Gaining Leadership Insights Through Cultural Immersion

We created a unique immersion program for a team of leaders from across a diverse enterprise, designed to expose them to a different cultural and business environment.

It was also our client’s 125th anniversary, and to celebrate this, key leaders from across the organization were invited to an immersion experience in Vietnam. As with all our programs, the intention was to stimulate new ways of thinking and encourage insight and innovation. This unique program took participants on a deep, thought-provoking journey through the business and cultural landscape of Vietnam to better understand the opportunities within such a rich heritage.

The Client  – A Diverse Global Enterprise 

Our client is a multinational, family-run organization engaged in many industries around the world. It began in the Netherlands in 1896 as a coal company and has expanded over the last 125 years to have a presence in other energies, heavy machinery, retail, food, and engineering. This organization creates immense opportunities by employing over 50,000 people across the globe.

For this program, we worked with a new partner to create a unique leadership experience. As well as celebrating success and focusing on leadership, the program would expose the participants to Vietnam’s cultural and business environment. Currently, the company’s main markets are Europe and South America: hosting the program in Vietnam would be a valuable insight into the Southeast Asian market.

Their Situation – Transformation And Innovation In Leadership

This work presented new and exciting challenges for The Immersion Lab. The program was divided into two offerings, orchestrated simultaneously across the great cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. As an emerging market, the distinctions felt in each location during setup and delivery in Vietnam were palpable.

The objectives of the program were to:

• Deepen the strategic capabilities around transformation in the country
• Adopt a more global perspective
• Foster innovative behaviors
• Engage with the growth mindset currently gripping the South East Asian markets

For the three days, we were in Vietnam, we began our exploration from the starting point of understanding and being immersed in the culture. The uniqueness of the people and the way business is done gives rise to a powerhouse of opportunity for those willing to invest in it for themselves.

We carefully crafted experiences that incorporated meeting with young talent to better understand the lived experience of an emerging professional. This was complemented by interactions involving leaders from both Vietnamese and international organizations.

What We Did – Three Days Of Immersion

Day 1

To introduce the participants to Vietnamese culture at the same time as opening up the program, we visited a volunteer-run primary school for underprivileged children. The warmth of the experience was a contrast to the disparity of equity present but served as a beacon to highlight the importance of social function in all aspects of Vietnamese life. This experience proved to be a testing ground of sorts for the participants, challenging their expectations as well as helping them form tight-knit teams. The lessons learned here would reverberate through the rest of the immersion.

Day 2

The morning kicked off in high gear featuring a roundtable, multifocal discussion with local leaders, influencers, and the like. These diverse perspectives supercharged not only the participants’ insights into the state control and impact but also the realities of growing great ideas in Vietnam.

Over lunch, the group split into five teams with the intent to better understand the transmigration of business from their Holland homeland to that of Vietnam. The red carpet was certainly rolled out for the groups as though they had traveled a great distance to meet with old friends. They had the opportunity to meet with local Dutch leaders, several chambers of commerce, and more, resulting in conversations that yielded rich feelings of connection with those who had come before them.

To end the day, the groups met with young, local talent who walked with them through the local wet market. This experience was a highlight for many, as not only were the streets a sensorial experience on their own, but the bustling energy also carried with it a deep reservoir of insights intersecting all walks of life in Vietnam. The day closed with groups being invited back to each host’s home for a meal, closing off an immersive experience brimming with opportunity and ambition.

Day 3

Our final day marked the integration of all that had been seen, as the groups set out to meet with highly successful organizations and high-growth start-ups. With an appreciation of culture and society creating a firm foundation, participants were able to paint a rich landscape of insight when talking shop with each new leader. The contrast of large, resource-heavy organizations was a beautiful counterpoint to the smaller, agile groups who push forward with equal fervor.

The Impact – Three Extraordinary Days Of Immersion

Our client described their immersion program as “everything they had hoped for”. Their facilitator wrote:

Many thanks for the absolutely flawless execution and amazing insights all around.

Looking back over an intense three days, what were the key outcomes?

• An appreciation of the synergies, differences, and challenges of working in a new culture as part of a global company
• A greater understanding of the innovative value brought by the entrepreneurial mindset of startup organizations
• The ability to challenge oneself and one’s comfort zone by intensive immersion in another culture

It was an exciting venture for The Immersion Lab, not least because it was the first immersion we had organized in South East Asia since the pandemic, but also because we ran it in combination with a new partner. We’d repeat both experiences in a heartbeat.

A change of culture can really help leaders revisit their perspectives. This is just one of the many forms our immersive programs can take. If you want to find out more, get in touch with us at the Immersion Lab. We’ll work with you to create a meaningful program for your organization’s leaders.