Passionate about developing
Doan Thi Hau is Vice President HR and Organization at VARD’s yard in Vietnam, Vard Vung Tau. She tells the story of the impressive work she and her team are doing in mentoring, coaching, and training.
20. February 2024
Coaching and mentoring
- Through coaching you can unleash the potential of others, and through mentoring you transfer knowledge and experience, Hau says, revealing the theories behind her work.
Doan Thi Hau (54) has worked for Vard Vung Tau for more than 16 years, and during these years she says the company has evolved significantly both in culture and system, and through people and products.
Hau herself is also a sucker for development and has just finished her master in mentoring. For her, mentoring and coaching is core in the development of employees and company:
We can always buy expensive and high-tech equipment, but by training you can lift the organization much faster. In Vard Vung Tau we now have 63 internal trainers in different training areas. Through coaching and mentoring you develop the leaders’ skills, mindset, beliefs, and awareness and then they can develop the company. We train people that afterwards train others.
– Doan Thi Hau
The strong one
This work started in 2016. Hau was the first employee at Vard Vung Tau being certified as coach and mentor. She immediately started her work, and it did not take long until this development culture spread through management, project coordinators, team leaders and others. Hau is rightly describing herself as committed, strong and grateful.
- I used to suffer from severe illness and after conquering these challenges, I am more courageous. I have walked on fire and climbed the highest mountain in Southeast Asia at 2 AM in minus 6 degrees Celsius to prove to myself that I am strong again.
Running is the best medicine
And not only is she herself strong again, but she also helps others find their strength:
- When we saw the sick leave rate go up in Vard Vung Tau, me, and a group of people from the HSE team, the HR team, and other teams, started to show up around 5.30 in the morning at the yard. We were running around the industrial park, Hau laughs.
- A lot of people saw us running like this, they felt inspired and started to run together with us. The sick leave rate dropped dramatically. When a person like me can climb mountains, exercise and be healthy again, anyone can, she says.
While laughing, she says:
- I am 50 and something, but I have the energy of a 20-year-old.
