How To Say No
Which professional skills do western companies expect from Thais? How can Thais work their way through cultural barriers towards great effectiveness at work with foreigners?
1-2-WIN Executive Coaching and the Dutch and French Chambers of Commerce surveyed 110 companies and interviewed 28 successful business leaders to gather insights and advice.
In this third article of a series, executive coach Jean-Francois Cousin shares some of the findings and presents 10 tips for Thai managers to excel at work with expats and enjoy the experience.
Wanida is a great professional and does everything she can to satisfy her bosses. Her last western manager was most impressed when they started working together. He delegated an increasing number of tasks to her to broaden her experience and responsibilities. A few months later, Wanida had become overwhelmed with the extra workload, yet would not say ‘no’ to additional requests. Her expat boss noticed she had started to deliver after deadlines, and no longer seemed ‘on top of her job’. Still, he was surprised when Wanida resigned, claiming she needed to ‘take time for herself and her family’. There was no way she would reconsider her decision.
Who is to blame for this lose-lose situation? The insensitive, unreasonable boss? Wanida for keeping her difficulties to herself? Both for lacking common sense? No one, as they both had ‘good intentions’?
A year after she had resigned, I asked Wanida what lessons she had learned from her experience. The most critical one was miscommunication between her and her boss, and in particular her resistance to saying ‘no’.
When we asked 120 Foreigners working in Thailand to choose the 10 most important skills at work, seven were communication skills.
