VN Newsletter18

8/4/2019 VN Newsletter18

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/vn-newsletter18 1/11

In this issue:

The Dutch Vietnam

Management Supporter

This magazine was first

published in March 2007. It is

digitally distributed among

my Vietnamese and Dutch

business & private associates.

Purpose: to keep them

informed about my activities

in Vietnam and overseas.

This amazingly attractive andenergetic country has rapidly

conquered my soul, and

become my home away

from home.

Loek Hopstaken

P r o f . L o e k H o p s t a k e n

E m a i l :

l o e k @ h o p s t a k e n . c o m

M o b i l e :

090 888 9450

September 6, 2011

5th year, no. 4

Key to Success

Dear Reader

1

2

The Black Swan

V’mese generations

Teacher’s Corner

3

45

Hard times

Speaker’s Corner

The Real PR Course

6

7

8

The Jury Member’s

Corner

9

Standing Offer

Contact information

10

11

It don’t mean a

thing if it ain’t got

that swing!

Key to Succes

The recipe for perpetual ignorance is:

be satisfied with your opinions and content with your

knowledge.

Elbert Hubbard

Since Mankind started to become aware of its exist-

ence, it has been looking for keys, like the Fountain of

Youth (the key to stay young & attractive forever) and the

Philosopher’s Stone (the key to turn base metals into

gold). All Holy Scriptures claim to contain the Key to

Eternity. Many business authors say they have isolated a Key to Success. Hence, the name of VTV1’s business game

tv show. But is there a Key to Success? My answer: “This

depends on the lock. Each one requires a different key.”

This is not the kind of reply people like to hear. They pre-

fer: “Yes, and I tell you what it is.” Universal keys are

hard to find. However, we keep on searching, and do our

best to come close to solutions. As long as we can’t find

one, we must cope, improvize & hope for the best. See p. 9 .



Dear Reader,

These months my agenda is full:

• a 2-day in-company course in cross-cultural skills

• two 4-evening public courses in Strategy for CEO’s (IFA)

• a 4-day HRM course for MBA-students (Hanoi)

• a 5-morning PR course at Royal Business School, and

• days 3 & 4 of a 16-day in-company management development

program

• A 4 evening HRM course for IPL-2 students

From mid October to mid November I’m in The Netherlands to

teach, coach & train. There is more to come … What happened?

How come we’re so busy? Apparently I have passed a tipping point.

Well, that’s all for analysis. What I can say is that I love to work. In

my lectures & workshops I share my personal experiences & view-

points. Meanwhile, it’s a great honor & pleasure to be able to com-municate with so many Vietnamese of all walks of life, and to sup-

port Vietnamese organizations.

Loek Hopstaken ([email protected])

25th year, no. 4

The Dutch Vietnam Management

Supporter

Dave Ulrich is a world famous expert on Hu-man Resource Management. He contributed to The

Future of HR Management, available in Vietnam-

ese. The only ‘Ulrich’ available. This may change

after his seminar, organized by PACE on Septem-

ber 29. Ulrich’s most recent work is The Why of

Work, which he wrote with his wife Wendy. An in-

triguing book on what is the true meaning of work

—and as you may guess, “it’s not just money.”

In The Why each of 7 questions starts a chapter:

1. What am I known for? (identity)2. Where am I going? (purpose; motivation)

3. Whom do I travel with? (relationships, teams)

4. How do I build a positive work environment?

(effective work culture or setting)

5. What challenges interest me? (personalizing

& contributing work)

6. How do I respond to disposability and change?

(growth, learning and resilience)

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events.

Small minds discuss people.Eleanor Roosevelt

You can get the 2011 edition of Prof. Loek Hopstaken’s

Catalog (pdf). Just send your request to

[email protected].




Supporter

5th year, no. 4 3

The Black Swan

2 months before the financial crisis took off—October 2008—I read a book called The Black Swan, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. No, it’s not about the 2010 Oscar-winning movie. It’s

about sudden, unpredicted events that have a high impact on Life. Like 9/11, or the 2004

Tsunami. But also, the arrival of the Internet, or the success of the Harry Potter books.

Afterwards, experts & scientists compete with each other to come up with the best explana-

tion—after the fact. As if they want to make up for failing to predict these events.

Why ‘Black Swan’? Until the 17th century the belief was: “Everybody knows a swan is

white.” In other words: black swans don’t exist. Then a Dutch explorer found one, close to

what is now Perth, Australia. Hence, the meaning of black swan. In his book Mr. Taleb accu-

rately predicts the financial crisis, and specifically what would happen to the banks. To him,

this crisis was not a black swan. To most others it came as a total surprise. The book gives afull account of the different ways people consider what’s going on. Most prefer to rely on

Life’s often fictitious certainties, such as economic & demographic models that predict the

future for the next 5, 20 or even 50 years. Some realize you cannot possibly predict the fu-

ture, as there are many presently unknown factors that determine what will happen.

A most intriguing book! Mr. Taleb re-published The Black Swan in 2010, with an extra

100+ page essay written 2 years after the financial crisis began. I decided to re-read it. Again

it was a satisfying experience: my own viewpoints on some of the world’s events appear to

have changed dramatically in 3 years. Is the book itself perhaps a Black Swan? To me it was.

Recently I gave

a brief lectureabout the

Black Swan at

ERC Institute

Vietnam for

their MBA and

BBA students.

Interested? Let

me know.

(left) The newedition I found

at Fahasa,

HCMC.




Supporter

5th year, no. 4 4

In Public Relations the word ‘public’ refers to a group of people who share a common

interest with an organization. Publics can be: suppliers, media, clients, government agen-

cies, neighbors, staff, shareholders and banks. Each public has its specific characteristics.

You communicate with your suppliers differently than say, with the account manager of

your bank. You have different interests. With media representatives and neighbors you also

have different interests, and hence, different communications.

In its corporate communications (= PR under a different name) a company may also

need to know how to address different generations among its publics. Take clients, and staff.

Many textbooks—from marketing to HRM to management—use the classification of Genera-

tions X, Y & Z . This attempt to classify age groups has its workability in the USA, Australia

and Europe, as these countries share a common history & socio-cultural development. Vi-

etnam’s recent history differs greatly from theirs, making this classification useless. As

there is an outspoken need for classifying Vietnam’s generations, I have made an attempt

(with help from Mr. Duy Hang):

• Generation A : educated before 1975 (difference between North & South Vietnam)

traditional—loyal—high quality—lowest price—saving

• Generation B: educated between 1975—1996

traditional—loyal—used to low quality—lowest price—investing

• Generation C: educated between 1996—2005 hybrid*—disloyal—brand, quality & price conscious—internet & sms—spending

• Generation D: currently being educated

hybrid*—disloyal—high quality, low price—hype sensitive**—entertainment—sms &

internet—(over)spending

I look forward to any comments.

At TEDX Mekong (see p. 7) repre-

sentatives of all four Vietnamese

generations were present. Thanks to

the skills we call communication andlanguage, the so-called generation

gaps were virtually non-existent.

* hybrid: adapting elements from

foreign cultures, while remaining

culturally traditional

** hype sensitive: interested in the

latest brands & hi-tech gadgets

The Vietnamese generations

The difficulty lies not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones,

which ramify, for those brought up as most of us have been, into everycorner of our minds.

John Maynard Keynes



55th year, no. 4


Supporter

Above: Da Nang, June 2. Vietnam Airlines Managers & Supervisors from middle region

airports after a seminar about customer service. The course was organized by ISM.

Below: Hanoi, June 5. Students of the Paris Graduate School of Management—Thai

Nguyen University MBA program, on the 4th & final day of Marketing Management. We

covered Philip Kotler’s works, but from an Asian and Vietnamese perspective. Not all what American sources offer applies—to Vietnam, in 2011.

The Trainer / Teacher’s corner




Supporter

5th year, no. 4 6

How Vietnamese Entrepreneurs deal

with hard times

Most of the things worth doing in the world have been declared impossiblebefore they were done.

Louis D. Brandeis

The 3+ years I have been active in Vietnam were years of economic challenges. I have seen many

enthusiastic entrepreneurs start a new activity, while only a handful of them became successful. Of

course for those that failed, their wise guy friends ( who didn’t do anything) have their explanations:

“It’s financial crisis”, “The market isn’t ready for your product”, or “You’re just not the kind of entre-

preneur that fits the times.” What I have come to admire in Vietnamese entrepreneurship is the re-

silience of the entrepreneurs: they start with zest, fail, get up, wipe the dust from their shirts, and

start all over again with renewed energy. They apply the hard-learned lessons, and give it another

try. They don’t keep mourning over past failures or dwell in their frustrations. I will not try to ex-

plain this phenomenon. It is what it is. Americans are well known for this leadership trait, or they

have at least many examples to prove its power. Steve Jobs is the typical example of the business

“comeback kid”, even though he has now resigned. This leadership trait appears to be increasingly

missing in Europe. However, in the USA there are few young entrepreneurs who are as promising as

the Gates & the Jobs once were. Bill is 55 now, Steve 56. Where is the Next Generation? The Face-

book kid, Mark Zuckerberg? He’s smart, but not in the same league. Some argue that true leaders

are born in times of crisis. In Vietnam the generations differ greatly from the generations elsewhere.

No Generation X, Y or Z here (see p. 4). Among the

youth there must be some geniuses-in-the-making.

Let’s support them to have a smooth ride to the top.

Let’s help them face some of the hardships of entrepreneurship in Vietnam. Such as the endless

invitations to agree to bribery. And knowing that

you lose your entrepreneurial liberty when you do.

It takes real guts to say NO to bribery. But I be-

lieve that only when they succeed in saying no and

doing no, the young Vietnamese entrepreneurs will

succeed. And Vietnamese genius will flourish.

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points

out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of

deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the

man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred

by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;

who errs and comes short again and again; who knows

the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends

himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in

the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at

worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so

that his place shall never be with those cold and timid

souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt



75th year, no. 4


Supporter

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that

you are not going to stay where you are.

John Pierpont Morgan

The Speaker’s Corner

Ho Chi Minh City, August 18—two speaking engagements. Above, after TEDX Mekong.

Left to right: MC; Mr. Le Ba Thong, Mr. Francis Hung, Tuyen Le (my interpreter), LH, Madame

Ton Nu Thi Ninh, Dr. Nguyen Anh Thuan, Mr. Phan Quoc Viet. Not shown: Dr. Vo Tong Xuan.

Below, after a panel discussion opening the Viet Youth Entrepreneurs Boot Camp 2011. Left

to right (standing): 2 VYE, Mr. Gian Tu Trung, 2 VYE, Prof. Thomas Kosnik, Mme Ton Nu Thi

Ninh, Bob Wilkinson, LH, Rick Yvanovich, Mr. Le Ngoc Duy Thang. On their knees: VYE staff.




Supporter

5th year, no. 4 8

Public Relations: building understanding & trust between the

organization and its many relations

One of the most misunderstood parts of modern business management is

Public Relations (PR). At worst, an organization denies its need for PR –

until suddenly its reputation is at stake. Company leaders sometimes

think PR is “just promotion, brochures and media, and therefore part of Marketing.” Wrong!

Often PR is claimed by Marketing, borrowing its techniques to promote the company’s

products and services. However, when for example, the competitor is spreading lies about

your products, your marketeers will not be equipped to handle that situation.

At best, PR is the unit dealing with media and organizing corporate events.The PR profession in Vietnam is rapidly catching up with the changing times: from

organizing press conferences to actively using the social media to make the company’s good

works well known. This course addresses, amongst other things:

• what PR really is and isn’t

• its role in the formulation and execution of the corporate strategy

• how PR helps the company build a positive image

• how PR handles negative press, and last-but-not-least,

• how PR can be used to effectively pave the way to sustained commercial success

corporate & personal branding.

Objectives of The Real PR course:• to know the function of Public Relations in any organization – and to know what

happens if a company denies these functions, or worse: puts them in the

hands of amateurs

• to know why and how to integrate Public Relations in the company strategy, and why a

PR Department must have a direct communication line with the CEO / Chairman

• to know how to implement PR in the organization as a responsibility for each staff

• to learn about the various ways PR techniques are applied in companies around the

world – from small and local to multinational – to create & maintain a favorable image

• to learn how to build and sustain constructive relationships with the organization’s

publics, from media to financiers, from clients to employees, from suppliers to officials• to understand how the Public Relations Department can facilitate the Marketing,

Human Resources and Finance departments.

In Vietnam PR is still in its pioneering days. Major companies feel compelled to

hire international PR firms to help them build a name for themselves. It’s time to

learn what PR really is, and how no organization who cares for its reputation can

do without it.

Trainer: Prof. Loek Hopstaken—Interpreter: Mr. Ngo Quoc Phong MBA

Join The Real PR @ Royal

September 12—16: The Real PR — 0830-1200 amRoyal Business School—186 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3, HCMC

Contact Miss Dang Thi Diem Quynh ([email protected]) for more information.



Hanoi, August 21 —The Finals of 2010-

2011 season of VTV1’s Key To Success-

CEO. In 4 programs 4 contestants take up

the challenge to earn the title of CEO of

the Year, with a Grand Prize of VND 125

million:

• Mr. Nguyen Minh Quy (Chairman

& CEO of Nova Media Group)

• Mr. Dao Ngoc Hoang Giang (Chair

-man Sao Mai Office Equipment)

•

Mr. Dang The Tai (Branch Manag-er HCMC CMC Technology Group)

• Ms. Le Thanh Tu (CEO Jolie Siam

Receptionist Service Company)

For this special occasion, the Jury makes

sure their questions are even sharper &

harder than usual. After all, this is the fi-

nal round: the 4 best out of 48 contestants have been invited. Although Hoangghia Media, the pro-

duction company, will need to do some serious editing to reduce 2 or 3 hours of talk to 30 minutes of

airtime, we feel afterwards that there is genuine hope that the new generation of CEO’s & Managers

in Vietnam will succeed in supporting the country’s further economic growth and development. Who

the winner is? And who the best consultant? You’ll have to wait until Wednesday November 23 tofind out. Our lips are sealed. But the picture below shows that everyone—contestants, jury members

and the Hoangghia Media studio

staff—were happy with the result.

We are ready for the next season!

All shows start at 9.30 pm on

VTV1. Dates & topics Series 12

Oct. 5: The Implementation Dilemma

Oct. 12: Product Strategy

Oct. 19: Price Strategy

Oct. 26: Re-purchase Investment

Date & topics Series 13: Finals

Nov. 2: Partner or Competitor?

Nov. 9: An Awkward Situation

Nov. 16: Foreign Competitor (Retail)

Nov. 23: Materials Competition

All programs are re-shown the next

morning at 8 am. They can also be

viewed online: http://chiakhoa

thanhcong.mquiz.net/vie/news/.

95th year, no. 4


Supporter

The Jury Member’s corner

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s

ignorance.Master Kong

Discussing with Mr. Thai Quoc Minh

(Director VP Capital) & Mr. Vo Tran

Long (CEO IBM Vietnam) who will

become CEO of the Year.



Standing Offer + Client List + Mini Catalog

105th year, no. 4

A training serves its purpose when it deepens your understanding,

but also increases your practical skills. There is one way to get to know

my training style: by experiencing it.

One way of getting this experience is to invite me to deliver a

FREE LECTURE (1—1,5 hours) in your company. You choose the topic.

For ideas, see the mini-catalog (right). Three conditions:

1. the participants (max. 40) should be able to understand English,

2. in case the distance from my home to your location or venue is

>15 km, you take care of transportation

3. your company provides a lecture space, projector & screen.

Interested? Drop me an email. Name the topic & the period in which

it will be feasible for you & your team to attend the lecture.Then we can start scheduling.

For contact information, see page 11.

In Vietnam: a.o. business field

• Tan Thuan IPC (HCMC) Industrial development

• HCMC University of Technology Master of BA program

• RMIT (HCMC campus) Bach. Commun. program

• Royal Business School (public courses) Courses & seminars

• Vietnam Airlines (RBS; ISM) International airline

• Vietnam Singapore I.P. (SPECTRA) Industrial park

• Petronas Vung Tau (SPECTRA) Chemical factory

• Nike (Tae Kwang Vina) (SPECTRA) Shoe factory

• Le & Associates Training & consultancy

• NutriWay Vietnam Animal food

• Training House Vietnam (Sacombank) Training & consultancy

• Ministry of Labour, I. & S.A. (RBS) Civil Servants

• SONY Vietnam (RBS) Consumer electronics

• CapitaLand Vietnam Real estate

• PACE Education (public courses) Seminars & courses

• Dalat Hasfarm (Agrivina) Pot plants, cut flowers

• Hoanggia Media Group Key to Success TV Show• Fresh Green Earth Hi-tech agriculture

• Unique Design Interior Design

• ERC Institute Vietnam Management education

• Institute for Finance & Management Training courses

• Schoeller Bleckmann Vietnam Oilfield Equipment

• De Heus Vietnam Animal food

• Centre for Tropical Medicine Clinical research

In The Netherlands, a.o.

• ING Bank Financial services

• Philips Electronics

• Heineken Brewery• Yamaha Musical instruments

• Voerman International International relocations

• Damen Shipyards Ship repair wharfs

MINI CATALOG

Overview of Prof. Loek’s services

WORKSHOPS

A workshop is a 2-4 day group

activity with a defined purpose,

where theory, practical exercise

and exchange of experiences are the

main ingredients. Areas: HRM, PR,

Communication, and Management.

• Team Engineering

• Interpersonal Communication

• Commercial Communication

• Public Relations

• Presentation Skills• Organizational Design

• Cross-cultural Communication

• Time Management / Efficiency

• Recruitment Skills

CONSULTING

Consulting is any specified expert

activity to help solve a defined

problem. This can take the form of

coaching, but also, conducting a

research. By definition, it is tailor

made. Areas: HRM, Strategy, PR.

• Personal Coach

• Business Coach

• Moderator

• Mediation

• Executive Selection

• In- & External Surveys (360°

Feedback)

SEMINARS

A seminar is a 3-4 hour interactive

transference of core know-how,

including practical assignments.

• People Management

•

Emotions in the Workplace• Strategic Thinking

• Business Ethics

• The Allround Manager™

• The Allround Communicator™

• The Soft Skills Program

Investments (ex. 10% VAT / 25% PIT)

Workshops: US$ 1,200 per team/day.

Consulting / Coaching: US$ 90—125 per

hour.

Seminars: US$ 550 – 850 per seminar

(except the ‘Allround’ programs).

Lecture: US$ 250 per lecture.

Train the Trainer: US$ 1,200 per day.

Prices may change due to inflation.

Contact me for longterm agreements:

[email protected]

The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

List of Hopstaken Clients & Associates

Standing Offer



The DVM Supporter is published by Loek Hopstaken.

Email: [email protected] or

[email protected]

Mobile: 090 888 9450

Assistant: Ms. Vo Ngoc Lien Huong

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: 090 888 9451

Website: www.hopstaken.com

Loek Hopstaken’s company in The Netherlands:

Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies Gouden Leeuw 628

1103 KN Amsterdam ZO. Website: www.hopstaken.com

Who is Loek Hopstaken?

1951: born in Haarlem, The Netherlands

1971-1972: travels: Europe & Asia

1972-1975: Amsterdam City University

1976-1977: travels: North & South America

1977-1993: career in banking: NCB,

Postgiro, Postbank, NMB Postbank Group,

ING Group, ING Bank

1979-1982: Business Administr. studies

1983-1988: Project Manager

privatization process Postgiro to

Postbank (field: P&O / HRM)

1989: Project Manager formation NMB

Postbank Group & ING Group

1989-1993: PM PR; TQM

1991: founding Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies

1991-present time: career in training and

consultancy, coaching & mediation

1993: left ING Bank

1996-2000: Dutch business club MC

2003-2008: combining training &consultancy with teaching at international

business schools (BBA—MBA)

2005 + 2007: Professor appointments

2007-2008: visits to Vietnam: lecturing,

consulting, surveying, delivering courses,

workshops & seminars at universities

November 2008: establishment in HCMC

2008-present time: delivering lectures,

seminars, coaching, workshops & training

courses, mediation; overseas business trips

2010: Examiner VTV1 Key to Success Show

2011: Chairman Advisory Board ERC Inst.http://www.linkedin.com/in/loekhopstaken

Full CV: mail [email protected]

11


Supporter

5th year, no. 4

“Some say the

world needs

specialists. I

say, it needs

generalists with

an overview.

“According to studies, we all work

for the same thing—and it’s not

just money. It’s meaning. Through

our work, we seek a sense of pur-

pose, contribution, connection,

value, and hope. When we achieve

meaning through our work, we

succeed beyond our wildestdreams.”

Dave Ulrich (The Why of Work)

Dave Ulrich will

speak in HCMC

September 29.

Contact PACE for

more information.

See also p. 2.

VN Newsletter18

Documents

Transcript of VN Newsletter18