My Journey So Far
Trained as a Chemical Engineer, I started my career as a Process Engineer in ExxonMobil Refinery in Singapore. I always look back fondly at how the organisation was like a big family. I mean, we have folks that have worked there their entire careers. A certain level of familiarity and mutual support was always present.
I subsequently joined KBC Advanced Technology as a technical consultant, focusing on utility system optimization. It’s here that I first encountered coaching when many of the managers in the company were sent for coaching training with Tony Latimer (MCC). I started to appreciate the power of the subconscious to come up with ways to close the gap between the current situation and the ideal future. This approach to engage the coachee’s subconscious brings greater depth into the coaching space. Another key learning is the power of “pre-supposition” to assist coachees to tap into their inner resources.
As a consultant, I often facilitated workshops with clients (e.g. workflow mapping and improvement). I found that synthesizing multiple points of view into a coherent, emergent view brought me a tremendous sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Organisation development and change enablement became my favourite topics.
Aspiring to further develop in this space, I enrolled in the Consulting and Coaching for Change master program at Insead. There, we experienced first-hand the process of sense-making as a group. This experience demonstrated to me the power and diversity of group intelligence that is often left untapped in modern organisations.
The course opened up the fascinating world of System Psychodynamic. During the group coaching module, we supported one another to explore our blind spots and how we come to be who we are. The transformative power in such a space was palpable. Each of us increased our awareness of how our personal narratives may be limiting us, and embraced our positive possible-selfs. The psychological-mindedness I gained through the Insead program continues to inform my coaching practice today.
I subsequently trained with the Asian Leadership Institute in Chiang Mai as a facilitator for a mindfulness based EQ development program. My heart was always full after holding space for the groups going through the program. During these discussions, members learn to see strength in their own vulnerabilities, while picking up peer coaching skills to support one another through their respective journeys. Having facilitated several groups through the TeamUp program, I learned to viscerally hold space during group reflections in order for deeper truths and insights to emerge. I gained a deep reverence for the wisdom that often emerge from such spaces.
As program manager for a Taiwanese client, we applied change enablement concepts to help improve shift team effectiveness. Approaching change from an emergent perspective allowed the team to be aware of the need to constantly adjust our approach, depending on how the system responds to our interventions.
During the COVID period, I guided my team of consultants to use Gallup strengths as a frame to support one another. It highlighted for us the unique individual attributes that each of us brought to the team. Again, it was tremendously fulfilling to see the team coming together in support of one another’s growth and development. The level of camaraderie we developed remains as one of the highlights of my career.
Nowadays, as an Enterprise Solution Consultant with AspenTech, I support clients in their change enablement needs as they embark on their Operational Excellence and Digital Transformation journeys. A holistic program balancing the aspects of People, Process and Technology is my favoured approach.
Furthering my coaching training with CO-ME Institute (Indonesia), I had the good fortune of learning from Coach Heru Yuwono (MCC). Coach Heru supported each of us to embody our unique coaching styles, bringing a sense of flexible congruence as we hold space for coachees.
Looking ahead, I see my life work as that of supporting the remembrance of Heart-centered consciousness on this planet. May we all find our unique ways to radiate and express our inner light! The unfolding journey continues…
