How Respect Vietnam Changed the Thinking of a VinUni Professor
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
In Vietnam’s rapidly evolving business landscape, universities play a crucial role in shaping future leaders. Yet even seasoned professors can find their perspectives transformed when exposed to innovative approaches.
This is exactly what happened at VinUni, where Respect Vietnam introduced a new way of thinking about consulting, coaching, and organizational development.
1. From Frameworks to Human-Centered Strategy
Traditionally, consulting begins with frameworks. Respect Vietnam challenged this by starting with the pain points and goals of the client before introducing any model.
A VinUni professor, accustomed to teaching strategy through established frameworks, realized that this reversal made the process more authentic. Instead of fitting people into a model, Respect Vietnam fit the model to the people.
Instead of fitting people into a model, Respect Vietnam fit the model to the people.
This shift echoes global best practices: Harvard Business Review’s Customer-Centered Innovation Map (Bettencourt & Ulwick, 2008) and IDEO’s Design Thinking (IDEO, n.d.) both emphasize empathy and problem-first approaches. Respect Vietnam brought these principles to life in the Vietnamese context.
2. Replacing Surveys with Real-Time Team Coaching
Academic research often relies on surveys and interviews. Respect Vietnam replaced these with team coaching sessions, where insights emerge in real time through dialogue, training, and mentoring.
Respect Vietnam turns team coaching into real-time insight through dialogue, training, and mentoring.
The professor witnessed how this method generated deeper, more actionable insights than static questionnaires. It was not about collecting data — it was about co-creating understanding.
This aligns with Peter Hawkins’ Leadership Team Coaching (Hawkins, 2011) and MIT Sloan’s findings that collective intelligence thrives in live interaction, not in isolated data points (Woolley et al., 2010).
3. Integrating Coaching, Training, Mentoring, and Consulting
Respect Vietnam’s most striking innovation was its integrated model. Instead of separating coaching, training, mentoring, and consulting, they combined them into a single seamless process.
Instead of separating coaching, training, mentoring, and consulting, RespectVN combined them into a single seamless process.
For the professor, this was eye-opening. In academia, these disciplines are often taught as distinct. Respect Vietnam demonstrated that integration creates stronger impact, higher engagement, and faster transformation.
Global frameworks such as EMCC’s Competence Model and David Clutterbuck’s Coaching the Team at Work validate this integrated approach (Clutterbuck, 2007; EMCC Global, n.d.). Respect Vietnam showed how theory can become practice in Vietnam.
Conclusion: A Shift Worth Studying
Respect Vietnam did not just impress a VinUni professor — it changed his thinking. By prioritizing human-centered strategy, real-time insight generation, and integrated coaching models, Respect Vietnam demonstrated that Vietnam can lead in applying global best practices to local contexts.
For universities, this is more than a case study. It is a call to rethink how consulting and coaching are taught, researched, and practiced. Respect Vietnam has proven that innovation in methodology can transform not only businesses, but also the minds of educators themselves.
RespectVN: "Learning outcomes must be directly integrated into Performance Management to avoid resource waste and stay true to the core essence of the 70-20-10 model."
We believe that if learning and practice are not measured, evaluated, and linked to performance management systems, then that 70% remains a cost rather than an investment.
Therefore, RespectVN advocates transforming the entire learning journey into measurable indicators that can be tracked and clearly reflected in individual KPIs and organizational business outcomes.
In this context, Ms Ha Dang, Founder of RespectVN, has pioneered the practical experimentation and application of a 12-indicator L&D framework integrated into the Balanced Scorecard. This framework is designed to help organizations implement learning strategies more effectively through four clear strategic perspectives: Financial (impact on financial performance), Customer (customer satisfaction and service capability), Internal Process (process improvement), and Learning & Growth (sustainable human development).
With this BSC framework, the “70% experiential learning” component is no longer a fragmented activity but becomes an integral part of the performance management system, ensuring that every learning effort generates measurable value and directly contributes to business objectives.
With this integrated approach, RespectVN is committed to partnering with Vietnamese businesses to build a culture of learning–action–measurement–continuous improvement, transforming L&D from a cost center into a driver of sustainable growth and a clear competitive advantage.
FLASHBACK RESPECTVN'S JOURNEY
RespectVN has redefined L&D from a supporting function into a core driver of business value, developing a 12-indicator system directly linked to organizational performance, while integrating OKRs and the Business Model Canvas into a “Made in Vietnam” model.
At the same time, it has been implemented across more than 50 enterprises, driving a shift in management mindset—transforming learning into a lever for growth rather than merely a training activity.
"We aim to answer a fundamental question: how should organizations approach learning and development in ways that directly impact business priorities, especially in addressing the critical challenges they face today.
The goal is to ensure that everyone in the organization—from leadership to frontline employees—shares a common understanding that learning and development is critically important."
There are no great organizations. There are only great people who make great organizations"
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Respect Vietnam prepares purpose-driven leaders & people-centric organizations In the face of the fast-changing world of work
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RESPECT VIETNAM LTD CO.
Fanpage: RespectVN
Website: respectvn.com
Linkedin: vn.linkedin.com/company/respect-vietnam
Address: No. 66 Lane 102 Street Truong Chinh, District Dong Da, Hanoi
Email: info@respectvn.com
Hotline: 0888673222e: 0888673222
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