When we began training two popular F&B retail chains, I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong – in a good way.
In the first, a beloved local name turned international success, participants came in with wide eyes and open hearts. New to learning and development, especially soft skills, they brought a startup’s fiery spirit, candidly admitting they’d grown faster than they could manage. But they weren’t fazed. They were hungry to learn, aware that scaling a business requires scaling people too.
The second, a global brand. Established. Sophisticated. Here, with remarkable humility, participants approached training with curiosity rather than complacency. Their eagerness mirrored the those of the local team – but it came from a different depth of self-awareness. In that room, I saw something rare: not just learners, but leaders letting themselves be taught.
My takeaway from these experiences? Corporate training, when approached with honesty and curiosity, becomes a window to the human side of business.
Lee Choong Yin
Senior Consultant — Leadership & Management Development