I grew up in Holland, the country that gained fame in Vietnam with Heineken, Tulips and Dutch Lady. In January I was back in Holland for 3 weeks, and then returned to Vietnam for Tet. The contrast between the two peoples is remarkable. Many Dutch get depressed by the recession and complain loudly. It affected my mood. In Vietnam, I sense a different attitude towards the recession. To the Vietnamese, this is something that will pass: “We don’t let ourselves get affected. We have seen much worse than this. We are strong. We’ll manage.” I’m impressed by this realistic attitude and national sense of confidence.

My worry about Vietnam is of a different nature. As a specialist in soft skills, I observe that within an organization the ones in power believe they are always right. They rarely listen to what those in the lower ranks – usually, young people. The communication from top to bottom is a ‘one way traffic’ of orders and information. The attitude is: you are young, so

• be proud to work for me,
• I expect you to do what I say, and
• always agree with me.

This attitude is directly related to the heart of Vietnamese culture: the family.

As a trainer and professor, I talk a lot with young people. This includes many Vietnamese alumni, men and women who graduated as bachelors and masters in international business administration. I ask them about their ideas. When they have an idea, and they are enthusiastic about it, I always ask: “Have you told your manager about this?” Most often, the reply is: “It’s no use trying. He won’t listen to a young person.” One said: “My experience is that senior managers only believe in their own ideas. They don’t listen to the young.”

I sincerely believe young people are worth listening to. I teach them, while they teach me. They are often full of ideas. Did you know that 80% of the inventions that have resulted in a Nobel Prize were made by people below 50? That half of them were below 40 when they made their breakthrough discoveries? Albert Einstein was 26. That many successful new, multi-billion-dollar companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft were built by people in their mid-twenties? People like Steven Jobs? Bill Gates? Did you know that to this day, listening to new generations of employees is official policy, and listening to juniors is a constant source of their success?

So, my worry is simply that Vietnamese organizations – private and governmental – miss out on great ideas, even inventions that may stimulate the Vietnamese economy and make those organizations more successful. In this time of recession, we need new ideas.

Don’t think that all good ideas come from the USA, or from ‘the boss’. They don’t. Use more Vietnamese ideas!

My advice: break through the cultural barrier of not listening to the young. They form the vast majority of the Vietnamese population. They are better educated than ever. They are ambitious. There must be a WEALTH of great ideas, as yet unknown, unexplored, and unused. Tap it! Use it! The Vietnamese economy, and therefore, the Vietnamese people will benefit greatly. That is my belief.

Listening to employees has another benefit. The current problem of many entrepreneurs is “How do I keep my most valuable personnel?” It’s not always money that makes them change jobs. It’s also recognition. Communicate with them. Listen to them. Give them an opportunity to come up with ideas. And give them room to disagree with an existing situation, and to work on it to improve it. THAT, I sincerely feel, is the start of innovation.

And: one effective way to survive the recession and come out as a winner. With the Vietnamese mentality: realistic, and with a firm confidence in the national culture, this is bound to be true.