Ask Coach Susan

“𝗜𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘅𝗲𝗱... 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁.”

It’s been 20 days since I met Andrew… and I’m still processing the depth of that conversation.

What struck me most?
It didn’t feel overwhelming.
It felt… relaxed yet intense.

Relaxed in the way ideas flowed freely.
Intense in the way it stretched my thinking about what’s truly possible.

From reimagining “𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗿𝘆” beyond a message into a scalable B2B framework…
to seeing speaking not as the end, but the beginning of deeper transformation work…
to integrating AI not just as a tool, but as a differentiator in learning design…

So much clarity came from one conversation.

And if there’s one word that captures my journey since joining APSS this year, it is:

✨ 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘 ✨

𝗜ntentional learning
𝗡avigating change
𝗧ranslating knowledge into action
𝗘xpanding perspectives
𝗡urturing relationships
𝗦tretching comfort zones
𝗘mbodying growth

This is not just learning.
This is becoming.

Thank you, Andrew Chow, CSP, for giving your precious time so generously to guide and challenge me.
I am grateful for the many ideas now sitting in my to-do list… waiting to be brought to life.

𝟯𝟬 𝗰𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀. 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵.

I had the privilege of working with the 𝟯𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗖 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗖𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁; a remarkable group of leaders from 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮, 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮, 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, and 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗻𝗮𝗺, bringing together 𝟳 𝘁𝗼 𝟯𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 across engineering, production, QA, business administration, facilities & maintenance, HR, and productionn planning.
What stood out most wasn’t just their experience. It was their 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 and 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻.

They shared their personal motivations for leadership.
🎯 Being target-driven
🤝 Building strong relationships
💡 Staying positive and resilient
⚖️ Leading with fairness
❤️ Leading with heart
Leadership, after all, is deeply personal before it becomes organisational.

As we honour the rich history of the organisation, there is also a strong, shared commitment:
👉 To become AI-powered
👉 To stay future-ready
👉 To lead with both technology and humanity
This journey doesn’t end here.

Over the next 2 months, they will continue learning through 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, before reconvening for Workshop 2 to share their growth stories and deepen their leadership practice.

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𝗦𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜?

Here are 5 shifts that matter:
1️⃣𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 → 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
The best leaders are not the ones with all the answers, but those who learn, unlearn, and relearn quickly.

2️⃣𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 → 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
AI can automate tasks, but it cannot replace human connection. Leaders must coach, not command.

3️⃣𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 → 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆
Stay curious about technology, people, and possibilities. Curiosity fuels innovation.

4️⃣𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 → 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
Leverage diverse perspectives across regions and functions. The future belongs to teams that think together.

5️⃣𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 → 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁
AI can optimise processes. Leaders must ensure the work still has purpose, values, and human impact.

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To this incredible cohort: thank you for your openness, your energy, and your commitment to growth.

The journey continues.
And I look forward to hearing your stories in Workshop 2.

💬 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺?

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆?

April felt like a prank I didn’t sign up for.

My health went into a whirlwind: fever/headache came and went, my body felt constantly lethargic… and everything I had built over the last 4 months, ready to escalate to the next level, suddenly fell flat.

Why?
Perhaps I’ve been running the race like I’m still 25… 😅
Truth is, 25 may be a stretch and honestly, I loved myself best at 35.

So the real question became:
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟯𝟱... 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜’𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝟱𝟱?

Here are 5 reminders I’m taking seriously now:

1️⃣𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆
It’s no longer about how much I can do, but how well I manage my energy; physically, mentally and emotionally.
👉 It’s no longer about time management; it’s about 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

2️⃣𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
Rest is not a reward. It’s a requirement.
Sleep, pause, and space are now strategic.

👉11 PM – 3 AM: Most critical for deep, uninterrupted sleep.
😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️11 PM – 1 AM (Gallbladder): The body starts breaking down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, requiring you to be at rest.
😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️1 AM – 3 AM (Liver): The liver is at its peak detoxifying the body, filtering blood, and processing toxins.
👉3 AM – 5 AM: Time for lung detoxification.
👉5 AM – 7 AM: Time for intestinal waste removal.

3️⃣𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗷𝗼𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
Zumba, walks, stretching: movement that energises, not drains. (Consistency over intensity.)

4️⃣𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀
Fatigue whispers before it screams.
I’m learning to respond earlier, not later.

5️⃣𝗨𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀
At 25, it was about proving.
At 35, it was about growing.
At 55, it’s about sustaining impact with wisdom.

This “April Fool Month” reminded me of something important:
👉Growth is not just about pushing forward.
👉 It’s also about pacing wisely.

I’m still committed to the next level! Hanging there, recovering and coming back stronger!

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵?

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀... 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁?

Different experience.
Different personalities.
Same intention: to support the coachee’s growth.

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in coaching sessions facilitated by Yina and Peter. While the session stemmed from PROSUADE, the coaching topic was fully owned by the coachee.

And that made all the difference.

As observers, we witnessed something powerful:
how questions can gently move someone from a 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮…
to the 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 beneath it.

Like peeling an onion, layer by layer.

With each question, more surfaced:
✨ Hidden blockages
✨ Unseen blind spots
✨ Patterns that, if left unchecked, could create new problems even after solving the current one

That’s the beauty of coaching.
Not giving answers, but creating awareness.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿.

As a solopreneur, I found myself reflecting on how my work is not just what I do…
but how it shapes my 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 and in turn, how that builds my 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥.

The questions challenged my thinking.
Shifted my perspective.
Sharpened my clarity.

And I’m reminded again that clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder alone.
It comes from thinking with others who can see what we cannot.

A special appreciation to my group mates, Your encouragement and non-judgmental presence created a space where it was safe to explore, question, and grow.

That kind of space… is not common.
But it is powerful.

𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

And sometimes, all it takes is the right question…
at the right moment.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆?

I met Ong Ching Ching & Jeffrey back in MOE.

Years have passed, one belief has stayed with us:

👉 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰; 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦.

It begins with 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳, extends to 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆, reaches into the 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, & shows up in our 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲.

Not in titles, in how we show up, especially when no one is watching.

Today, I want to dedicate this poem to our friendship and what we believe leadership truly is.

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𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳,
𝘈 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘨𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭.
𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦,
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡.

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴,
𝘛𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳.
𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦'𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴,
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜, “𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.”

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦.
𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘥
𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘦.

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘥,
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘦
𝘙𝘦𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥,
𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦.

𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺,
𝘐𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯,
𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺
𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣.

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦,
𝘈 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵.
𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭
𝘼 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩.

𝘚𝘰 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩,
𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘺, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦.
𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴, 𝘵𝘰𝘰.

---

Grateful for friendships that remind me:
💛 Leadership is not something we do.
💛 It is something we become together.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. 𝗔 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗺 𝗜 “𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘇𝘆” 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴… when I could be enjoying some well-deserved me time?

Yes, we conducted our 4th Community Learning session with the early childhood educators from David & Goliath Preschool (DGP), led by the passionate and committed Dolly. What stood out was not just the energy in the room, but the 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴.

This group of educators didn’t just attend a session; they leaned in fully.

They explored how to 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵, thoughtfully crafting learning experiences with one clear intention:
👉 to spark curiosity and arouse children’s interest to learn.

And that, to me, is the heart of lifelong learning.
Because when educators themselves remain curious, reflective, and open to new possibilities, they don’t just teach—they 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀.

There was experimentation.
There was laughter.
There were moments of “let’s try this differently.”

That willingness to try, refine, and grow is what defines a true learning community.

A heartfelt thank you to:
🤩 Dolly for making this learning possible and creating the space for her team to grow
🤩 Ronald Lee for facilitating with such adaptability and insight
🤩 Eugene Ong for co-facilitating alongside me and bringing great energy to the session

I continue to be inspired by educators who choose growth, not because they have to, but because they want to.

What does lifelong learning look like for you in this season of your life?

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀—𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲? 🎶✨

This was our 3rd Community Learning session, and this time, we had the joy of working with a group of enthusiastic early childhood teachers from Nobleland Arts N Learning Place.

While many were already familiar with ChatGPT’s basic features, we took it a step further to explore how AI can 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 based on their existing lesson plans.

And the highlight?
👉 Creating lyrics with ChatGPT and turning them into songs using Suno.

The room came alive with laughter and energy as teachers:

🎶Crafted songs tailored for nursery and kindergarten learners
🎶Performed their creations in groups
🎶Even choreographed dances to bring their songs to life 💃

It was a beautiful reminder that 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹. 𝗜𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴.

A big thank you to:
🙏 Ronald Lee, for your generous sharing and agility in adapting on the spot
🙏 Gabriel Kang and Eugene Ong, for co-facilitating with me and bringing such great energy to the session
🙏 James Chua, for coordinating everything seamlessly and making this session possible

Grateful for moments like these where we don’t just talk about innovation, we experience it together.

How are you using AI to spark creativity in your learning spaces?

Have you ever wondered if Gen AI is only for the younger generation? 🤔

Recently, I organised a 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 where a group of like-minded educators came together to explore 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗟𝗠. What made the session special was the diversity of the group: participants ranged from their 30s to 60s, proving that 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁.

This group was different from the first workshop. For many participants, it was their first introduction to NotebookLM, and the goal was simple: to 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙂𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙄 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠.

If you missed the first session, here is the reflection from our first community learning on NotebookLM:
🔗 https://lnkd.in/g_xSrHAf

Using simple examples, we explored how 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗟𝗠 in practical ways:
1️⃣ 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
Upload research papers, reports, training materials or YouTube videos and get quick summaries.
2️⃣ 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Generate quizzes, reflection questions, or discussion prompts for learners.
3️⃣ 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀
Combine several documents and let NotebookLM connect the key ideas.
4️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿
Extract key concepts that can be turned into slides or lesson outlines.
5️⃣ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘀
Convert content into FAQs, key takeaways, or even podcast-style summaries.

A big thank you to Eugene Ong, Ronald Lee, and Gabriel Kang for sharing your expertise so generously. It was especially helpful to see how 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗟𝗠 to enhance the way we design learning. Thank you, ANG Kar Wee (邓家伟）, Ben, Douglas, Grace, Joyce Goh, Rasidah Rasid (IHRP-CP), Robin, Ruth, William and Yi Ting K. for being part of the learning community. We truly had great fun learning together.

What I enjoy most about these gatherings is the 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. When educators come together to learn, the conversation becomes richer and the possibilities grow.

Looking forward to continuing this community of learning, where we explore new tools together and support one another in adapting to the future of learning. 🚀

My heart is full. ❤️

I hosted 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 this evening and I am deeply grateful.

Everyone who signed up showed up and some came through the invitation of friends.

That, to me, already speaks volumes.

What made the evening even more meaningful was the presence and support of people who have journeyed with me:

✨ My group coaching mate, Wee Leng
✨ My new friends from BNI Crescendo Singapore: Milson, Michelle, Jason, Zeng Kai, and Ping

Thank you for showing up, for your encouragement, and for being part of this space.

✨ I also want to thank my coaches for encouraging me to share, to step forward, and to give hope to others.

Eugene Seah, Yina Han and Peter Lee, I did it.
---------------------------------------------------------

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — we all have our hard knocks.

I shared my life map.
The ups, the doubts, the turning points.
And how I use the 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 to move forward.

We had a short Q&A, and what stayed with me was not just the questions but the reflections shared by participants when I asked:

“𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗽?”

Here are some of their words:
• 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭
• 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
• 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦
• 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦
• 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘬
• 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥
• 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨

Each word… a reminder of why we show up.
Why we share.
Why we dare to try.

Because when one person shares, someone else finds a little more light.

So here’s a question for all of us:
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝘁?

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵.. 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗔𝗜? 🤖

It's a fair question. With so many tools available today, it is tempting to believe we can figure everything out ourselves.

AI is incredibly useful. I use it too. But most of the time, we use it to 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀, not to be 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱. ⚒️

A human coach does something very different. A good coach
👂 listens beyond the words
🧲 senses misalignment or incongruence in what we say.
⁉️ notices the hesitation, the contradiction, the unfinished thought, and
⏹️ press the 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻.

Then they ask powerful questions that make us stop and think:
🔎 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵?
🔎 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭? 𝘈𝘮 𝘐 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨?
🔎 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦?

Those questions cannot be rushed. They require presence, curiosity and deep listening.

Recently, I experienced this with my three coaches.
🀄 Eugene Seah challenged the negative voices that quietly shape how I see myself and what I believe is possible.
🀄 Peter Lee surfaced the gap I had not fully seen.
🀄 Han held the space for me to declutter my thinking and find clarity.

I am also grateful to Wee Leng, Jonathan, Tracy, Yian and Joanna who are walking this learning journey with me. Learning alongside others makes the reflection deeper and the growth more meaningful.

As a trainer and coach myself, this was a powerful reminder: 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁... 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵. 🔎

Because when we think together, we become sharper together. 🚀

And sometimes, the most powerful breakthroughs come not from answers, but from the 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. ⏰