The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter (no. 9)

The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter Vietnam’s Challenge The Vietnamese business world, governmental and non-governmental organizations have an increasing demand for well-educated, preferably English speaking employees. Within 10 years, the current generation of top and senior managers will retire, and needs to be replaced by capable, experienced successors. For Vietnam it’s a case of catching up with the changing times. In my opinion, we need to focus on three major activities: 1. consulting the current leaders and top managers regarding the development of strategy, organizational design and communication; 2. training the middle managers to ably replace their current leaders; 3. coaching the young professionals to grow into their new positions. In this new edition of the Dutch Vietnamese Management Supporter we take a look at various ways Vietnam’s challenge can be dealt with. Lecturing in Room V 7.5, location: HCMC University of Industry - North Central University (IBA program)

LH Resources Office @ 62/44 Duong So6, P.5, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City 3rd year, no. 3 August 8, 2009 This magazine was born in March 2007. It is distributed among my Vietnamese and Dutch business and private associates. Purpose: to keep them informed about my activities in Vietnam. This amazingly attractive and energetic country has rapidly conquered my soul, and become my home away from home. Prof. Loek Hopstaken

In this issue:

Following the changing times, I have shifted my attention from a company website to maintaining my LinkedIn-site. Check : http://www.linkedin.com/in/ loekhopstaken. I invite you to connect, scan my Vietnamese—Dutch network, and read my references.

Vietnam’s ChallengeNews from Hopstaken Starbucks book

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Alliance International Training Corporation

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Enough control?

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The New Times: sharing 5 know-how Standing offer: free lecture

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Contact information Brief resume

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Next issue: November 2009

3rd year, no. 3

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Ho Chi Minh City, August 8, 2009

NEWS from HOPSTAKEN

Dear Reader,

Since June 1, 2009 Prof. Hopstaken is appointed ‘Resident Representative’ of Wittenborg University, The Netherlands (Há Lan). He is now authorized by its Director to  deliver training programs & examinations;  sign certificates and diploma’s. This means that participants of the workshops and training programs may be awarded with an official Wittenborg subject certificate. For certain programs you can earn credits towards an bachelor degree in International Business Administration. For details, see page 17-18 of the new catalog.

This year may go down in history as the ‘Year of Economic Truth’. Many, if not most companies, but also governmental and non-governmental organizations across the globe re-consider and re-shape their strategies. If ‘9-11’ forced us all to take a new look at the world’s security, the current recession tells us to rethink the way we do business. In particular how we deal with money, banks, stocks and investments. The most difficult part is to find out what the workable ideas were in our pre-recession concepts of strategy, and what were the ‘bad ideas’. And: former good ideas are now bad ideas. For Vietnam, as a relative newcomer on the world market, a positive aspect of this develop-ment is that it can learn from the successes and mistakes of others—both nations and companies. What were they? When you want to re-think, re-consider and re-shape your strategy, I invite you to turn to page 4. Best regards, Prof. Loek Hopstaken PS. To receive my updated catalogue, just write an email to: [email protected].

It’s not about the coffee A Book to Get, to Read, to Apply: food for Vietnamese Managers & Leaders Airport bookstores are places I like to spend time before or between flights. Both Amsterdam and Singapore airports have well-stocked shops. My profession makes me look for the latest management bestsellers. Recently I bought “It’s Not About The Coffee”. A strange title, but when I realized this was about Starbucks, the famous American chain of coffee bars, I became interested. I like their frappuccino (when will it be available in Ho Chi Minh City?). Author Howard Behar played a key role in the worldwide expansion of Starbucks, back in the 1990ies. He is also an active promotor of Servant Leadership and his book contains many fine examples of how to successfully apply its principles. Mr. Behar uses his personal experiences: the successes, but also the mistakes, and the lessons he learned. His former boss, Starbucks Founder Howard Schultz wrote a foreword, and for the 2009 edition Behar wrote a special new preface called “Leading Through The Hard Times”, referring to the current recession. If you wonder, if this book is not about the coffee, what is it about? The subtitle: “Lessons on Putting People First from a Life at Starbucks.” Get, read & apply it.

I am always doing things I can’t do, that’s how I get to do them. Pablo Picasso

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Alliance: International Training Corporation One of the challenges of Vietnam is to make sure it uses the maximum of its human capital. This year alone 700,000 highschool students graduated, and these weeks appr. 300,000 will enter university. These are high numbers, but what’s more important: they show that each year the Vietnamese society is enriched by 100,000’s of educated, ambitious and talented young people. They will one day soon inherit their parents’ country. The challenge is to make sure they get a high quality education, and: to make this new generation of Vietnamese aware of the new place of Vietnam in the world. Being a Member of the World Trade Organization has opened more doors and communication lines than ever. The need for English as second language is higher than ever, both for studies, and for work. So much has been done, so much is being done, so much still needs to be done! As a guest lecturer at several universities in Ho Chi Minh City I have met many students and teachers. Everyone is aware of the situation: the need to further improve educational quality, and the simple yet formidable task to handle the high numbers. In order to do a big job, the best way is to break it down into smaller jobs. One of the organizations taking up this challenge is Alliance. Alliance International Training Corporation is a new company. Founder and President is Dr. NgoAnh Clement. Alliance’s 1st objective: to facilitate cooperation between Vietnamese and foreign universities. 2nd objective: to encourage young people to start their own business—while doing their studies. Its two main activities: 1. preparing students for an education abroad, by offering preparatory programs and English tuition; 2. offering top students an opportunity to start their own business—coached by professionals. As Resident Representative of Wittenborg University (The Netherlands) I am looking for a way to establish a healthy and productive collaboration between Wittenborg and Alliance. To secure the English tuition and bring up students to the required levels of TOEFL IBT 70+ or IELTS 6,0, a collaboration has been set up with UNESCO Vietnam. On the journey to find out how it works—the legal procedures, the lot—I meet many people in ‘Vietnamese situations’. I see many barriers, but also great allies to help us conquer them, to realize a worthwhile purpose! Photo top: with Dr. Ngo-Anh Clement in the Alliance office, Tan Binh, HCMC. Photo right: with Dr. Ngo-Anh Clement, Founder and Director of Alliance, and Dr. Tran Quang Thang, General Director and President of the Institute of Economy & Management (IEM), after a meeting at the Center of Modern Economic Training (CEMT).

Nearly every man who develops an idea works at it up to a point where it looks impossible, and then gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged. Thomas Alva Edison

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Do you feel you have enough control over your life? No? Well, you are in good company. Nearly everyone on the planet is dissatisfied with the amount of control over his or her own life. From the moment we become aware that we are a person, we want to make up our own mind, decide to go forward, backward, up or down, left, right or center. We pick the fruits of our control—good or bad. Yet, it’s not always easy. Because everyone wants the same, and we have leaders, managers, officials and laws to deal with, being in control can become a tiresome job. And that’s not all. Think about your neighbourhood, the traffic or the weather. And how about H1N1? Will wearing a mask and take vitamin C offer sufficient protection? Control requires keen observation, authority and power to act and even then you may discover that it just slips through your fingers. To be quite frank, being in control is often impossible. In changing times—and 2009 is a year of changes—you can sense a feeling of being out of control everywhere. The daily news media tend to emphasize the negative aspects of the world’s events, the global economy, business, society and people in general. It seems that good news is no news; bad news is. But the overall feeling as a result of less control is worry, and sometimes even confusion. For some people the past is certainty: it cannot be changed, and they mistakenly believe that “in the old days things were better.” If today’s uncertainties make people uneasy, the idea of a future draws a blank in most people’s minds. When you’re responsible for an organization or even a family, you need to look ahead. And imagine what could happen, and what you would do if that happens. If you don’t prepare, well, life may well take you by surprise—pleasant or unpleasant. Strategic thinking is the action of taking an integrated view of the organization, and consider its possible futures. To be able to do this, you need tools. Hopstaken provides them in the workshop Strategic Thinking. In 2 days the participants become familiar with the use of many strategic thinking tools. After the workshop you will know what to do next on your road to realizing the vision of your organization.

Get in touch with Ms. Ha Hoai Thu ([email protected] / 0903906208) and ask her for the next opportunity to get trained.

In Rex Hotel, for Training House Vietnam I delivered a 2-day workshop on Strategic thinking to the managers of several Vietnamese banks. The participants are now familiar with the use of many tools, such as Six Thinking Hats, McKinsey’s 7S Model, Mintzberg’s 5 P’s, Contingency Plans, Integrated Organizational Chart and The Power of Agreements. Tested theory, used in exercises, and then: ACTION!

No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required, that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction. (italics by LH) Charles K. Adams

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The new times: sharing know-how

Teaching and training is all about sharing knowledge, and then add that little extra called ‘making it practical’. Using it on the job, in your life. As with many true jewels of knowledge, their use is not limited to the work place. You can apply them in many different situations. This goes for many technical subjects, like finance and IT, and even more so for my fields: communication, organization and management. The story goes that one of the legends in management, Frederick Winslow Taylor, developed his organizational know-how to help his wife ran her many-children-household. She asked her husband to bring some order. He did. And now we all use job descriptions, organizational charts and instructions. True or not, fact is that using Taylor’s tools, supplemented by more tools, I am able to help companies and families to get organized! Photos: left, after a lecture at North Central University; right, with Mr. Warren Eng, Director of Melior Business School

If money is your hope for independence, you will never have it. The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability. Henry Ford

If you’re still hanging onto a dead dream of yesterday, laying flowers on its grave by the hour, you cannot be planting the seeds for a new dream to grow today. Joyce Chapman

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STANDING OFFER:

EXPERIENCE HOW HOPSTAKEN MAKES A DIFFERENCE A theory serves its purpose when it increases someone’s practical skills. The English say: ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating’. 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 should be able to understand English, 2. the maximum number is 40, and 3. your company provides a projector and screen. If you are interested, please let me know. Name the topic and the period in which it will be feasible for you and your team to attend the lecture. Then we can start the scheduling. Till soon! Loek Hopstaken

For contact information, see page 7.

Hopstaken has delivered services to / with: In Vietnam: a.o.  Tan Thuan IPC  HCMC University of Technology  RMIT (HCMC campus)  NorthCentral University  Spectra  UNESCO / VVCI  Le & Associates  Training House Vietnam

Industrial development MBA program BBA program BBA program Training & consultancy Workshops, training Training & consultancy Training & consultancy

In The Netherlands, a.o.  ING Bank (workshops, seminars) Banking services  Philips (workshops) Electronics  Heineken (workshops) Brewery  Voerman International (workshops, consultancy, coaching, seminars) International relocations  Campagne (workshops, consultancy, coaching, seminars) Advertising, promotion  Damen Shipyards (consultancy, coaching) Shiprepair wharfs  Dutch Delta University (teaching, seminars)IBA—BBA, MBA  Wittenborg University (teaching, seminars) IBA—BBA, MBA  Royal Van Zanten (workshops, consultancy, seminars) Pot plants, cut flowers  WVL Staalbouwers (workshops) Steel construction  G&D Promotions (consultancy, workshops, coaching, seminars) Billboarding  Eurograss (workshops, consultancy) Lawns; grass seeds  City of Boarnsterhiem (workshops, consultancy, coaching) Community organization  Metaaldraaijerij Lebrun Metal & steel parts  Market Vision Hospitality marketresearch

MINI-CATALOG An overview of Hopstaken 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  Communication  Commercial Communication  Public Relations  Effective Meetings  Organizational Design  Intercultural Communication  Time Management/Efficiency  Personnel Selection

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.  Management Coach  Corporate Strategy  Personal Coach  Mediation  Executive Selection  In- & External Surveys (360°)

Seminars A seminar is a 3-4 hour interactive transference of core know-how, often 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. VAT) Workshops: US$ 1,200 per team/day. Consulting / Coaching: US$ 90 per hr. Seminars: US$ 500 per seminar (except the ‘Allround’ / Soft Skills programs). US$ 250 per lecture. Train the Trainer: US$ 1,200 per day. Contact me for longterm conditions.

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This newsletter is written & published by Loek Hopstaken. LH Resources Office: 62/44 Duong So 6, P. 5, Go Vap District, HCMC 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.lh-resources.com (under construction) Loek Hopstaken’s company in The Netherlands: Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies. Address: Gouden Leeuw 628, 1103 KN Amsterdam ZO

Who is Loek Hopstaken?

Appointment to Professor at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands

1951: born in Haarlem, Netherlands 1971: Near & Middle East travels 1972-1975: Amsterdam University 1976-1977: North & South America 1977-1993: career in banking: NCB, Postgiro, Postbank, NMB Postbank Group, ING Group, ING Bank 1979-1982: BA studies 1983-1988: project manager privatization process Postgiro to Postbank (field: HRM) 1989-1993: project manager formation NMB Postbank Group; ING Group (fields: PR and TQM) 1991: founding own company: Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies 1993: left ING Bank; started career in training and consultancy 1996-2000: business club MC 2001: started mediation career 2003-2008: combining training & consultancy for companies with teaching at international management schools (IBA—MBA) 2005 + 2007: appointed Professor 2006: starting to explore the Vietnamese market 2007: first 3 visits to Vietnam 2008: 4th & 5th extended stays in Vietnam: lecturing, consulting, surveying, delivering workshops at 2 universities; establishing in HCMC 2009: founding of LH Resources Full cv available.