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Spotlight on the Trainer – Jeanette Teh

Jeanette Teh

At Creative Word, we believe that the quality of our training courses is due, in a large part, to the exceptional trainers who run our courses; they are all industry experts, with years of experience in their chosen field and an array of additional talents and skills accrued throughout their careers and personal lives.

Over the coming months we would like to introduce you to our trainers, showcasing their skills, talents and achievements in special ‘spotlight’ blogs, formed from Q & A sessions with our trainers where they share their professional history and unique experiences which have led them to the Creative Word team and the courses they now teach.

Our first ‘spotlight’ shines on Jeanette Teh, a former lawyer and corporate trainer, who teaches Creative Word Training courses on leadership, people skills, and legal drafting. She has previously delivered training on professional ethics, real estate, employment, commercial agency, and competition law.

 

CWT – Hi, Jeanette. Thank you for joining us today. Could you tell us a little about your professional history and current role?

JT – Hello, thanks for inviting me!

I’m a Corporate Trainer and Coach. After a decade practicing law in Toronto and Dubai, I made a career change in 2013. As Assistant Professor at two Dubai-based universities, I taught law, ethics, and management to undergraduate business students.

I then left academia to focus on corporate training and coaching. Combining my diverse experiences, I deliver training to lawyers in both legal and people skills as part of the Continuing Legal Professional Development Program on behalf of the Dubai Legal Affairs Department, which regulates the legal profession.

20 years after I first studied Psychology and Sociology, I have also returned to my first love, incorporating positive psychology and cognitive behavioural concepts as a coach and in my courses on leadership and people skills.

 

CWT – What special professional expertise and experience do you bring the Creative Word Training courses that you run?

JT – Having such a diverse professional background means I have two distinct skill sets which I can utilise on the courses I teach.

Having practiced at a large law firm and been in-house counsel, I bring both a client and external service provider perspective to my legal training. My MBA background and emphasis on client-centricity promote legal best practices that are commercially astute and practical.

Because in-house lawyers wear many hats, my areas of practice were very diverse — ranging from corporate commercial, employment, competition, privacy, real estate, construction, intellectual property, and technology law, whatever was required at that moment.

Negotiating agreements with parties in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East has provided me with geographic breadth in contract drafting and an appreciation for cultural sensitivity and cross-jurisdictional issues.

For the people skills courses that I teach, my undergrad in Psychology and Sociology has been hugely beneficial, complemented by my certifications in coaching, behavioural analysis, and innovation. I continuously upskill through positive psychology, well-being, cognitive behaviour, and other relevant courses.

Perhaps just as important as the theoretical foundations, I also apply examples and case studies from my personal experiences such as in my Leadership, Managing Difficult Client Situations, and (upcoming) Well-Being courses.

 

CWT – What is it about working with the Creative Word Training team that you particularly enjoy?

JT – I love how the CW team combines efficiency with a smile!

The CW team is friendly and helpful, always going the extra mile to ensure the delivery of training goes smoothly for both the participants and the trainers.

 

CWT – Can you share with us some insights into your new course?

JT – My new course, Leading the Multi-Generational Firm in the Digital Age, is a two-part e-course that covers the principles of leadership, defining characteristics of the different generations in the workplace, and what leaders need to do to be agile in an ever-changing world.

Course participants will learn to:

• Understand the human and financial impact of poor management.

• Distinguish between different leadership styles and develop their own.

• Apply the building blocks and functions of leadership.

• Strengthen different aspects of emotional intelligence.

• Communicate better to increase employee engagement and drive better performance.

• Differentiate between the needs of each generation to better motivate and engage them.

• Recognize and address challenges leaders face in the Digital Age.

As we have seen during the pandemic, empathy, psychological safety, empowerment, trust, and agility are ever so important in these uncertain times. This course addresses these concepts as well as when to use different leadership styles depending on the context, and how to incorporate coaching to develop employees to become better problem-solvers and leaders

E-learning is especially advantageous during the pandemic due to its flexibility, anytime, anywhere accessibility. Perhaps the best feature of e-learning is that it can be consumed in bite-sized pieces whenever participants have a break at any time of day (or night!) from the comfort of their homes or even while waiting in line.

Another benefit of e-courses is the interactivity; participants are asked to reflect and to take quizzes to engage them while learning, and they can also return to previous sections to refresh themselves on a concept.

 

CWT – Do you have any courses in the pipeline that you can share with us here?

JT– I’m currently developing a Well-Being course focusing on how to overcome stress and thrive at work and life.

My background in psychology and coaching has been particularly helpful in the current economic, commercial and personal situations in which we find ourselves (due to the Covid-19 pandemic) so sharing skills that can help others manage their stress levels and overcome pressure is something I’m really looking forward to.

 

CWT – Finally, will you share a favourite quote that gives us an insight into your professional and personal views?

JT – Hmmm…. It is tough to choose just one. I love quotes and use them quite liberally in my courses as they have a way of evoking emotions in a way that other content can’t. I strongly believe in what Aristotle said about how “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

One of my favourite quotes is from Maya Angelou — “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I often quote Maya Angelou when talking about empathy or leadership as it really resonates with me and my personal experience.

Ha-ha, I think I just snuck two quotes in this one!