Jay is the Lead Coach at NewCampus, responsible for leading and managing the delivery sprints run by NewCampus. Here are some of his vital stats!

• Prior to joining NewCampus, he worked in tech, starting his career at a startup in Beijing
• Jay had been doing improv theatre — and discovered that the skills required in improv were directly applicable to the challenges in the tech industry.
• As a communication-focused coach, he finds that “communication hygiene” is essential to building relationships within teams.

We thought it'd be fun for NewCampus learners (and their leaders) to get to know Jay better through 6 simple questions...

Tell us about your journey and experiences before you first became a NewCampus coach.

I started my career in tech, working for a startup in Beijing. At that point, I'd been doing improv theatre for about five years. I realized there was a connection between the skills I used in improv and the challenges I faced in the high-stakes tech environment. Both required tight communication and collaboration. In improv, we're essentially a team innovating under pressure.

I saw that improv could be beneficial in the corporate space, and so I started my own company called Minds at Play, developing training programmes based on theatre skills. I was drawn to the idea of play for adults—a concept that's almost stigmatized. Once we leave childhood, we often stop playing or admitting that we play, because it doesn't sound serious or adult enough.

I wanted to challenge this perception and demonstrate that directed, structured play offers significant benefits for people of all ages, especially young professionals. The goal wasn't to train people to be actors. Instead, it was about distilling fundamental skills like positive communication, mutual support, and public speaking, and bringing them into the corporate space.

I was juggling both corporate training and experiential education when COVID hit, putting both trajectories on hold. I returned to tech, working at ByteDance. I transferred to the organizational culture department after about a year.

My goal was to help shape this rapidly growing Chinese tech giant as it entered new markets. This experience was incredibly challenging but educational.

During COVID, I had been coached by several professionals, which sparked my interest in bringing my experience into the professional development space.

After leaving ByteDance, I joined a boutique coaching and consulting company, focusing more on professional development. This path has led me to where I am today.

What are some similarities/differences between the areas covered by the NewCampus Management Sprint and your personal experience with other development programmes?

What's different about the frameworks is that they feel very curated for learners. There's a certain intentionality to it. A good example is the beautifully designed slides and the core philosophy around the design.

I remember reading NewCampus' brand guidelines and thinking, "Wow, a lot of thought was put into this." There's a lot of care, and there's a resonance with Southeast Asian themes and cultural values.

The core philosophy underpinning the holistic integration of design—not just of the materials, but of the learning experience—and that holistic presentation is something that's new to me. There's very much an intentionality put into it, which I really appreciate.

How did you discover that your passion was in coaching?

During the early stages of the pandemic, I consulted with three different coaches, each bringing their unique energy and philosophy. I eventually settled on a coach who was truly exceptional and my perspective shifted dramatically.

She was a former executive at Pepsi who had started her own coaching company. An incredibly knowledgeable coach who worked with companies on executive coaching, and had even developed her own programme for training new coaches.

She opened my eyes to what coaching could really be. After working with her, I thought, "I could see myself doing something like this."

When I first joined the my previous coaching firm, I sat in on one-on-one coaching sessions between our founder and executives from multinational firms and private equity fund managers.

Through this process, I wasn't just learning how to be a coach—I was also gaining invaluable insights into how these businesses operated. This experience helped build my career as a coach today.

What are the joys of coaching when being exposed to diverse ideas, talents and backgrounds from learners throughout Asia?

Something I really miss about Asia is its dynamism. Especially living in China, it felt like every day was different. That energy is truly special and unique.

In terms of coaching at New Campus, we're exposed to so many different markets—Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand—it's such a diverse Southeast Asian experience.

I personally love Southeast Asia because of the effortless melding and blending of different cultures, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds. It all blends together, though obviously there can be tensions and conflicts—interpersonal and cultural.

But when it really works, when people respect each other and collaborate across these diverse backgrounds, it feels incredibly special. It's amazing to see that connection, to witness people from these different backgrounds also connecting with the material we're presenting.

What challenges do you see learners facing as first-time managers?

The transition from individual contributor to manager is a quantum leap, and it all boils down to one keyword: awareness.

Unfortunately, new managers often aren't given the tools to succeed. Suddenly, they're grappling with new challenges: stakeholder management, conducting effective one-on-ones, and not just making decisions, but communicating and implementing them.

As the saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility." In a managerial role, your responsibilities expand significantly, especially in terms of communication.

Communication is where many struggle to step up. Sometimes, you're not even aware that communication needs to happen. That's why I emphasize awareness as the key term.

It's about recognizing that you need to do these things—you need to practice effective "communication hygiene." The number one priority for new managers is developing awareness around communication and their new responsibilities.

It's about consistently checking in. Checking in with people, managing up, managing down—it's a daily practice.

What are some of the hopes that you have for the learners after experiencing the Sprint?

I hope these sessions help them build confidence in their nascent leadership skills. I want them to be excited about putting these skills into practice.

It's one thing to know these concepts in theory; it's another to apply them in your work. I hope they leave feeling connected to others, realizing, "I'm not the only one facing these challenges."

There's a community of learners out there in a similar boat. As part of our alumni community, they can always come back, gain more insights, and engage with others.

Ultimately, I want them to leave feeling confident, connected, and eager to implement what they've learned.

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