Thang Nguyen 555

Cultures on Collision Course

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With some short-term relief work in Asia/Africa and long stint in Telecom, Thang also earned a B.A. at Pennsylvania State University. M.A. in Communication at Wheaton Graduate School, M.A. in Cross-Cultural Communication at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, Boston. In addition, he earned a CELTA – classes taken in Hanoi for cultural re-immersion.

Tag: Business

  • Risks and Rewards

    As the saying goes, you’ve got to enter the lion’s den to get the lion. No pain no gain. Taking risks is not something for everyone. After all, we have all the safety measures built-in to our system: from seat-belts to “frisk-machines”. Yet, in business as in life, risk is part of life, just like…

  • Summer Sadness

    Some kids revisited their Summer 1942. Coming of age. Others, say in Vietnam, are ready for bigger stage. A Linkedin connect started her SQUAR in emerging Myanma, just core viable product, to be perfected as time goes along. Summer separation and sadness. Summer also brings reunion and reassessment. It’s Q3 for business people. Abenomics or…

  • Out of the box

    We are urged to “think out of the box“, be creative etc.. Easier said than done. Having a liberal arts background, and traveled the world, I find it easier just get out of the box, then think from there. Every place has its own charms and setbacks. Every place gets good and bad people. Don’t…

  • Snow cover

    It doesn’t matter what color your roofing is or the shape of your lawn. Snow covers them all. In a blanket of white. Wet and white. Crushing underneath your feet, leaving foot prints and tire marks. The power of (snow flakes) accumulation and its compounding effect. Nature’s lesson to men: there is a season for everything. Time to…

  • Dilemma and Decision

    Leaders are tasked and paid to make decisions. Hard calls. Tie-breaking calls. Go for the Gold, or take the safe route. Coach Joe Paterno had a lot of wins, but many were taken away from him because of one mis-step. Pope Benedict XVI , however, did call it quit (right timing). And Tesla–Solarcity–Space X? the jury…

  • What happened to “Next Level”?

    If you followed job ads or start-up pitches, you would be hearing “Next Level” multiple times back then.. In the 90’s it was “synergy” (M&A terms). Before that “re-engineering” (The Japan that can’t say NO). Now, it’s “collaboration”. The Recession inadvertently served as an Editor who cut out words that don’t fit with the times. You…

  • Personality as motivator

    Besides fun, fear and need for recognition, each of us is motivated by an unique set of triggers. Some are expressive e.g. talk it out to then realize what they think. Analytical people, however, weigh the pros and cons before opening their mouths. Amiable people just empathize, feely-touchy and are good listeners Social folks love…

  • The build-up

    It’s like a can of worms, once opened, can never be put back. Yet, that’s what makes us human: from A to B, we insist that a straight line is not the shortest. We have to factor in free will. Even God respects that (by not forcing us to move quickly through Foxconn-like assembly line). Our…

  • World on wheels

    You want to see wheels at work, you come to Saigon. (Baby) strollers, scooters, (food) stalls, all on wheels. But instead of having you walk up to a vending machine, here the merchandise come to you. Ladies in cone hats would walk about with all sorts of knickknacks on their shoulders: toe clippers, wallets, key…

  • The You

    It’s like Who is on First, or the Who. It’s you who is the Who. You need to get the bugs out to uncover the better version of yourself. Everything up to this point is payload: family advices (ill or good-will), the institutions (and college loan) and work places. Some of us found out the…