Leading, Her Way is a Leadership Development interview series featuring and spotlighting remarkable female leaders in Singapore, and their thoughts on self-exploration, career development, overcoming failures, and work-life alignment.
In this interview, we feature Ms. Tan Beng Luan, Founder and Principal of Creative O Preschoolers’ Bay, and Creative O Education, a non-profit organization. She has over 30 years of experience in leadership in the education sector.
She shares her take on positive leadership, mentorship, and how she built an environment that has helped her organization brave through the tough periods over the past 27 years.
Q: Reflecting on your leadership journey, what has been the most significant challenge you've faced, and how did you overcome it?
A: The most significant challenge was to establish a working culture that aligns with my education philosophy and beliefs. It took me many years to gradually build the brand, and be acknowledged and embraced by the staff.
It is crucial to:
· be a just and transparent leader when managing human resources and financial-related matters
· trust and empower staff in handling their respective work with confidence and competency
· give full support to staff when they encounter challenges; to encourage them to support one another and work as a team.
Q: As a leader for many years, how do you manage the different generations of employees? What are some of the interesting differences you have observed? How did you adjust your leadership style?
A: My team structure is on a spectrum that includes highly educated teachers, a vice-principal and illiterate staff, such as helpers, and cooks. Over the years, I do see that the teachers have work priorities but I do not think generation or gender was an issue with the right management. I try my best to create a positive working environment with a flat hierarchy where our staff feel that they are being respected and do their best. There is only division of work, but no ranking within the organisation.I believe that being more straightforward in communication is embedded in our culture, hence we can discuss any feedback and ideas to build the school into a better place.
Q: Can you share a time when you had to make a tough decision that was unpopular but ultimately beneficial for the organization? How did you handle the situation and communicate it to your team?
A: One of the toughest decisions I had to make was during a period of financial instability caused by an economic downturn in Singapore. We were unable to provide the annual wage scheme (AWS). I addressed the situation by transparently sharing the financial realities we were facing with the entire staff. Our management team has always prioritized transparency, and this approach fostered understanding and support from everyone involved.
Q: What strategies do you employ to develop and retain top talent within your organization?
A: To develop and retain top talent within our organization, we employ several key strategies that focus on creating a supportive and growth-oriented working environment. These strategies have proven effective, as evidenced by our relatively low turnover rate of 5%, compared to the industry average of 10% based on a 2019 report by the Lien Foundation.
Here are the strategies I have employed over the years:
1. Supportive Working Environment
We prioritize creating a conducive working environment where staff feel supported both personally and professionally. This includes work-life balance policies and personal support resources.
2. Professional Growth Opportunities
We are committed to the continuous professional development of our staff by offering training and development as well as career advancement opportunities.
3. Community and Partnerships
Through our non-profit arm, Creative O Education, we aim to build a community for teachers, not just from our school but other schools as well. We bring in educators and experts from various countries to conduct training and workshops for interested teachers and schools. By building this community, we gain valuable partners where we can share our best practices and grow the early childhood industry in Singapore.
Q: In one statement, what does "Leading, Her Way" mean to you?
A: I do not see myself as a leader but as a facilitator.
Author: Min Jiayi
Comments