The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

The Ultimate Prize

Know someone who thinks he knows everything? Ever tried to tell this person something? Its no use. This person suffers from a serious delusion. Slowly but surely he disconnects from reality. Life around him changes all the time, yet he refuses to realize this. So sad! In Vietnam I rarely meet Vietnamese who display that attitude. Most Vietnamese are eager to learn. They seem to want to catch up with rest of the developed world. And: to build Face. Self-confidence. But acquiring knowledge is not all there is. Knowledge is quantitative. Beyond it you find wisdom. Its a fascinating event when a participant in a course or workshop comes up with a deep insight. Not based on lots of knowledge, but on deep understanding. Then you see most others fall silent: wisdom, the ultimate prize.
Prof. Loek Hopstaken Email: loek@hopstaken.com Mobile: 090 888 9450

6th year, no. 3 May 31, 2012

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 and energetic country has rapidly conquered my soul, and become my home away from home. Loek Hopstaken

In this issue:
The Ultimate Prize Activities June/July MBA & your future Allround Managers When the cat is out MD Programs Royal Courses Asian Brands Hopstaken Services Contact information 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Never look down on anybody, unless youre helping them up.

Jesse Jackson

Sit vis tecum! May the force be with you!

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The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

Saigon, May 27, 2012 Left: a white board with answers to What do you expect from your manager? The result of a <10 minutes discussion among 6 supervisors : to stay on course to motivate; to encourage improved performance a correct & fair performance appraisal to give direction + alternative options to understand the nature & difficulties of their subordinates jobs to take responsibility instead of blaming the subordinate willing & able to discuss sensitive issues with the CEO to know the essentials of technology to be enthusiastic, pro-active, social, cooperative to realize the overall planning + follow up Did these supervisors study Business Administration? No. Attended a seminar by Dave Ulrich? No. Experienced managers? No. They are all young Vietnamese technicians, who they love their job. Loek Hopstaken

The 2012 edition of my catalog (pdf) will be yours after sending a request to loek@hopstaken.com.
Major activities in June & July: * In-company training programs: - Management Development programs (2) * Lectures: - Vietnamese Generations Update - The PR Marketing Mix * Public courses (Royal Business School): - Public Relations: the Real PR * Consultancy (Vietnamese companies): - HRM Establishment Project - Strategy, Restructuring, Corp. Culture * Television (Hoanggia Media Group): - Recording Key to Success shows Teams work: De Heus Vietnam (see p. 4)

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Master Kong

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The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

Does an MBA education prepare you for the future?

The most important question about MBA is: can I use it to improve my companys & my own performance? The answer depends on two aspects of the MBA program. Firstly, the hands-on business experience of the MBA-teachers. When this experience is lacking or irrelevant, it is very difficult to translate theory into effectively dealing with real-life situations. The teacher then depends largely on the experience of his/her students. Secondly, the curriculum itself. As argued earlier (DVBS no. 21) MBA is US-based. But there is another factor. Recently Mark Fidelman collected information about its actuality from the top 25 MBA providers in the USA. He focused on social media (Facebook, LinkedIn) as global communication platforms, revolutionizing marketing, human resources management, and more. Below a summary. The data speak for themselves. Besides this omission, many MBA-programs keep on using outdated text books and resources. In Vietnam many use copies of pre-crisis books. What to think of forwarding, in 2012, the same marketing, economic, financial and statistical insights and techniques that have significantly contributed to the global financial crisis? Think!

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Making Managers Allround

Despite overwhelming evidence of the contrary, many people stubbornly believe that excellence in a specialism promises excellence in management. All over the world the most common mistake in career management: promoting an outstanding specialist to manager. The loss of your best specialist (hard to replace) aside, this may well lead to winning a weak (and frustrated) manager. What to do? Demoting him means he loses face. HR, HELP! In other cases you find yourself having an inexperienced manager who has to go through hell & high water to learn the tricks of the trade, yet still misses basic management skills. HR, ADVICE PLEASE! So what to do when you have team leaders and managers, among them specialists, and you (their CEO) want to increase their management abilities? First of all, you check their need for training. When you know their need (and add your own, as CEO) you start looking for a provider of management know-how. After a meeting with De Heus LLC Vietnam CEO Mr. Gabor Fluit and his Personal Assistant Miss Tra My I proposed to deliver my Allround Manager Program: 12 hats every manager needs to know how to wear. We agreed to complete the program between August 2011April 2012 in 4 x 2 days. My interpreters Mr. Phong & Dr. Khoa did a great job supporting the program. For De Heus Vietnam investing in training has an extra dimension. It expands fast. Allround managers are in high demand. Like everywhere in Vietnam! June 18 the third De Heus Vietnam animal feed factory opens its gates in Dong Nai (Dau Giay IP, Thong Nhat District).

De Heus managers enjoy their break at the Riverside Renaissance Hotel in HCMC

There are 2 ways to exert power: one is pushing others down, the other is pulling others up. Booker T. Washington

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The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

When the cat is out, the mice ...

When delivering a workshop in Binh Duong Province, my clients company bus picks me up around 7:20 am. To make sure I dont miss it, I am at the pickup spot at 7:10, close to the intersection Phan Van Tri Nguyen Thai Son (Go Vap). Living in Vietnam for several years and having driven over 15,000 km on my motorbike, traffic- & streetwise there is not much left to amaze me. But observing the traffic & street life from the Phan Van Tri, May 9, 2012 sidewalk on Phan Van Tri once again made me realize that Ho Chi Minh City traffic & streetlife really form a tourist attraction in itself. Its good to see that local laws havent (yet) touched the work of the breakfast ladies. During my first major stay in Vietnam, I enjoyed my street breakfast of a lofty omelette+bacon+lettuce+tomato sandwich, with Vietnamese ice coffee and fruit, altogether for 80 eurocents. Never got sick once. The lady above only serves her clients when the city traffic police (below) decides to choose a different place to stop traffic offenders. Some people always drive on after the light turns red, creating danger for themselves & others. These cops do the right thing: fining everyone who does so. But their presence has an interesting side-effect: motorbike cowboys spot them from far, and dont ride against the traffic direction, race, or cut corners. But: when the cat is out, the mice dance on the table. In that sense many Vietnamese act like these mice. Without cop-like supervision their attitude is: Rules? What rules? Yes, Good = Getting away with it, and Bad = Getting caught are part of Vietnamese culture. You can observe it on the street, but also in some organizations. Boss gone Phan Van Tri, April 10, 2012 work stops. Call the cops?

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Management Development @ Schoeller Bleckmann OEV

In most Vietnamese organizations the lower ranks rarely communicate with the upper ranks. Let alone, initiate communication: given traditional Asian culture, that is a privilege of the upper ranks. Result: much information, and worse, ideas for improvement never reach management levels. Talents are rarely spotted, and may well quit to find a job with the competitor. As long as this piece of Asian culture maintains its grip, change will be s-l-o-w: innovation & improvement will remain a privileged duty for top management. Yet, change is inevitable. Young Vietnamese entrepreneurs are increasingly aware of the power of listening. The young who more & more populate the countrys organizations demand from their managers two-way communication. No two-way? They quit. Meanwhile, many non-Asian enterprises have set up shop in Vietnam. The Austrian company Schoeller Bleckmann Oilfield Equipment Vietnam was founded in 2008. CEO Mr. Campbell McPherson runs SBOEV with a team of skilled & highly trained specialists, and a management team. Both have embarked on a tailor made Management Development Program. The first echelon (managers, right) and the second (supervisors, left) do some workshops together, others separately. In this way the teams not only work at improving their management and soft skills, but also the mutual understanding between the two management layers.

Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them. Bruce Lee

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The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

Public Courses @ Royal

Human Resources is a business area that attracts more and more learners. HR-activities in Vietnamese organizations are usually limited to recruitment and administration. However, since a few years HRM in Vietnam is a professionalization phase. HR Officers go out and learn about the many other areas belonging to a full HRM department. They meet in HR clubs, both off- & online. A Vietnamese HR discussion group on LinkedIn has almost 15,000 members. HR staff mixes formal with informal training to learn about subjects like My 2012 schedule at Royal Business School: Corporate HR Strategy & Planning Talent Recruitment & Management The Real Public RelationsJuly 913 Interpersonal Relations (HR)Aug. 1317 Organizational Design & Efficiency Organizational Culture (HR)Nov. 1923 Internal Communication Presentation SkillsDecember 37 Compensation & Benefits Go to http://www.royal.vn for information. Coaching & Mentoring Team Work & Meetings Performance Evaluation & Management Traininginhouse / outsourced Career Start & Career Planning

Last years seminar by HRM opinion leader HR Dave Ulrich attracted 500 attendees. It stimulated both Vietnamese CEOs and HR practitioners to take a new look at HR. This may in part explain the increasing number of my students. Where the average 2011 HR class had 2025 participants, now there are 35 or more*). HRM is a rich subject. It has lots to offer to companies that want to become more productive, hire talents, and keep them. In April I conducted the 5 evening Recruitment & Career Start course. Last week its sequel: Career Planning & Training. Now, 45 participants. Good to see this manifestation of broad interest: an element of justified hope for Vietnamese business in this time of economic crisis.
*) Or is it the royal discount offered to company groups?

The secret of a long life is double careers. One to about age sixty, then another for the next thirty years. David Ogilvy

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The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

There is GREATNESS in Asian brands

Joseph Baladi

The 2012 Tetrapak Vietnam Customer Conference had as its theme brands & branding. To enlighten the audienceTetrapak customers and guests3 speakers shared their views and experiences: Madame Ninh, former Ambassador of Vietnam to the EU and Belgium, Joe Wheller, Managing Director of marketing & branding research firm Cimigo Vietnam, and Joseph Baladi, CEO of BrandAsian and author of The Brutal Truth About Asian Branding. In her erudite yet clear and personal way Madame Ninh shared with us her views on what is needed to define the Vietnam brand. Successful branding requires looking around in the world & an honest look in the mirror: to see what can be promoted as Vietnams brand elements, and what needs to be improved to support the Vietnam brand. Cimigo tested 300 (out of 3,000!) tv-commercials shown in Vietnam. Cimigos Joe Wheller enlightened us with a series of ads that were either successful or unsuccessful as what I call brand carriers. Joseph Baladi made clear what brands and branding are and what they are not. I was most impressed by his analysis of certain traditional Asian CEOs, whose business vision is all about making money, and who expect their advertising company to build their brand. Some of those ad agencies, hungry for the asMadame Ninh signment, are all too eager to get the assignment, and say yes to anything this CEO will tell them. The result is failed branding and wasted money. Reason? Look at the quote in the top picture, and you may get the idea. The conference location was Hotel Nikko Saigon (D. 1). Excellent service, excellent catering.

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The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

Major Services + Client List + Mini Catalog

Loek Hopstakens 5 major services
The following services are in high demand: 1. Management Development programspurpose: to train managers to qualify for higher positions, to develop soft skills, and to increase their value to their organizations 2. Seminars & Lectures in the fields of Human Resource Management, Leadership, Strategy, Public Relations and Business Communications 3. Business courses: HRM; Efficiency; Presentation Skills 4. Personal Coaching of entrepreneurs 5. Business Consultancy (Management & Leadership; HRM; PR; Strategy; internal communications)

MINI CATALOG
Overview of Prof. Loeks 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.

List of Clients & Associates

In Vietnam: a.o. business field Tan Thuan IPC (HCMC) Industrial development HCMC University of Technology Master of BA program RMIT (HCMC campus) Communication 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 Training House Vietnam (Sacombank) Training & consultancy Ministry of L.I.S.A. (RBS) Civil Servants SONY Vietnam (RBS) Consumer electronics CapitaLand Vietnam (SPECTRA) Real estate Institute for Potential Leaders / PACE Courses & seminars 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 Vocational training Golden Alliance Vocational training Schoeller Bleckmann Vietnam Oilfield Equipment De Heus Vietnam Animal food Centre for Tropical MedicineOxford Uni. Clinical research Khue Van Academy Courses & seminars Training House Vietnam Courses & seminars Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) Business consultancy In The Netherlands, a.o. ING Bank Philips Heineken Yamaha Voerman International Damen Shipyards Wittenborg University of Applied Sc. Financial services Electronics Brewery Musical instruments International relocations Ship repair wharfs IBABBA, MBA

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 (such as 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$ 100 / hour. Seminars: US$ 550 850 per seminar (except for 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 cooperation: loek@hopstaken.com

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The DVM Supporter is published by Loek Hopstaken.

Email: loek@hopstaken.com or loek.hopstaken@gmail.com Mobile: 090 888 9450 Assistant: Ms. Vo Ngoc Lien Huong Email: jane.hopstaken@gmail.com Mobile: 090 888 9451
Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/loekhopstaken
Friday night, May 27: after completing the Career Planning & Training Course @Royal.

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) 1989-1993: Project Manager merger Postbank & NMB Bank, & later, ING Group (fields: PR, Marketing, Total Quality Management 1991: founding Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies 1991-present time: career in training and consultancy, coaching & mediation 1993: left ING Bank 1996-2000: Business Club MC (50 meetings) 2003-present time: combining training, coaching & 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 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.

An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't. Anatole France

Full CV: mail loek@hopstaken.com