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 Day (Ngày gia đình Việt Nam), which falls on June 28th.
It is an important observance day for us here in Vietnam. For if Western cultures prize individuality, then it is the family that is paramount in Asian ones.
So it is not very surprising that the Vietnamese government is active in promoting the family unit as society’s foundation stone. It believes that it is best means to ensure the nation’s cultural values flow from one generation to the next.
Early last year, it even adopted a resolution along these lines during the 13th National Party Congress: build prosperity through public awareness campaigns promoting the “human values” of love, tolerance, sincerity, good faith, morality, industriousness, creativity, civility and so on.
At THP, we couldn’t agree more. Our corporate prosperity is rooted in and driven by our seven core values. In turn, these are founded on the shared purpose that binds families together in happy and harmonious ways.
Whenever a new employee joins THP, one of the first things they learn is not the mechanics of how to do their job, but why their job is important and why they are important to us and to their colleagues. We want to fill each THP employee with the self-confidence and emotional intelligence that good parents teach their children.
Each new employee, therefore, becomes a valued member of the wider THP family. And we encourage staff members to value each other in the same way that family members do. One person’s success should be a source of happiness for us all because we share a similar purpose and values.
Lot of companies make statements like this, but it really only works in practice if that is what it becomes. So this why we emphasize human values first and foremost throughout our training programs, during work meetings and at the regular events where we acknowledge THP staff members who live our core values.
We seek those who behave like this day-in and day-out. For we all know that it is the little things, which count in life: consistency in showing consideration rather than hoping to make up for a lack of attention by making the occasional big gesture. It is the same rule for work colleagues as it is for families.
Two of our core values stand out especially in this regard. Our seventh core value is all about Integrity: do the right thing at the right time. Our second concerns Responsibility to the Community and Society: make a positive impact.
The fastest way to do both is by starting with the colleague you interact with next!! It will make their life easier and ultimately yours too.
The theme of this year’s Vietnamese family day is: peaceful family, happy society. It is always good to remember that this is just as applicable to office life: harmonious colleagues, happy working environment.
