PART 3 · CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

Lesson 6. The culture of an effective project organisation

Reading time ≈ 15 min   ·   Based on Chapter 6 of the book

Culture must light the way for the nation.

— President Hồ Chí Minh

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After this lesson you will be able to: •     Describe the ideal cultural environment for project management. •     Build a code of ethics and a commitment mechanism in the organisation. •     Apply the Six Harmonies (Lục hòa) to the daily life of a project organisation.

 

President Hồ Chí Minh held that culture must correct corruption, laziness, extravagance and waste, and help everyone put the common good first. That idea lights the way for building culture in a project organisation.

The ideal cultural environment

Effective and efficient An environment that achieves its goals with sensible resources.	Cohesive Shared ideals, ethical standards, beliefs, values and goals.
Trusting People feel respected and trusted, with strong interaction and support.	Exemplary leaders Leaders set the example and lead from the front.

 

Two foundational steps

Agree a code of ethics and commit to it

Based on the principles and reasoning in Lessons 2–3, the organisation drafts and issues a code of professional ethics, usually covering:

• The organisation’s core values.
• Ethical principles.
• Universal guidance for ethical reasoning.
• Standards of conduct and communication.

 

Every member, from senior leaders to front-line staff, signs a commitment to uphold professional ethics, raising awareness and accountability.

Set goals, ideals and comradeship

Once we choose to join a project, we raise our personal values from self-interest to an ideal of serving the organisation, the community and the nation. Comradeship built on that ideal is the red thread of solidarity, helping us overcome challenges and temptations together. It also attracts like-minded people to work alongside us.

The Six Harmonies (Lục hòa)

Buddhism teaches six principles for living in harmony within a community, as set out in What the Buddha Taught (translated into Vietnamese by Venerable Thích Minh Châu). They offer a very practical way to build the culture of a project organisation.

Principle	Meaning in a project organisation	In practice
Harmony in living together Thân hòa đồng trụ	Consciously creating harmony when working together	No one delivers a project alone. Juniors respect seniors; seniors care for and help juniors. Leaders do not impose by power or “divide and rule”.
Harmony in speech Khẩu hòa vô tranh	Proactive language, gentle words, no quarrelling	“War or peace” often comes down to words. Discuss thoroughly instead of arguing; use proactive language that takes ownership rather than blaming.
Harmony in thought Ý hòa đồng duyệt	No prejudice; understanding others’ views	Experience easily breeds a “know-it-all” attitude. Choose openness and active listening to find the best solution together.
Harmony in precepts Giới hòa đồng tu	Respecting shared values and ethical standards	Commit to the code of ethics; cultivate together through daily work.
Harmony in views Kiến hòa đồng giải	Sharing knowledge, helping each other grow	Be humble and eager to learn; share knowledge to create a learning organisation.
Harmony in sharing benefits Lợi hòa đồng quân	Setting aside private gain, sharing common benefit	Put the nation and organisation first; celebrate results together.

 

Proactive versus passive language

Harmony in speech is easiest to practise through everyday words. Some examples:

Passive language “That’s not my department’s job.” “The contractor is late, so there’s nothing I can do.” “I can’t do anything until the boss approves.”

Proactive language “I’ll find the right contact and get back to you today.” “Let’s look at options to recover the schedule.” “I’ll prepare the data so the boss can approve quickly.”

 

Practising the six principles of harmony together, we create a collaborative and empathetic project environment, so that we live and work happily in every present moment of the project.

— Chapter 6

Apply it to your project

SIX SMALL ACTIONS FOR SIX PRINCIPLES ☐  Living together: This week I proactively help a colleague outside my own tasks. ☐  Speech: In every meeting I replace one passive phrase with a proactive one. ☐  Thought: Before disagreeing, I restate the other person’s point to check I understood. ☐  Precepts: Our organisation has a code of ethics and I have signed it. ☐  Views: I share one useful lesson or document with the team every month. ☐  Benefits: When we reach a key milestone, the whole team recognises and celebrates it.

 

Reflection questions

FOR INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION 1.    Of the Six Harmonies, which does your organisation practise best, and which is missing? 2.    Write down three “passive, blaming” phrases you often hear on projects and rewrite them in proactive language. 3.    How does your organisation celebrate shared results? Is it fair, and does it spread good examples?

 

Quick check

Question 1. What does “harmony in speech” (Khẩu hòa vô tranh) guide us to do?

1. Speak little in meetings
2. Use proactive language and gentle words; discuss rather than quarrel
3. Never disagree with superiors
4. Communicate only in writing

Question 2. In a project organisation, “harmony in sharing benefits” (Lợi hòa đồng quân) means:

1. Everyone is paid the same
2. Setting aside private gain, putting common interest first and celebrating results together
3. Prioritising the leaders’ interests
4. Everyone has an equal vote

Question 3. What is the first step to building the desired culture, according to the lesson?

1. A team holiday
2. Agree and issue a code of ethics, with each person signing a commitment
3. Buy project software
4. Raise salaries

Answers and explanations

Question 1: B. Speak gently and constructively, avoid quarrels, and use proactive language that shows ownership.

Question 2: B. Put national and organisational interests first, do not let self-interest drive decisions, and share in the results.

Question 3: B. A code of ethics creates a sense of ethical duty in every individual, from leaders to staff.

Key points

THE ESSENTIALS OF THIS LESSON •     The ideal culture is effective and efficient; bound by shared ideals and standards; respectful, trusting and supportive; led by exemplary leaders. •     First step: agree and issue a code of ethics (core values, principles, reasoning guidance, standards of conduct), with each person signing a commitment. •     Comradeship built on shared goals and an ideal of service is the red thread that binds the organisation. •     The Six Harmonies: harmony in living together, in speech, in thought, in precepts, in views and in sharing benefits.

 

This lesson is adapted from Chapter 6 of Quản lý dự án: Hiểu đúng & Làm thật (“Project Management: True Understanding, Genuine Action”) by Truong Van Thien (Construction Publishing House, Hanoi, 2025). The content has been condensed and reorganised for learning; full data, quotations and references are in the book.