COVER STORY

A Will To Become The Best

George W. Buckley, chairman, president and chief executive officer of the U.S.-
headquartered, science-based company 3M, came to Vietnam for the first time last
week to sound out this growing market and share with the local media his experience
in building a great company.

Q: What has brought you to Vietnam? the lines of market need our exper-
A: We frequently visit the large mar- tise. But, I’m always thinking a little
kets like China, Japan, Singapore and out of the box, what is different and
India. But it is my desire from time how we can align our needs with the

PHOTOS: LE TOAN
to time that I will take a route to the skills of the community and impact
places that we think will become very in the special way. I always think that
important in the future, and Vietnam it is important for a company like
is part of this category. My trip this ours to put down an investment route
time includes Malaysia, Indonesia now. Vietnam is a small country but
and Vietnam because these countries is growing so it has huge potential.
are growing rapidly, and we believe We know that the opportunities for
they are going to be very important the future will be very good. So, we halfway and experiment only 10 pat- sure that giving someone an assign- You meant global people have built
to us. Particularly, Vietnam and In- invest now and this is our way to find terns and then give it up, you could ment that is long and hard enough 3M into a global company as it is
donesia are the two countries that I pioneering opportunities. We invest miss the opportunity in the future. makes them interested in developing today. Besides people, what are the
think promise so enormous potential today for a 20 years’ time. So, creating the environment where the people that believe them. There- other major contributors to the suc-
for us that we want to invest our time people can explore is very important. fore, the way for us to develop good cess of 3M?
and money early. This trip is also a You mentioned thinking out of managers in Vietnam is to send them Many manufacturing companies
chance for me to personally witness the box. Could you clarify the role Innovation is impossible without maybe to the U.S., Britain or Germany have six competitive platforms that
what is happening in Vietnam. of innovation in 3M’s culture and qualified leaders. Could you share for a period of time. We need to put are cost, technology, customer ser-
Mr. George W. Buckley
share how the company inspires 3M’s strategy to train leaders, par- them in real jobs with risks and deci- vice, brand, market, distribution and
You are already present in this employees to think out of the box? ticularly those for the Vietnamese sions that they can make. people. You need elements of all of
market. So, what have you discov- goal. We want to participate in Viet- We have had a culture of innova- market? Our management development is these. You can have wonderful and
ered for 3M? nam’s growth. tion for many years, and there is a You cannot learn swimming only also very strong with ethics of good breakthrough technology but if you
What surprises me when I come I walked around HCM City during number of different ways to achieve on a book but have to practice it in treatment for people. Our funda- do not have good distribution, you
here are the young people of Viet- my trip to Vietnam and found the innovation. First, you have to have the water. This is the same to leader- mental belief system is that human will relegate in the market place. You
nam. The majority of the population very high quality of handicrafts here. great technical competency. We can- ship development. We train leaders being is deserved to be treated prop- will never sell any if you have mod-
is quite young and it’s striking to see Clearly, there is great creativity in not innovate without the people who in different levels of formal courses erly and with respect, no matter that ern technology but the cost is too
this. Along with that is the vibrancy this country, and this is why I always can think, and for this reason, you and put them in real situations and they are in our organization or not. expensive. You have great cost and
that comes with many ways of think- have ideas in my mind about invest- need to hire people who have great challenges for them to gain experi- Of course, you can have the leaders technology but no distribution and
ing. Hopefully, you invest in the right ment opportunities in the skill side. education. Secondly, you have to pro- ence. The more you are familiar to built with optimism and a lot of inno- good brands, people will not buy
things and in these young people in vide the appropriate tools to facilitate the things you are fearful of, the eas- vation, and who are the best to take your products. In the end, all of these
the right way, and that will stimulate Do you mean 3M is investing in innovation. The things you need are ier it becomes. So, it is important to risks in market and product develop- things happen because of people.
good growth for us. In the end, right the youth or the fast growth of good resources and access to infor- put people in the right circumstance ment management and to develop a Nothing happens in 3M without
investment supports our goal, which Vietnam? mation, and then you have to create where they can learn and develop a global company like 3M. great people and good leadership.
is very consistent with the country’s We are trying to find the way that the environment that encourages the kind of experience in need of leaders. So, in many ways, people are the core
spirit of curiosity, investigation and There’s something else which maters What is the chance for Vietnamese of our company, and we use them
3M’S PROFILE discovery. Those things have to be in- is that leadership development has to employees to become leaders at 3M? to develop great technology, and
corporated into the organization. In be balanced. Some companies like the I think they should have the will- establish and build great brands.
addition to that, you reward the peo- idea of sending leaders here and there ingness to move up inside 3M Viet- You can only build a great company
3M Company turns out thousands of imaginative products, and is a global leader in ple who make these things happen. like a revolving door. I do not like that nam and like to take assignments in and products through great people.
a swathe of business segments linked to consumer and office; display and graph- There may be some failures in the because I think an assignment should China, India, the U.S. and Germany. Moreover, you must have a will to
ics; electro and communications; health care; industrial and transportation business; journey of discovery. But, what we try be long enough for a person to experi- Their broad experience will give win and want to be the best, as the
safety, security and protection services. So far, the company has branched out to to do in our company is that we count ence failures and success. them the ability to work not only in second place is the first loser. You
more than 65 countries, employed over 75,000 employees globally and sold its prod-
the journey as experiment and from Nothing is necessarily wrong with the environment that they are com- have to encourage yourself and your
ucts in nearly 200 markets.
this experiment we get results. We failures but thinking about how peo- fortable with but also in the uncom- people, as well as the attitude and
Established in 1996, 3M Vietnam is a wholly-owned subsidiary of 3M Company and
sells nearly all of the parent company’s major products. The firm based in Dai Minh try not to categorize things that do ple make decisions. Good and bad de- fortable one. Reality shows real lead- the interest in growing. You have to
Convention Tower in District 7, HCM City, serves a multitude of consumer and indus- not work immediately as a failure. We cisions are continuing, but the most ers are those who are able to deal believe that something better can be
trial markets linked to electronics, oil and gas, shipbuilding, automotive aftermarket, have to develop maybe 60 or 100 pat- important thing in every kind of ac- with situations. Around 65% of the achieved, that you can become bet-
construction, health care, semiconductor, aerospace, and consumer markets. terns before technology is economi- tivities is not to be discouraged. We top 100 people in 3M were born out- ter and the best.
cally successful. If you walk down always try to find the way to make side the U.S. Reported by Binh Nguyen

32 • August 28, 2010 August 28, 2010 • 33