Eleven candidates from eight co-operatives participated in the latest cohort of the Emerging Leaders Programme (ELP) led by the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF).
In its second year, the scheme kicked off this month in Batam, Indonesia, with a series of training sessions developed by SNCF and the Republic Polytechnic (RP).
So far the scheme has trained 22 people, with SNCF hoping to bring the total to 100 over the next few years. Participants heard from SNCF EXCO member Raen Lim, who is also the group vice-president (Asia) of San Fransisco based technology firm Splunk.
The programme sees emerging co-ops leaders network with various SNCF stakeholders, including its executive committee, plus members from the Registry of Co-operative Societies and co-operators from Singapore and other countries.
“This is a great opportunity for aspiring co-operative leaders who want to grow and contribute to the co-operative ecosystem,” said Alex Shieh, the architect of the scheme.
Participants have an average age of 35 have been working for their co-ops for over five years. Between now and August they will work in teams, discussing leadership issues and refining their communication techniques.
“A good leader needs to have empathy, a clear vision of where they want to go, and the ability to communicate this vision clearly to the team,” said Sharon Lim, a senior executive at AUPE General Services Co-operative, who has been with the co-operative for over a decade. “At ELP 2024, I was introduced to the Problem Definition Template and SCAMPER tool, which taught me how to brainstorm ideas better with my team,” she added.
Serene Lee, a senior manager at Seacare Co-operative, also praised the scheme. “Finding out the unknown is crucial in sound decision-making,” she said. “What we have learnt over the few days have helped me analyse and evaluate scenarios better. I am also looking forward to learn from other co-operative members in my group and apply what I have learnt to brainstorm strategies with them.“
