’s no surprise that the people surrounding her on a day-to-day basis are a big reason why. “I have been on a constantly evolving adventure since joining my current company. I’ve had opportunities to expand and try new things and work with great teams. The reality is that we spend most of our adult life at work – it helps to be part of a winning team each day,” she concludes.
Being in a customer and employee-facing role presents some challenges as well. Whenever there are two or more people involved in a project or initiative, there’s the possibility of conflict, misinterpretation, and diverging expectations. Kia navigates through all of this by maintaining a relentlessly practical and positive attitude. Meeting her face-to-face is proof enough that office politics has met more than its match in Kia Baptist.
When she’s not inspiring others, Kia turns to a higher authority. She shares some insights, “Because the nature of my role is steeped in communication skills and nurturing relationships, I am inspired by a spiritual faith base in addition to the blessing of trusted mentors both inside – and outside – of HR. Leading is a labour of love and requires a different level of commitment to communication and professional relationship-building than management alone. Processes are managed, people are led.”
Kia also has some advice for anyone considering a career in HR, talent management, and/or global mobility: “Learn all you can and take every opportunity to try something new. Don’t worry if you don’t master or even know it all. Keep your curiosity piqued. Build relationships with some more experienced folks who can mentor you and from whom you can learn the tricks of the trade. Pay it forward mentoring some folks newer to the profession. They keep you on your toes and have a lot to offer; they in turn will benefit from hearing about your experiences.”
Having thrived in an industry known for boom-and-bust cycles, Kia adapts to change better than many. She describes the recent energy sector-wide developments she’s observed and how she’s responded, “My industry is on its way out of a downturn so we’re all just rolling up our sleeves and doing more with less. Taking on different roles in the past five years with my company has kept me from getting too comfortable, reminded me of how much there is yet to learn, and shown me how much more I’m capable of.”
Enduring the rollercoaster ride that saw oil prices drop from a high of nearly $150 a barrel to a low of $40 and now sort of settled somewhere in between, has required a sense of perspective and more than a dose of humour, traits Kia poses in abundance. A recent departmental reorganisation demanded both perspective and humour from Kia, eventually landing her somewhere in space, so to speak.
“I do not have an inside voice. Nor a silent laugh. So after a recent reorganisation when just about everyone shuffled offices, I joked that I’d been banished to the outer reaches of our HR solar system because my office is on the fringe of the department. As such, I nicknamed my new office Pluto. I even list it as the location in meeting invitations. A bit unconventional but attendees always find their way,” she reveals.
Few admirable human qualities can be achieved without finding balance. In today’s world finding a space between working and living has never been more challenging. Kia offers some personal tips: “I’m constantly working at this one. Work hard, play harder, family first. Unplug as best you can, when you can. Leave the office at a decent hour.
"Get out for lunch, even if you don’t have plans with anyone. There will always be something to do, but most all of it can wait. If it can’t, re-prioritise. Get guidance if you need it and delegate wherever possible. It’s doable, but takes concerted effort.”
For a person with a high profile within Houston’s HR and global mobility circles, Kia isn’t without a few surprises. And again, they have to do with space. Not entirely reluctantly, Kia reveals all, or at least some of what makes her truly unique. “I’m quite introspective. Folks are usually surprised to learn I’m a scientist who’s always wanted to be an astronaut. My favorite birthday gifts of all time - a little yellow telescope that allowed me to stare at the man in the moon until my eye were tired of squinting, and an African-American Astronaut Barbie. Oddly enough (and before I went into geology), I have my own collection of glow-in-the-dark moon rocks". Who knew?!