We trust that you had a meaningful 2022 and are enjoying the break in anticipation of 2023.
We would like to use this opportunity to update how The Collab Folks at 7 years old continues to learn about learning as a collaborative network. Our play is a little more complex now bringing ideas to reality in a public manner instead of exclusively in our client work.
How did we do on our hopes and wishes for 2022?
Playing and Learning
- Unmasterclass : Failing OKRs, Design and Leadership allowed us to express what we had learnt together in a public forum to test ideas with our network. We plan to use the funds to help us plan an in-person session in the new year.
- Cowtopia explored starting the second series but with timing and commitments, we decided to focus on LIVE events instead in Singapore and Bali to build internal capability. With a mix of public and client interest, we are looking forward to the 2023 edition to partner with a local community space.
- Opening Space for Sustainability : we kicked off a series of planned unconferences in November towards 2023 with #ProductTonic, Singapore Next Level Facilitators hosted by VMware Tanzy Labs. This was our first bridge into an important topic of education, behaviours and organisational change that we see as critical in the communities we are a part of.
Feelings, Thinking, Talking and Communicating
- Product Tonic Lab Cohort 2 continues our work in the Southeast Asia Product Leadership Community engaging new participants, facilitators and mentors. Combining our understanding of Theory U and Prime/Open Space, we continue to experiment on a long form container for learning about self, others and the larger whole.
- The Make Meaningful Work team grew with additional support and studio sessions to help us deepen our understanding of the practices separating conscious and unconscious mastery. Next year proves to be exciting with the launch of UXHK 2023’s year long program.
- Product Narrative’s system work in Indonesia grows in capability and capacity for leadership and professional development that leads well into 2023.
- Xopo Design’s collaboration with WeCreate Studio created Hello Empathy – a game to deepen empathy through meaningful conversations. This was part of a year-long project part of the Good Design Research Grant, supported by Design Singapore Council.
- Future Work Asia completed a coaching journey with a number of amazing leaders from the Obama Leadership APAC program.
Moving
- We started travelling for family, friends, clients or experiments with ways of working away from home, this meant we didn’t meet as frequently online in the second half and instead made room for more in-person interactions in Singapore, Malaysia and Jakarta.
Read about our personal take on what we look forward towards in 2023 …
❤️ What did we appreciate about 2022? 🐰 What are our hopes and wishes for 2023?
The world felt a little bigger in 2022. I think because more in-person interactions were possible and I managed to use the airports again for air travel, solo and with family.
A couple work-related challenges in 2022 I really enjoyed:
Managed to introduce a new course to 150+ employees in 2 companies. We call it System Work. 99.5% reported they’d like the program to be adopted as part of their formal leadership/personal development program. This will keep us busy in 2023. 💪
Continued my practice as a mental health coach. Added 50+ hours of 1:1 sessions. I noticed more sessions were booked towards the end of the year. 🤔 (The same pattern as in 2021.) Let’s see what pattern emerged in 2023.
Outside work, the days revolved around project-managing a house renovation and experimenting with teaching kids. Topics I’d likely to share when we meet offline would be i) teaching my 10-year-old son piano/keyboard using YouTube until his admission to a school band and ii) going through a 3-day silent retreat in an abandoned hotel, which had been empty for two years.
Happy holidays and cheers to an awesome New Year.
The self-realisation and understanding journey continues for me. The well known phrase “Empty your cup so that it may be filled; become devoid to gain totality” is most accurate to describe the journey that I have been going on this year. The saying is meant to approach new experiences and ideas with openness and a willingness to learn, and to recognize that true understanding often requires letting go of preconceptions and biases.
This has allowed me to gain slightly more clarity about my own personal strengths and what I enjoy doing in terms of work and personal life.
❤️ What did we appreciate about 2022?
- Worked on a year-long design project that translates learnings and insights from the Autism community in Singapore into a conversational card-game to deepen empathy through meaningful conversations Hello-empathy
- Hosted a face to face Cowtopia LIVE! Session
- Gotten myself a triple bundled joy, Got married, Got a house, Got a son!
- Re-working what my future work would look like in the next 3 years
- Actively working on “fill your own cup before pouring for others” as a way of life
🐰 What are our hopes and wishes for 2023?
I wish to gain more clarity on my approach to design my future work. I am looking forward to 2023 to what it may come, with my bag of fundamentals and skills I hope to brace ahead with the team at The Collab Folks to work towards meaningful work. Connect with us if any of these rings a bell in you.
All the best everyone!
I write this from San Francisco, a city of history, possibilities and opportunity. This city is a reminder that all things are possible with intent and positivity. It is a timely respite as 2022 has been a year of ins-and-outs and ups-and-downs; a constant reminder that life is unpredictable and all we can do is to accept and adapt. That said, there has been a number of highlights:
- Directly supported clients in cultivating agility in a variety of contexts, towards creating positive outcomes for customers and employees
- Completed a coaching journey with a number of amazing leaders from the Obama Leadership APAC program
- Nurturing a startup management team through coaching and consulting
- Continued my coaching development with the completion of the Newfield Team Coaching program
- Finished the year delivering ICAgile Agile Product Ownership and Agile Team Facilitation training
2022 has been a rest year for me and I’m looking forward to ushering in 2023 with new ideas, insights and initiatives!
Travel and in-person work finally came back this year! I spent 60 days out of Singapore this year experimenting with longer, intentional trips to places where friends are based like Bali, Jakarta, Bogor and Kuala Lumpur.
❤️ What did I appreciate about 2022?
- My 6th year of working with the amazing team at SoftEd allows me to meet a wide range of individuals and organisations looking to develop their capabilities in Product Ownership, Product Managers, Agile Team Facilitators & Coaches. It was fruitful work this year with a Singapore Government agency, a global Bank and continued progress with a long term Insurance client in the Philippines. This work continues to provide a great learning experience. Getting to meet the SoftEd & new Skills team at the Singapore Fintech Festival after a long 3 years was a huge delight.
- Working with Coach Takeshi @ Agile OD for the first time, we were able to help Hack40 and a FMCG client look at innovation towards increasing health span with a diverse team sitting across Netherlands, United Kingdom, Thailand and Philippines.
- I finally cycled 420 km from KL to Singapore for Ride for Rations. After all the flights over the last 12 years, I do wish I had done this sooner! The ride raised over SGD 490k for the families.
- Product Tonic Lab Cohort 2 working with new participants, facilitators and mentors who came back to help after their experience in Cohort 1.
- Cowtopia continues to grow in our latest public play tests with Andre and Yong Lin. We ventured from Singapore to Bali with sessions for Shopee and Bank Jago that were well received.
- Bridging People Canvas project via the Ulab 2x program continues to teach more about the patience and deliberateness needed for societal level changes. I deeply appreciate Tim, Trecia, Tze and Laxman who have taken this journey together.
- Time in Bali allowed my wife and myself to appreciate the time in Kintamani and find a quiet retreat for ourselves. I was also able to facilitate an Empathy Box session for teenagers at the Bali Youth Camp thanks to Dada P.
- Body Stories with Cheryl, Walk with Me with Seri, Hon Peow & Jia En, Virtual Pauses + R3 Retreats with Michelle & Forest School continues to be a resource we draw upon for the work that I do in the wider community.
A key highlight for 2022, I took part in the year long Satir & Mentoring Specialist Program to further my understanding of Virginia Satir’s work. Sharon Loeschen created the psychoeducational program with a dual focus on education and psychological strengths, skills and resources. It involves learning from the inside out relating to personal growth, theory and skills development.
🐰 What are my hopes and wishes for 2023?
- After a long absence, heading back to Baan Dada Children’s Home in Thailand for Ride for Baan Dada 2023, a 600 km route with friends. We are aiming to raise SGD 28,000 for this ride to defray the cost of university and technical school for 10 children, with additional support for equipping solar battery storage for the home.
- Completing the practicum for Satir & Mentoring Specialist Program coaching over the first 6 months.
- Attending Michelle’s Mindfulness-based Wellbeing Enhancement program to deepen my understanding of self and others in creating spaces for well-being
- Blending my understanding of community, agility, user research, product development and personal growth towards helping to nurture leadership in the areas I’m interested in: Quality Education. This would be played out in projects like Product Tonic Lab, Opening Space for Sustainability and other initiatives.
If the last 7 years of the Collab Folks was about building the foundations for work and play, the next 7 years would be about creating the bridges for the work ahead.
Thank you for reading and being a part of our collective network.
We wish you happiness and good health in the new year.
Warmly,
Mulyadi, Andre, Tze & Michael
The Collab Folks 