How do many Thais deal with constructive criticism, advice and instructions?

[ttthailand]

I have trained many Thais. All have been technical and had a basic understanding of the equipment prior to being trained. They all shake their heads that they understand and can sometimes demonstrate what they have learned. The problem is that once you are not there they forget everything and basically you need to return to assist. The biggest problem however is that they are lazy, not all but many.

Don't get angry just relax and keep at it, they will learn over time.

[simon43]

I’ve been asked to take control of a local office of 23 Thais for a period of 6 month

What did you do to upset your boss so much??

[Thongkorn]

Usually Constitutive criticism to a Thai ends up with a smack in the mouth.

[Thai at Heart]

Not well................. Better strap yourself in and be prepared for some eventful times.

Be prepared to fire a few of the most intransigent.

[chrisinth]

OP, you didn't mention what part of industry you are 'retraining' and 'instructing' the 23 Thais. If you are entering a work environment that has already been established, solo to change things, even if your Thai language skills are good, you are going to need help. It seems a strange request from the US company to send a foreigner in to make major changes to an established routine, but that is only my point of view.

I have to agree with GH that my experience is very similar to his, that the Thais are receptive to advice and guidance. I have been here for a similar length of time working with Thais throughout, from welders & painters to executives and I can categorically state, that in my experience, the general view that working Thais are lazy and incompetent is so far removed from the truth that for me, it can even be embarrassing reading about it at times. All depends on what work you are doing and who you are working with I suppose.

The current company I am working for has achieved their ISO creditation, upgraded and added to their scope through the last 10 years. This was a complete reorganization on all levels, and they achieved it seamlessly. As much as I detest the ISO system (for SMO's) it would not have been possible if it wasn't for their efforts.

Assuming this isn't a troll post, my advice would be to do nothing for the first couple of days except for observation. Once you have established the pecking order, work with them instead of against them. Treat the transition as fun as much as you can.

Without trying to be condescending, the last sentence is based on their education system which they have grown up with.............

As Willy said earlier, if possible, try and make them think that the idea of change came from them. Participation is everything.

[DLang]

Fake grins.

Fake laughs.

Guns.

[nikmar]

i had to speak to parents of students and i found the best way to showcase the negatives was by sandwiching it between two positives.

also, the way you word things helps.

"oh mr somchai, your son is obviously very clever. he could learn more though if he listened more instead of reading comics. having said that, he does seem to enjoy participating in the activities."

i should have been a diplomat.

[Soutpeel]

How do many Thais deal with constructive criticism, advice and instructions?

the same way many self righteous, cantankerous all knowing farang's on TV deal with it, not very well....

[Soutpeel]

17 years experience of working with Thai people (male and female) having all levels of education between labourer and professional engineer (my duties including a significant amount of training and education for the people working for me)....

My experience.... I have only on four occasions met Thai people who responded negatively to constructive criticism.

On the whole I have found Thai people to be receptive to honest and fair criticism and very receptive to new ideas where an effort is made to explain/demonstrate the idea being put over.

I frequently receive emails from ex Thai colleagues asking for advice which seems always to be well received.

My advice to the OP, go in with the idea that 'respect is where we all start from and is something we loose by our own deeds, not something we earn' and apply that to your staff, and most importantly apply it to yourself.

From a basis of mutual respect, the transfer of ideas, working requirements and practices will be easy.

If you knew "lose" and "loose" were different words and when to use which, your post would have greater credibility.

(Unless English is not your first language in which case I apologize)

Haven't you got English classes to teach and leave the adults to talk

[NickJ]

I hate the way they listen to your instructions and the second they think they know what you mean or have there own idea......they stop listening 100%.

Also......if you do decide to fire a worker better check the labor laws first.

[Soutpeel]

17 years experience of working with Thai people (male and female) having all levels of education between labourer and professional engineer (my duties including a significant amount of training and education for the people working for me)....

My experience.... I have only on four occasions met Thai people who responded negatively to constructive criticism.

On the whole I have found Thai people to be receptive to honest and fair criticism and very receptive to new ideas where an effort is made to explain/demonstrate the idea being put over.

This has been my experience as well. What I've found is that the Thais will accept "constructive criticism" from someone they trust and respect. But criticism from some ignorant blowhard who clearly has no idea what he's talking about? Not so much. Maybe that's why some of the folks on this thread have had issues.

My experiences of 14 years as well,

one suspects those who are slagging off Thai nationals, have never worked a day in their lives with them and their sole experience with working Thai's are the local BG's and bar owners

[Swiss1960]

I would ask the question differently: How many foreigners have enough understanding of Asian culture and are therefore able to give "constructive criticism, advice and instructions"?

What does it say? It takes two to tango...

[pokerkid]

Find some common ground. Talk about things that you both understand. I noticed some of your topics posted recently you could surely use those to build a rapport with the staff.

Like........

Many Thai drivers/riders become aggressive when you overtake them.

Bumgun Self-Enema everyday. Long term effects.

Are we not valued as people here?

What the crud is this? For months now the female half have been sporting big bushy eyebrows as some sort of fashion trend.

[a99az]

Sadly it's so true you are going to have a big problem if you want to show a Thai that he or she could try it another way. I tried it a couple of times with my Thai wife on the early days of our marriage she went quiet but after a few months she soon showed what she thought of my well meaning criticism helpful or otherwise. I don't do that now I just let her get on with it and keep my head down. Could it be that you got the job because everyone else knew it was a lost cause.

[pokerkid]

Sadly it's so true you are going to have a big problem if you want to show a Thai that he or she could try it another way. I tried it a couple of times with my Thai wife on the early days of our marriage she went quiet but after a few months she soon showed what she thought of my well meaning criticism helpful or otherwise. I don't do that now I just let her get on with it and keep my head down. Could it be that you got the job because everyone else knew it was a lost cause.

read post # 42

[Soutpeel]

I would ask the question differently: How many foreigners have enough understanding of Asian culture and are therefore able to give "constructive criticism, advice and instructions"?

What does it say? It takes two to tango...

When I first came to Thailand to work, we were put on what could be described as cultural diversity training (to use management speak) for a period of 5 days, and the classes comprised of expats new to Thailand and Thai nationals which explored the cultural norms in both Thailand and the western world in the work environment and I must say it was a very good course, what surprised me the most was questions or perceptions the Thai nationals had about the "western" work environment

[lostoday]

Sadly it's so true you are going to have a big problem if you want to show a Thai that he or she could try it another way. I tried it a couple of times with my Thai wife on the early days of our marriage she went quiet but after a few months she soon showed what she thought of my well meaning criticism helpful or otherwise. I don't do that now I just let her get on with it and keep my head down. Could it be that you got the job because everyone else knew it was a lost cause.

Two different things; wife and work.

[lostoday]

I would ask the question differently: How many foreigners have enough understanding of Asian culture and are therefore able to give "constructive criticism, advice and instructions"?

What does it say? It takes two to tango...

When I first came to Thailand to work, we were put on what could be described as cultural diversity training (to use management speak) for a period of 5 days, and the classes comprised of expats new to Thailand and Thai nationals which explored the cultural norms in both Thailand and the western world in the work environment and I must say it was a very good course, what surprised me the most was questions or perceptions the Thai nationals had about the "western" work environment

Very interesting. What did the Thai nationals find unusual? What did the Western people find different?

I'll bet there is a market to sell a course like this if you could find a Thai to explain it in such a way that the Thais would not be insulted.

[Soutpeel]

Sadly it's so true you are going to have a big problem if you want to show a Thai that he or she could try it another way. I tried it a couple of times with my Thai wife on the early days of our marriage she went quiet but after a few months she soon showed what she thought of my well meaning criticism helpful or otherwise. I don't do that now I just let her get on with it and keep my head down. Could it be that you got the job because everyone else knew it was a lost cause.

Two different things; wife and work.

one is work, the other is pussy whipped ?

[AlexRRR]

Get your self a TGF otherwise start using Thai customer service there the window to the nation.

[weka]

I've dealt extensively with cross cultural courses for both, i.e helping foriegn bosses with Thai workers and also helping Thai workers with foreign bosses.

The main memories/feedback from the Thai workers was

Why do foreign bosses swear so much

Why do foreign bosses yell so much, especially in front of other workers

Why don't foreign bosses respect that I've got qualifications and ideas about the job too

Why don't foreign bosses properly listen to my ideas and reasons

to the OP, please at least look at these examples objectively when taking on your tricky task.

If you look at these comments and answer :

oh toughen up, it's only words

because you keep <deleted> up and smile when I talk to you

because your qualifications were probably bought from a corrupt university

because I'm the boss brought in to fix this miss

then the problem is staring you in the face every morning when you shave

[BuckingBronco]

17 years experience of working with Thai people (male and female) having all levels of education between labourer and professional engineer (my duties including a significant amount of training and education for the people working for me)....

My experience.... I have only on four occasions met Thai people who responded negatively to constructive criticism.

On the whole I have found Thai people to be receptive to honest and fair criticism and very receptive to new ideas where an effort is made to explain/demonstrate the idea being put over.

I frequently receive emails from ex Thai colleagues asking for advice which seems always to be well received.

My advice to the OP, go in with the idea that 'respect is where we all start from and is something we loose by our own deeds, not something we earn' and apply that to your staff, and most importantly apply it to yourself.

From a basis of mutual respect, the transfer of ideas, working requirements and practices will be easy.

If you knew "lose" and "loose" were different words and when to use which, your post would have greater credibility.

(Unless English is not your first language in which case I apologize)

His post maintains high credibility due to GH's working experience in Thailand. That is 17 years experience of working with Thais.

For several years, under your many guises, you have had a bee in your bonnet regarding GH.

You troll the thread and offer up a spelling error as a sign of lack of credibility. Yet, you have never worked in a company employing or managing Thai people. Paying your GF does not count.

Your experience is zero.

Your credibility is zero.

[CharlieH]

Business/work related to staff etc

MOVED to Business section

[Gecko123]

Make sure you understand why things are being done the way they are currently being done before you try to change things. Thais are very pragmatic and certainly not stupid. There's often a sound reason for why things are being done the way they are, even when you might initially think everything is being done ass backwards and counterintuitively.

Establish a rapport based upon mutual respect and trust. Bossing people around, browbeating, lecturing, scolding, threatening will get you no where.

Make changes incrementally and results measurable.

Check your ego at the airport. Thais are extremely perceptive and intuitive. No matter how well you think you can conceal feelings of superiority or condescension, ultimately this will bleed through into your demeanor. Staff will quickly pick up on this, and your dreams of improving things will quickly go up in smoke.

[questionsreplies]

Fire all the men and keep only women is the best thing i did...

[kaorop]

Its the opposite of the entertainment industry

only work with children and animals

[wow64]

You are in for an eye opener.. there is a thai way of doing things which is not wrong its just different to what you are used too.

If you see anything wrong... which will be everything in your mind when you first start.. don't single anyone out. I used to do that and it got me nowhere. Just resulted in staff leaving or doing an even worst job.

Now if I see an issue I have a meeting and let the thai staff come up with a solution.. I just nudge it in the right direction. Then its their idea and they take it on board.. better then the farang boss telling them what to do.

Also if someone has an issue no one will tell you... you have to find out yourself. I can nearly smell it now or tell by the look on their face.. but no one will tell you until its nearly time to go home.

Have seen many foreign bosses come to my company from os and leave after going crazy.. they tried to reinvent the wheel or change everything and they thought the change would fix everything. Doesn't work that way...

Good luck.

[ChrisB87]

I don't think you will have much difficulty.

I spoke to a chef who manages a kitchen of Thais. He applied the same method as he used in the west: publicly berate one of them and then all is good for a couple of months until they forget and do the same thing wrong again. Then you have to go crazy again. Don't do it too often or they get desensitized to it.

I don't know if that can be your style or not, and there will be people here saying, "oh no..you can't do that in Thailand" NONSENSE. Have you ever heard how a Thai superior speaks to his staff??

Thailand has a strict hierarchy. Now, i know, being a westerner they won't respect you as much as their Thai superior, and it can be difficult getting a foothold in the hierarchy, but its possible. I have seen it.

As to constructive criticism. they aren't going to see the constructive part, I'm afraid. They will just take it as plain criticism.

They can, however, follow instructions quite well. Not perfectly and not quickly, but with a degree of competence, which of course is subject to how well they get paid.

If all goes sour just sack one of them and that'll wake em up!

[Crazy chef 1]

Respect

Repetition

Patience

Are the key words

[MaeJoMTB]

17 years experience of working with Thai people (male and female) having all levels of education between labourer and professional engineer (my duties including a significant amount of training and education for the people working for me)....

My experience.... I have only on four occasions met Thai people who responded negatively to constructive criticism.

On the whole I have found Thai people to be receptive to honest and fair criticism and very receptive to new ideas where an effort is made to explain/demonstrate the idea being put over.

I frequently receive emails from ex Thai colleagues asking for advice which seems always to be well received.

My advice to the OP, go in with the idea that 'respect is where we all start from and is something we loose by our own deeds, not something we earn' and apply that to your staff, and most importantly apply it to yourself.

From a basis of mutual respect, the transfer of ideas, working requirements and practices will be easy.

If you knew "lose" and "loose" were different words and when to use which, your post would have greater credibility.

(Unless English is not your first language in which case I apologize)

His post maintains high credibility due to GH's working experience in Thailand. That is 17 years experience of working with Thais.

For several years, under your many guises, you have had a bee in your bonnet regarding GH.

You troll the thread and offer up a spelling error as a sign of lack of credibility. Yet, you have never worked in a company employing or managing Thai people. Paying your GF does not count.

Your experience is zero.

Your credibility is zero.

As this thread is about education, and the poster was claiming 17 years experience in training, pointing out an educational problem is in order.

And please, let's not try to write off not knowing the difference between lose and loose as a spelling error, when it clearly isn't.

It's confusing two entirety different words.