The Straits Times: What Do You Want Out Of Life?

March 20, 2010 – The Straits Times – Singapore

Lee Siew Hua experiences a taste of executive life coaching from Foo See Luan.

EXECUTIVE coach Foo See Luan, 72, casts an expert’s eye on me as I sit in his comfortable sun-lit Queen Astrid Gardens luxury apartment-cum-office, jasmine tea at my side.

“What outcome do you want out of life?” he asks.

I reply and he asks more questions. “What about work? What are you doing about reaching your work goals?”

The questions do not sound particularly profound, but they are very direct and lead me to consider my answers and spell out my focus — first in life, then in my career.

After five minutes of dialogue, we stop the experiment, and dial back the intensity of our mini-coaching session.

With more time, he says, he would have lobbed questions that probe a little deeper: Soul-searching showstoppers such as, “what’s the worst thing you’ve gone through in your life?”

The quick one-on-one session with Mr Foo — founder of FSL Coaching 12 years ago, with blue-chip clients that include Microsoft and Nike — gives me a flavour of what the process involves and what coaches do for their very lucrative living.

No black arts are involved, no faddish management speak. They simply ask searching questions that are intended to draw out from deep within us the solutions to issues, challenges or goals. Read more.