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When Ruth Saw first stepped into a foreign classroom as an MBA student in 2010, she was struck by how outspoken her peers were. Discussions were lively, debates frequent, and opinions voiced without hesitation. Coming from Singapore, where learners often hold back in deference to hierarchy, the environment was a culture shock.
“I realised very quickly that if I wanted to survive in this new space, I had to find my voice,” Ruth recalls. That discovery led her to Toastmasters, where she confronted her fear of public speaking. What began as survival need became a spark that ignited her passion for communication and adult learning — a passion that has since shaped her journey as a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and SoundWave Accredited Practitioner.
“I realised very quickly that if I wanted to survive in this new space, I had to find my voice,” Ruth recalls. That discovery led her to Toastmasters, where she confronted her fear of public speaking. What began as survival need became a spark that ignited her passion for communication and adult learning — a passion that has since shaped her journey as a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and SoundWave Accredited Practitioner.
As a strengths coach, Ruth helps individuals and teams identify, develop and leverage their unique talents.As a SoundWave Accredited Practitioner, she uses communication profiling tools that enhance conversational impact and self-awareness, both at work and in personal relationships. Together, these lenses equip her to help learners see themselves — and one another — differently.
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Ruth providing strength-based leadership training in Australia. (Photo provided by Ruth Saw)
From corporate to coaching
Ruth’s career began in the corporate world, in strategic procurement transformation, where she navigated the turbulence of change management and trained staff in SAP software during the dot-com boom. “I realised the biggest challenge was never the content,” she reflects. “It was how to genuinely engage people.”
This insight stayed with her when she returned to Singapore and gradually transitioned into adult education. Along the way, she formalised her expertise, earning the Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP) in 2024 and the Graduate Diploma in Workplace Learning (GDWPL) in 2025.
Breakthrough
One of Ruth’s favourite anecdotes comes from her time training in an overseas government. “I had never seen such resistance before,” she laughs. “During one session, a participant actually banged the table and said, ‘I know this is good for me, but we never do it this way!’”
Shocked but undeterred, Ruth sought him out during a break to build rapport over coffee. “I even tried to book his calendar, but he refused to meet me. Still, I told him it was okay, we would find another time. I didn’t push, but I kept the door open.”
Ironically, the same participant who resisted her most fiercely became the first to award her a project. “That experience taught me that resistance is not the end of the story. Sometimes it’s the start of a deeper connection.”
Coaching human connections
For Ruth, training is never just about imparting skills. It is about helping people connect as humans. She recalls a session on coaching for managers that moved participants to tears.
“When I demonstrated coaching techniques, some managers actually got emotional. They realised they had been so focused on production and performance that they forgot to connect with their people. One participant told a colleague, ‘I’ve worked with you for more than 20 years, but I’ve never seen you this way.’ Moments like that break down walls. They remind us that learning is not just about doing better, but about being better together.”
Ruth’s career began in the corporate world, in strategic procurement transformation, where she navigated the turbulence of change management and trained staff in SAP software during the dot-com boom. “I realised the biggest challenge was never the content,” she reflects. “It was how to genuinely engage people.”
This insight stayed with her when she returned to Singapore and gradually transitioned into adult education. Along the way, she formalised her expertise, earning the Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP) in 2024 and the Graduate Diploma in Workplace Learning (GDWPL) in 2025.
Breakthrough
One of Ruth’s favourite anecdotes comes from her time training in an overseas government. “I had never seen such resistance before,” she laughs. “During one session, a participant actually banged the table and said, ‘I know this is good for me, but we never do it this way!’”
Shocked but undeterred, Ruth sought him out during a break to build rapport over coffee. “I even tried to book his calendar, but he refused to meet me. Still, I told him it was okay, we would find another time. I didn’t push, but I kept the door open.”
Ironically, the same participant who resisted her most fiercely became the first to award her a project. “That experience taught me that resistance is not the end of the story. Sometimes it’s the start of a deeper connection.”
Coaching human connections
For Ruth, training is never just about imparting skills. It is about helping people connect as humans. She recalls a session on coaching for managers that moved participants to tears.
“When I demonstrated coaching techniques, some managers actually got emotional. They realised they had been so focused on production and performance that they forgot to connect with their people. One participant told a colleague, ‘I’ve worked with you for more than 20 years, but I’ve never seen you this way.’ Moments like that break down walls. They remind us that learning is not just about doing better, but about being better together.”
Ruth providing training in a local hospital. (Photo provided by Ruth Saw)
Training as framing, not just content
Reflecting on her work, Ruth is clear about where the real transformation lies. “Training is not purely about content, it’s framing. It’s an internal shift. To me, that’s the most rewarding. Once you shift, the skills come easy.”
Yet her journey has not been without sacrifice. “As a procurement consultant, I earned more and was more respected. As a trainer, people sometimes push you aside, as if you’re ‘just a trainer’. To keep going, I had to recognise my purpose — that my role is to impact lives.”
Reframing stereotypes
Ruth often encounters leaders who stereotype Singapore’s workforce as uncritical or overly prone to complaining. Her coaching challenges these assumptions by reframing perspectives.
C-Suite and senior leaders sometimes tell Ruth that Singaporeans are not critical thinkers. But she questions, is that really true? “If a leader says, ‘I prefer option B,’ and everyone agrees, does that mean the team lacks critical thinking — or that hierarchy got in the way?” asked Ruth, “Small changes in how we ask questions can make a big difference. For instance, ask for opinions before showing your hand, and you’ll often uncover more diverse views.”
Another common frustration is the perception that Singapore teams complain too much. One manager shared that her Filipino colleague felt that her Singapore team complaint too much to a point nothing she produces was ever good enough. What Ruth saw, was really a problem-solving strength applied inappropriately.
“In Gallup’s Clifton strengths, one of Singapore’s dominant talent themes is ‘Restoration’,” she says “It is the ability to spot problems and solve them. We are naturally wired to scan for what’s not working. That same instinct is what helped us respond so quickly during COVID-19. What may sound like complaining is often just our way of identifying and solving problems.”
A learner-centred philosophy
At the heart of Ruth’s practice is a learner-first philosophy. She consciously steps into the learner’s shoes, tailoring her sessions to cultural contexts and personal stories. Her facilitation style is adaptive and empathetic — equally effective with forty participants in a classroom or two hundred in a hall.
She often uses volunteers and peer support to create collaborative spaces, ensuring that even the most resistant participants find safety and relevance in the learning process. “For me, the goal is not compliance,” she says. “It is growth, relevance and human connection.”
Lifelong learning as a compass
Ruth continues to embody the values she teaches. She embraces evidence-based tools, workplace learning structures and continuous digital upskilling and assessment capabilities.
Her greatest reward, however, lies not in certificates or accolades, but in the transformation of her learners.
Ruth recounted that when her father who was a secondary school teacher passed on, his former students came for his funeral. Some of them were already with grey hair, in their forties and fifties. She was deeply moved. In that moment, she saw the quiet, lasting impact a teacher can have on life.
As she reflects, Ruth says: “I choose to faithfully live out my purpose and my call like my father… …I do my best, and impact lives, and that’s all that matters.”
Reflecting on her work, Ruth is clear about where the real transformation lies. “Training is not purely about content, it’s framing. It’s an internal shift. To me, that’s the most rewarding. Once you shift, the skills come easy.”
Yet her journey has not been without sacrifice. “As a procurement consultant, I earned more and was more respected. As a trainer, people sometimes push you aside, as if you’re ‘just a trainer’. To keep going, I had to recognise my purpose — that my role is to impact lives.”
Reframing stereotypes
Ruth often encounters leaders who stereotype Singapore’s workforce as uncritical or overly prone to complaining. Her coaching challenges these assumptions by reframing perspectives.
C-Suite and senior leaders sometimes tell Ruth that Singaporeans are not critical thinkers. But she questions, is that really true? “If a leader says, ‘I prefer option B,’ and everyone agrees, does that mean the team lacks critical thinking — or that hierarchy got in the way?” asked Ruth, “Small changes in how we ask questions can make a big difference. For instance, ask for opinions before showing your hand, and you’ll often uncover more diverse views.”
Another common frustration is the perception that Singapore teams complain too much. One manager shared that her Filipino colleague felt that her Singapore team complaint too much to a point nothing she produces was ever good enough. What Ruth saw, was really a problem-solving strength applied inappropriately.
“In Gallup’s Clifton strengths, one of Singapore’s dominant talent themes is ‘Restoration’,” she says “It is the ability to spot problems and solve them. We are naturally wired to scan for what’s not working. That same instinct is what helped us respond so quickly during COVID-19. What may sound like complaining is often just our way of identifying and solving problems.”
A learner-centred philosophy
At the heart of Ruth’s practice is a learner-first philosophy. She consciously steps into the learner’s shoes, tailoring her sessions to cultural contexts and personal stories. Her facilitation style is adaptive and empathetic — equally effective with forty participants in a classroom or two hundred in a hall.
She often uses volunteers and peer support to create collaborative spaces, ensuring that even the most resistant participants find safety and relevance in the learning process. “For me, the goal is not compliance,” she says. “It is growth, relevance and human connection.”
Lifelong learning as a compass
Ruth continues to embody the values she teaches. She embraces evidence-based tools, workplace learning structures and continuous digital upskilling and assessment capabilities.
Her greatest reward, however, lies not in certificates or accolades, but in the transformation of her learners.
Ruth recounted that when her father who was a secondary school teacher passed on, his former students came for his funeral. Some of them were already with grey hair, in their forties and fifties. She was deeply moved. In that moment, she saw the quiet, lasting impact a teacher can have on life.
As she reflects, Ruth says: “I choose to faithfully live out my purpose and my call like my father… …I do my best, and impact lives, and that’s all that matters.”
If you are an Adult Educator like Ruth, you can now register with the National Adult Educator Registry!
The National Adult Educator Registry, managed by the Institute for Adult Learning under SkillsFuture Singapore, is a national platform that tracks continuing professional development activities, practice hours, and professional growth for registered adult educators.