The 34th Dutch Vietnam

Management Supporter

Do you know how to

wear the Teacher Hat?
Who? Me? Yes, youwhatever your position, leader, manager or specialistyou need to have the set of teaching
skills to train & groom your next generation of staff. Why?
Or: as a Manager, do you manage the onboarding process?
You know what happens if no one trains the new person.
It gets critical once succession becomes an issue. Imagine
a CEO, close to retirement. He should find & groove in his
successor. Well, you know what happens: like so many, he
doesnt. When its time to go, he simply hands over his organization toif youre luckya talented outsider. Or
when youre less lucky: to an inexperienced & talent-less
family member. Why? He underestimates the importance
of succession, and doesnt know how to wear the Teacher
Hat. Its any leaders duty to find a worthy successor. Possibly someone who will be better at leading than him or
herself. Succession requires time & skills. Some take full
responsibility for their organizations future: they invest
time to teach their successor until (s)hes ready.
So if there is one extra hat you should know how to wear,
its the Teacher Hat. If you dont know how: learn & practice. Call me: 090 888 9450.

If your actions inspire others to dream more,

learn more, do more and become more, you
are a leader. John Q. Adams
Say: cheeeese!

Prof. Loek Hopstaken

Email:
loek.hopstaken@gmail.
com
Cell: 090 888 9450

8th year, no. 4

December 20, 2014
This magazine was first
published in March 2007. It is
digitally distributed among
my Vietnamese & Dutch
business & private associates.
Purpose: to keep you
informed about my activities
in Vietnam and overseas
This amazingly attractive and
energetic country has rapidly
conquered my soul. It is my
home away from home.
Loek Hopstaken

In this issue:
Your Teacher Hat
Group size matters

1
2

High Potentials
The 2014 Harvest

3
4

Authentic Leadership 5
6
Vietnam Integrity
Alliance & Pledge
7
The Promised Land?
The Goldfinchs 350th 8
9
Clients, services &
contact information

8th year, no. 4

The 34th Dutch Vietnam

Management Supporter

Training Courses: group size matters

Have you ever attended a
course with 40+ participants?
Then you know that active participation is only possible, when you
divide the group into small teams
of 68 persons. But if you have
more than 6 teams lots of time is
spent on presentations & evaluations. It only works when you
have an able training assistant.
This inhibits the net result in
terms of knowledge transfer &
skills development. Which is why
I recommend working with groups
< 20 participants. It increases inManagement skills training at
teractivity and active participaERC Institute
tion. The learning experience goes
deeper. In addition, small groups make people more open & willing to share experiences, ask
questions, and: work harder. The net resultnew skills, insights, know-howis a lot higher.
Of course its not only size that matters. The learners must be eager to learn, and willing to
share experiences. When in a small group one or two display that attitude, it motivates the
others. On the other hand, when in a small group someone is negative, the group will deal
with him. In a large group openly negative behavior affects the whole group. Now the trainer
must act. So do mind the size.
Public courses: a commercial dilemma
The added value of a public course is the opportunity to network with staff from other companies. Royal Business Schools business modelusing the free services of American professors on paid leave to deliver public coursesis no longer working. (As I live in HCMC I was
the exception to the rule.) Throughout the years I have delivered dozens of courses. Participants rated small groups significantly higher than large groups. The problem: for a public
course low numbers are not viable. So heres the dilemma: groups (<20) work best, but only
groups (>20) are viable. Royal is now working on a new business model. Ill keep you posted.
ERC Institute
Recently ERC Institute in Saigon started offering public courses. As a business school with
many active contacts in the local business community it can easily reach out to its network.
However, its hard to arrive at the minimum number of participants. Many companies costcutting drives result in cancelling training. So sad: a good training is never a cost factor. Its
a sound investment in people. This is why I always stress a thorough intake: clearly define
the need before designing a training program. Then fill that need, and go for a high ROI.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people

appear bright until you hear them speak. anonymous

8th year, no. 4

The 34th Dutch Vietnam

Management Supporter

Alumni: a source of high potentials

Saigon, December 18, 2014
President of Wittenborg University
Peter Birdsall & I caught up during
my recent visit to The Netherlands.
Our collaboration goes back to
2006, when I started doing master
classes for Wittenborg. Since then,
the school moved from Deventer to
Apeldoorn. While several business
schools didnt survive the difficult
times after 2006, Wittenborg came
out stronger than ever, with accreditations & recognitions for all of its
programs. At present, it has around
400 students from nearly all continents72 nationalities. It may well
be the most international business school in The Netherlands or even Europe.
This & next year its campus will be enlarged to facilitate study programs for over a 1,000
students. Wittenborgs growth means, adding more faculties: Health & Social Care, Education, and Arts & Technology.
In Deventer I caught up with Hans Hasselt of Saxion University. For many year Hans
has been teaching and managing international students, including many Vietnamese.
December 12: event for Vietnamese Alumni from Dutch universities
Nuffic NESO Vietnam represents the Dutch Ministry of Education in Vietnam. It provides information about study in The Netherlands. In Holland hundreds of Vietnamese
attended universities & business schools, from Rotterdam Business School to Maastricht
School of Management, from Wageningen University to Leiden University. Its not easy to
keep track of them: soon after their return priorities become building a career, and a little
later, starting a family. Home and email addresses change, connections get lost.
In collaboration with the Royal Dutch Consulate in HCMC, NESO organized an alumni
event. After an opening word by Dutch Consul General Mr. Simon van der Burg I delivered a workshop about Vietnamese Generation Management. Then a panel of alumni exchanged experiences after returning from Holland.
On the rooftop terrace of Liberty Central Riverside informal networking with representatives of the Dutch business community completed the first of, hopefully, many alumni
events. (see pictures on page 1 & 5).

One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the
world. Education is the only solution. Education first.
Malala YousafzaiNobel Peace Prize Winner 2014

8th year, no. 4

The 34th Dutch Vietnam

Management Supporter

2014 harvest : tailor made programs

Clients have specific wishes. We spend quality time on defining the objectives, often
after consulting managers and stafffuture learners. This years harvest contains tailor
made courses varying from 1 to 3 days. The management development programs take
more time: they vary from 2436 days, spread out over 23 years. My 2014 harvest:

Knowledge makes one laugh, but wealth

makes one dance. George Herbert

8th year, no. 4

The 34th Dutch Vietnam

Management Supporter

Authentic Leadership: another US business

concept that doesnt work in Vietnam?
An Authentic Leader is a person who aims to bring benefits to all stakeholders of
the organization (including clients, staff, shareholders and society), who adheres
to high values and principles, who is truly him/herself, who goes for the long term
success of the organization, and who, while realistic, refrains from compromising
with trends and hypes that disagree with his/her vision and mission.
Recently VCCI Ho Chi Minh City asked me to develop a course about Authentic Leadership.
An interesting assignment: the business world seems to be rife with leaders who believe having authority or being the Boss is enough to successfully run an organization. And we all
know where that leads to. An Authentic Leader however, gains your respect, makes you feel
important and confident about the future, and supports your growth. Nothing wrong with
that. But would it work in Vietnam? After all, its another US business concept. And we
all know these concepts have cultural limitations. What I do with such a request: 1. research
& 2. discuss it with my Vietnamese friends, and 3. Vietnamize it. Make it fit for use. In the
next Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter more about Authentic Vietnamese Leaders.

Have a mentor who can teach you, and have a

student who can learn from you.
Bill Georges 9th Authentic Leadership Lesson
3 successful
Vietnamese sharing
experiences with
fellow alumni. This
event was hosted by
Nuffic NESO & the
Royal Dutch Consulate
in HCMC.
Left to right: Mr. Dung
(CEO ISM Solutions),
Miss Loan (Specialist
at Dow AgroSciences),
Mr. Ha (Sales
Manager at Friesland
Campina) & LH.

Some cause happiness wherever they go;

others whenever they go.
Oscar Wilde

8th year, no. 4

The 34th Dutch Vietnam

Management Supporter

Why Vietnam Integrity Alliance?

According to Mr. Jeremy Brooks, the Top 4 industries in the world where corruption is
rampant, are 1. construction (broadest sense), 2. defense / arms, 3. oil & gas, and 4.
pharma. Mr. Brooks, retired from PwC, is Chairman of Transparency Internationals Advisory
Board. November 21 he presented his views during a Eurocham meeting.
In 2011 Eurocham published the result of a survey about EU investors attitude towards Vietnam,
considering the impact of bureaucracy & corruption on their decision making process. 40% stated
this slightly affected their decision. 28% stated this caused a significant reduction or delay of their
decision. A November 14 Bloomberg article about Vietnamese Airlines stocks (by Nguyen Kieu
Giang) states:
Overseas investors have bought a net $173 million of Vietnamese shares this year through yesterday, heading for an eighth year of inflows, and avoided state IPOs amid concerns stocks are illiquid
and stakes held by non-government shareholders are too small to influence corporate governance.
Investors are sensitive to image. Its a PR world. The Vietnam Integrity Alliance is an initiative to
improve Vietnams image. From its FAQ paper: An Integrity Alliance is a community of institutions,
organisations and their professionals who support each other to promote standards of integrity
across all sectors and engage collectively in anti-corruption activities
(e.g. developing an integrity pledge,
business standards etc.).
Part of it is the Integrity Pledge:
A core component of an Alliance is
an Integrity Pledge, designed to be a
non-binding, unilateral and voluntary commitment (often a signed
document) towards a transparent,
fair and bribe-free business environment.
Who is VIA?
Currently the growing alliance of
businesses and chambers of commerce consists of EuroCham, AusCham, CanCham, British Business Group Vietnam (BBGV), German Industry & Commerce in Vietnam (GIC AHK), and several foreign companies (Rolls Royce,
Bayer, Mercedes Benz, Metacor). There is a close cooperation with Towards Transparency, the national contact of Transparency International.
By committing to the VIA, members can demonstrate a commitment to integrity and transparency
to their business partners and investors and highlight their competitive advantage as a company
willing to stand for clean business. (Source: Vietnam Integrity AllianceFAQs)

Loek Hopstaken is
member of
&

8th year, no. 4

The 34th Dutch Vietnam

Management Supporter

The Promised Land?

My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of

illiteracy. That some people
who were unable to go to
school were more educated
and more intelligent than
college professors.
Maya Angelou

A lie gets halfway

around the world
before the truth has a
chance to put its
pants on. W. Churchill

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what

isnt true. The other is to refuse to accept what is true.
Soren Kierkegaard

8th year, no. 4

The 34th Dutch Vietnam

Management Supporter

The Goldfinchs 350th anniversary

When I was a boy, art became a hobbyspecifically, 17th century Dutch paintings. Some works
moved me more than others. Like The Goldfinch, painted in 1654 by Carel Fabritius. Pupil of
Rembrandt, possible tutor of Jan Vermeer. Jans Girl with the Pearl Earring is one of the other top
attractions of the Mauritshuis in The Hague. The Goldfinch was recently restored: the painting now
looks as new. What intrigues me about this chained song bird (it performs a trick: pulling up a tiny
bucket filled with water)? Its a perfect optical delusion, a trompe loeil. The bird is looking at you.
I can imagine Carels friend Vermeer displaying it on the wall of his pub. He would be surprised to
know that his modest canvas would become an icon of Dutch 17th century art, appear on postage
stamps and even become the subject of a bestselling 2014 American novel. Sadly, Carel died shortly
after completing The Goldfinch. October 12, 1654 a gunpowder storage close to his workshop
exploded, killing him and hundreds of others, destroying a large section of Delft. The Goldfinch
survived. While in The Hague I used the opportunity to congratulate the bird with her or his 350th
birthday. The Mauritshuis has given The Goldfinch its own wall, in perfectly matching colors.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in finding new

lands but in seeing with a new set of eyes.
Marcel Proust

8th year, no. 4

The 34th Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter

Loek Hopstakens Clients

In Vietnam: a.o.

Tan Thuan IPC

HCMC University of Technology

RMIT (HCMC campus)

Royal Business School

Int. Business & Law Academy (IBLA)

Vietnam Airlines (RBS; ISM)

Vietnam Singapore I.P. (SPECTRA)

Petronas (SPECTRA)

Petronas Carigali (PACE)

Nike (Tae Kwang Vina) (SPECTRA)

Le & Associates

Sacombank (Training House)

Ministry of L.I.S.A. (RBS)

SONY Vietnam (RBS)

CapitaLand Vietnam (SPECTRA)

Institute for Potential Leaders / PACE

Dalat Hasfarm (Agrivina)

Hoanggia Media Group

Fresh Green Earth

Unique Design

ERC Institute Vietnam

Schoeller Bleckmann Vietnam

Robert Bosch Vietnam (PACE)

De Heus Vietnam

Control Union Vietnam (SPECTRA)

Centre for Tropical Med.Oxford Uni.

Khue Van Academy

CARE Vietnam (AIT)

Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)

HCMC Fin. & Invest. Company (AIT)

Academy of Finance

ITEQ Vietnam

Vietnam Breweries Ltd (Heineken)

In The Netherlands, a.o.

ING Bank

Philips

Heineken

Yamaha

Damen Shipyards

business field
Industrial development
MBA program
Pro Comm faculty
Courses & seminars
Training & consultancy
International airline
Industrial park
Chemical factory
Oil & gas
Shoe factory
Training & consultancy
Training & consultancy
Civil Servants
Consumer electronics
Real estate
Courses & seminars
Pot plants, cut flowers
Key to Success TV Show
Hi-tech agriculture
Interior Design/archit.
Business school
Oilfield Equipment
Electronics
Animal food
Quality inspections
Clinical research
Courses & seminars
NGO
Training & consultancy
Investments
MBA (Un. of Gloucester)
Mono-parts/assemblies
Brewery
Financial services
Electronics
Brewery
Musical instruments
Ship repair wharfs

The DVM Supporter is published by

Prof. Loek Hopstaken
Email: loek.hopstaken@gmail.com
Cell Vietnam: (84) 090 888 9450
Cell The Netherlands: 06 510 97328
Assistant: Ms. Vo Ngoc Lien Huong
Email: jane.hopstaken@gmail.com
Cell: (84) 090 888 9451
Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/loekhopstaken

Just words?

Play it, Sam.

Play As Time
Goes By.
Ilsa Lund

Well, nobodys
perfect.
Osgood
Fielding III

To infinity
and beyond!
Buzz Lightyear