The 30th Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

,ra-e in Peace
For successful trade peace in the market place is vital. The Netherlands and Vietnam have known this for ages. This year both countries celebrate 40 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations. art of a diplomat!s "ob is to facilitate successful trade. erhaps one could measure diplomats! performance by increasing trade volume and value# and smoothness of bilateral trade operations.
$ntil %ecember &' (olland Village in )aigon
Prof. Loek Hopstaken Email: loek@hopstaken.com Mobile: 090 888 94 0

'th (ear$ no. !o"ember # $ #0%&

This magazine was first published in March 2007. t is digitall! distributed among m! Vietnamese and Dutch business " pri#ate associates. $urpose% to &eep them informed about m! acti#ities in Vietnam and o#erseas This amazingl! attracti#e and energetic countr! has rapidl! con'uered m! soul( and become m! home awa! from home. )oe& *opsta&en

In this issue:
Trade in peace *olland Village + 2 3

L./I!0 12)E ,he noble art of losin3 face ma( one -a( sa"e the human race an- turn into eternal merit 4hat 4eaker min-s 4oulcall -is3race. $iet *ein

)earning #s. ignorance ,isdom comes with perspecti#es -ast is -ast( ,est is ... Vietnam0*olland 1ontact information2 1lients

. / 3 7

)o*e+istence or no e+istence. $iet *ein

7th year, no. 5

The 30th Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

)aigon# November <*# <0&= 3 flourishing relationship between two nations is much more than their heads of state shaking hands in public and signing documents. 3 flourishing relationship is visible in action and active mutual e>change# like in trade and culture. Friday November << (olland Village# ne>t to (,.,!s ?en Thanh .arket# opened its gates. .any %utch enterprises active in Vietnam# from hilips# @7.# $nilever and %e (eus to %utch 7ady and (eineken# but also %alat (asfarm -founded / run by %utchmen0 prominently sponsor this 5-day event. The first days the Village attracted &0!s of &#000!s of visitors# who came to en"oy the %utch street# to try %utch snacks# to meet %utch artists and to AbreatheB some %utch atmosphereCagainst the backdrop of )aigon!s skyline# with ?ite>co Financial Tower. :rab the opportunityD

H1I) Pro5ect .ne complete-

%uring &#* years of intensive coaching and training by a team of specialists# (F+, -(o ,hi .inh ,ity Finance / +nvestment ,ompany0 professionali1ed its performance in the fields of financial services# +T and (2.. The pro"ect was organi1ed / coordinated by 3+T -3sian +nstitute of Technology0. 4ctober 5 we finali1ed the pro"ect with a presentation by each consultant. The consultants' %r. (ans )toessel -coordinator0# .s. +ris Fang -)trategy6 37.0# .r. ,laude )piese and myself. 8e were generously supported by .r. Ngo %inh %ung / .s. Nguyen Thi .ai huong -3+T0# and .iss Vo 7am Thuy Trang / .iss Van Thi (ai %uong -(F+,0. 9veryone is in the picture. .r. %iep %ung# (F+,!s :eneral %irector is ;th from right.

He that is 3oo- for makin3 e+cuses is sel-om 3oo- for an(thin3 else.
4en5amin 6ran&lin

7th year, no. 5

The 30th Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

2re you a learnin3 or3ani6ation7

A+t is no longer sufficient to have one person learning for the organi1ation# a Ford or a )loan or a 8atson or a :ates. +t!s "ust not possible any longer to figure it out from the top# and have everyone else following the orders of the Egrand strategist.! The organi1ations that will truly e>cel in the future will be the organi1ations that discover how to tap people!s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels of the organi1ation.B -from AThe Fifth %isciplineB# by eter )enge0 Within an organization it is the Human Resource Management departments dut to see that learning ta!es place at all le"els# $nfortunately# the (2. discipline in Vietnam is still underdeveloped# due to lack of formal educational and training facilities. The result is that manyCif not mostC(2. practitioners in Vietnam have a limited set of duties -recruitment# legal affairs# salary0. They try to improvi1e when top management wants more -usually performance management0# often doing a copyGpaste "ob from $) sources. 2oyal ?usiness )chool has been offering short (2. courses since <0&0. +n <0&4 there will be H in all. 3nswering high demand# + will re-deliver a short (2. course ne>t week' $trategic HRM. .onday-Friday# &500-<&00. &5H Nguyen Thi .inh @hai# %.=# (,.,. www.royal.vn.

20082013 This month it has been five years since + started living and working in Vietnam. Five years of observing a process of permanent change. + cannot afford to Fuit learning. +t is the only way to stay connected and understand what is going on in VietnamCin business# in life.

!o man is free 4ho is not master of himself. -pictetus

A small table screen# made in ,hina around &;*0. +n those days 9uropeans were a rare sight in ,hina. ,ross-cultural encounters usually bred mutual misunderstandings. 4n the back side of this screen the ,hinese artist wrote' AThey wear grass# they eat from trees and they despise their king.B 8e have come a long way since then# but we still have a way to go. 7iving alternately in Vietnam and The Netherlands# it is easy to spot misconceptions of Vietnamese about foreigners# and foreigners about Vietnamese. + still meet foreigners who mask their ignorance of Vietnamese culture behind Fuick# negative "udgments# believing their own culture is superior. The reverse also happens' Vietnamese who "udge non-Vietnamese cultures as bad Abecause they!re differentB. +gnorance is not bliss ... )olution' A)tudy the norms and beliefs of others# and then treat them as they wish to be treated.B -+"a1 2ana0

2i"ksmuseum# 3msterdam

7th year, no. 5

The 30th Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

8is-om comes 4ith more perspecti"es

+ must have been &H. + was talking with a boy my age# a highschool student. (e told me that 9arth was created by :od some H#000 years ago. + said# A?ut what about the dinosaursI They lived millions of years ago# long before .an appeared on 9arth.B (is answer +!ll never forget# and it taught me a life!s lesson' AThose dinosaur bones have been put in the 9arth!s soil by the %evil to trap us into believing the ?ible is wrong.B .y "aws dropped. + didn!t know what to say. .y first encounter with someone who dismissed science as Athe %evil!s workB the instant it threatened to undermine his belief system. +n my life + have run into these fact-deniers several times. )ome deny the Na1i killing of H million Jews. 4thers deny %arwin!s 9volution Theory. ?elieve it or not# some deny that the 9arth is round / revolves around the )un. These people also believe that the multiple landings on the .oon were all staged in (ollywood. 8hat they all have in common is a strong viewpoint based on ... nonsense. + always try to avoid these people# as they are advocates of ignorance. (ave you ever communicated with someone who only has one viewpointI 3s long as you agree with that viewpoint# you have no problem. ?ut the moment you add a different viewpoint# you have. )ince my encounter with the A%inosaur %enierB + have stopped discussing someone!s religious or political beliefs. These are two fields where most followers of these beliefs chose to lock out any viewpoint that is not in full agreement with their beliefs. 3 belief is not necessarily right or wrong. + can believe in life# in my friends# or in moral values. + also believe that life is more interesting and more valuable when + meet people who have different viewpoints' these challenge my own viewpoints# and perhaps + can learn from them# and add a few new viewpoints. These e>periences broaden my perspectives on 7ife. 3nother one of my beliefs is that ignorance is dangerous# and that willful ignorance is the ultimate form of stupidity. )o + have my beliefs. Not religious or political. ?ut the rewards are plenty' this skill enables me to better understand what people are saying and doing. 3nd if + don!t get it# + ask. For arguments# facts. Not to agree# but to understand. ?ecause + also believe' Awe can agree to disagreeB. 8e may have different viewpoints# or tastes -food6 music6 art0# or preferences. 8isdom doesn!t come with age# but with more perspectives. 4ne of my favorite poems is A7ament for a 8avering ViewpointB# by hyllis .c:inley. +ts final stan1a is forever etched in my soul'

Ah% snug lie those that slumber beneath con"iction&s roo'# (heir 'loors are sturd lumber% their )indo)s )eatherproo'# *ut + sleep cold 'ore"er% and cold sleep all m !ind% ,or + )as born to shi"er in the dra't 'rom an open mind#

7th year, no. 5

The 30th Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

East is East$ an- 8est is 8est

-H% .ast is .ast% and West is West% and ne"er the t)ain shall meet% (ill .arth and $! stand presentl at /ods great 0udgment $eat1 *ut there is neither .ast nor West% *order% nor *reed% nor *irth% When t)o strong men stand 'ace to 'ace% tho the come 'rom the ends o' the earth2 From: The Ballad of East and West, by Rudyard Kipling
2i"ksmuseum# 3msterdam# The Netherlands (aarlem# The Netherlands

,HE ;.2< ,. 8I/<.M ,he roa- to 4is-om7 8ell$ it:s plain an- simple to e+press: Err an- err an- err a3ain but less an- less an- less. $iet *ein

,8. P2//I9I/,/ Era-icate the optimist 4ho takes the eas( "ie4 that human "alues 4ill persist no matter 4hat 4e -o. 2nnihilate the pessimist 4hose ineffectual cr( is that the 3oal:s alrea-( misseho4e"er har- 4e tr(. $iet *ein

7th year, no. 5

The 30th Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

,e+el: a <utch 9ietnamese )onnection

For centuries# before leaving the %utch waters# %utch 9ast +ndia ,ompany ships sailing to the Far 9ast used to get fresh water from the island of Te>el. )ome sailed to Vietnam!s port of (oi 3n. Nowadays Te>el is a destination for mainly %utch tourists. They discover interesting sites# such as the 2ussian ,emetery# and the %unes of Te>el

National ark. No memories of its %utch 9ast +ndia past remain. Kou can hire a made-inThailand Atuk tukB to tour the island. 4r make a skydive# as + did some years ago. 4ne way of getting a different viewpoint of earthD

When Im o er! seas, its a high! light of my day to communicate "ith my daughter #ara #ien$ %&ype is a "onderful tool, and not only because its free$

Life is a 3reat bi3 can"as$ an- (ou shoul- thro4 all the paint (ou can on it. Dann! 7a!e

7th year, no. 5

The 30th Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

Loek Hopstaken:s )lients

In 9ietnam: a.o. business fiel Tan Thuan $1 8*1M19 ndustrial de#elopment *1M1 :ni#ersit! of Technolog! Master of 4; program <M T 8*1M1 campus9 1ommunication progr. <o!al 4usiness School 8public courses9 1ourses " seminars Vietnam ;irlines 8<4S2 SM9 nternational airline Vietnam Singapore .$. 8S$-1T<;9 ndustrial par& $etronas Vung Tau 8S$-1T<;9 1hemical factor! =i&e 8Tae 7wang Vina9 8S$-1T<;9 Shoe factor! )e " ;ssociates Training " consultanc! Training *ouse Vietnam 8Sacomban&9 Training " consultanc! Ministr! of ). .S.;. 8<4S9 1i#il Ser#ants S>=? Vietnam 8<4S9 1onsumer electronics 1apita)and Vietnam 8S$-1T<;9 <eal estate nstitute for $otential )eaders @ $;1- 1ourses " seminars Dalat *asfarm 8;gri#ina9 $ot plants( cut flowers *oanggia Media Aroup 7e! to Success TV Show 6resh Areen -arth *i0tech agriculture :ni'ue Design nterior Design -<1 nstitute Vietnam 4usiness school Schoeller 4lec&mann Vietnam >ilfield -'uipment <obert 4osch Vietnam 8$;1-9 -lectronics De *eus Vietnam ;nimal food 1entre for Tropical MedicineB>Cford :ni. 1linical research 7hue Van ;cadem! 1ourses " seminars Training *ouse Vietnam 1ourses " seminars ;sian nstitute of Technolog! 8; T9 4usiness consultanc! *1M1 6inance " n#estment 1ompan! n#estments ;cadem! of 6inance M4; 8:n. of Aloucester9 te' Vietnam Metal parts In ,he !etherlan-s$ a.o. =A 4an& $hilips *eine&en ?amaha Voerman nternational Damen Ship!ards ,ittenborg :ni#ersit! of ;pplied Sc. 6inancial ser#ices -lectronics 4rewer! Musical instruments ntern. relocations Ship repair wharfs 4;B44;( M4;

?uotes
8H2, 2;E =.>7
,he 4a( to 3ro4 3ranis not: to -eman-. In life:s e"er( fiel(ou are 4hat (ou (iel-. $iet *ein ;in3 the bells that still can rin3 1or3et (our perfect offerin3. ,here is a crack in e"er(thin3 ,hat:s ho4 the li3ht 3ets in.

)eonard 1ohen

,he <9M /upporter is publishe- b( Prof. Loek Hopstaken.

Email: loek@hopstaken.com or loek.hopstaken@3mail.com Mobile: 090 888 94 0 ;ssistant% Ms. Vo =goc )ien *uong -mail% 5ane.hopsta&enDgmail.com Mobile% 0E0 FFF E./+

=ou either lea- b( e+ample or (ou -on:t lea- at all. 6rom The Leadership Challenge( b! Games 7ouzes " 4arr! $osner