Every year, the world’s leading dictionaries and many global publishers come up with a “word of the year”. For me, there is one very clear one to describe 2022: transition. Last year was the one when the world acclimatized to living with Covid-19. Even the last country to hold out – China – had opted… [Read the full article]
Category: Family Business
Combating unethical business practices
In a recent blog post, I wrote about the reassuring findings of Edelman’s 2022 Trust Barometer. It found that, globally, trust in business is growing because people view companies as a reliable and credible source of information in the fake news era. I also wrote about how THP views trust as the core part of… [Read the full article]
Why informality not hierarchy is the watchword for Vietnamese business
One issue that often confounds Westerners when they come to visit us at THP is the gulf between their pre-conceived notions about the way that Asians value hierarchy and what they perceive happening on the ground. In some ways, this is very understandable. It is well known that Vietnam is a Confucian society. This is… [Read the full article]
How to align individual attainment with a company’s business goals
One of the most difficult and fundamental issues that any company faces is getting the right balance between many peoples’ innate desire for self-advancement and the need for collaboration to achieve common goals. I am always reminded about former US President Harry Truman’s quote on the ideal scenario: “It’s amazing what you can achieve when… [Read the full article]
Being a Teacher
Each year since 1982, we have celebrated Teacher’s Day on November 20th here in Vietnam. It is a chance for students, past and present, to show respect and admiration for the teachers among us. And one of our most famous sayings about education always reminds me of my father and his great childhood friend Uncle… [Read the full article]
New Employees Recruitment
THP is a family-owned and family-run company. Feeling part of a big extended, mutually supportive family applies to everyone here: from my mother and father who founded the company to the newest recruits who have just left school and are embarking on their first job. This mindset sometimes comes as a surprise to people when… [Read the full article]
Why we should be re-thinking resilience
What do we mean we use the word resilience? It is one of those buzzwords that regularly headlines corporate workshops. Companies spend a lot of money teaching their staff to be more resilient and it is increasingly being taught in schools too. For HR departments, resilience training has become a popular response to well-being surveys… [Read the full article]
Women at Work
At THP, we teach everyone that, “Nothing is Impossible.” It is the very spirit of our company. But unfortunately, it still remains true that when it comes to gender equality, too many women find that there are barriers in place to their advancement. Some of these barriers are visible. A Vietnamese job advertisement may stipulate… [Read the full article]
Why trust matters?
Do we trust the leaders of the companies that we work for? The answer is yes according to Edelman’s most recent annual global Trust Barometer. The public relations firm’s 2022 survey makes reassuring and inspiring reading for company executives like myself. And while the report does not include Vietnam as one of its 28 respondent… [Read the full article]
Mùa Vu Lan – Vietnamese Mother Appreciation Month
If you are lucky enough to be visiting Vietnam this August, you may see a number of people wearing roses on their shirts or blouses. Some will be wearing red roses and some will be wearing white. The different colours signify whether the wearer’s mother is alive (red) or has passed on (white). These flowers… [Read the full article]
