In the late 1950’s, Pope John XXIII famously described the family as the first essential cell of human society, or as we say in Vietnamese: “gia đình là tế bào thiết yếu đầu tiên của xã hội loài người”. Our government has also adopted this phrase as one of the main slogans for Vietnam Family… [Read the full article]
Latest Thinking
Creating Positive Energy in the Workplace
Energy is the life force, or qi in Asian cultures, that literally keeps each of us alive. And we all know that people who exude positive energy are healthier and happier too: they live longer and they are the kind of people that we want to be around. It is just the same for companies…. [Read the full article]
Encouraging a learning culture
The theme of this year’s International Human Resources Day on May 20th is “shaping the new future”. It is a topic, which highlights how working in HR is about so much more than hiring employees and managing their benefits. It is about ensuring that every staff member has a clear career path and the opportunity… [Read the full article]
Why family governance matters
If a company wants to grow and remain successful, then it needs good governance: rules, practices and processes that apply to all employees from the board of directors downwards. Everyone has heard of corporate governance, but it is still surprising how many family-owned companies do not have similar rules and processes in place to govern… [Read the full article]
Sisterhood in leading a family business
In Vietnam, we have a very famous proverb: brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet. Anyone who has a brother or sister will instinctively understand this. Our siblings loom large in our lives no matter how often, or how little we see them. They not only share much of our DNA, but… [Read the full article]
Why listening is about understanding
In my last post I discussed what I have learned about art of difficult conversations during my career: how to have a proactive discussion with someone that does not leave them feeling that they have been backed into a corner and need to come out fighting. Part of the skill in handling those conversations and… [Read the full article]
The Art of Difficult Conversations
If there is one thing that many people dread more than anything in life it is the prospect having a “difficult conversation” with someone else. It is all too easy to put it off. But there are always consequences to this. Firstly, the problems generally don’t go away, but get worse. Secondly, the other person’s… [Read the full article]
Power of Happiness
When life is busy, it can be hard to find time to relax, let alone wonder whether we are happy or not. So it is good that the United Nations has an International Day of Happiness to remind us to pause, reflect and consider how we are feeling. The date falls on March 20th and… [Read the full article]
How understanding Vietnamese consumers means thinking beyond Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh
Do a quick Google search and you will find multiple articles about Vietnam’s dynamic growth and rising income levels. Both factors are now taken for granted, year in and year out. The country is a magnet for foreign direct investment (FDI), as companies move their supply chains out of China. It is also an attractive… [Read the full article]
Celebrating Vietnamese women who #breakthebias
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #breakthebias. It invites us all to imagine a gender equal world: one free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. One that is diverse, equitable and inclusive. We all know that there’s some way to go in achieving this, particularly here in Vietnam. Indeed, it was very pleasing to… [Read the full article]
