Sunday, February 9, 2014

The "no-blame hamberger" theory - Thai way of dishing out criticism

I really like this article which appeared in the STAR on Feb 8.

Maybe I should try this on my children or the Gen Y working with me.

Apparently in Thailand when it comes to doing business, understanding and practicing Thai cultures is extremely important.

The success of Vinder who runs Mrs Balbir group of restaurant in Bangkok (a chain of North Indian restaurants) is according to her "learning how to deal with Thais according to their culture" when handling issues or difficult staff.

A true food enthusiast, Vinder calls this her "no-blame hamburger" theory".

She starts with:

1. Bun on the top

"First you have to praise them, fluff them up a little bit, something along the lines of 'I really like this about you, you are doing really well in this area and I appreciate your hard work'.

2. Meat in the middle

"Then you come to the meat, which is the real issue. But the trick is to approach it without putting the blame on the person. Say something like 'I think this particular task could have been done differently. Are you having some sort of difficulty, hence you are unable to perform this task well?'

3. Bun at the bottom

"Finally end with the last bun. 'How do you think you and I can work together so that it does not happen again?'

Not pointing fingers, according to Vinder, is a way of showing respect, which to the Thais is most important.

Hmm....I wonder if this will work with my children or with the young man working with me who seems to be spending more hours on his smart phone than he should be on his assignments....

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