Bridging Cultures, Building Futures: A Night of Project Management Connections in PMIMay 2025 – Hanoi
On a warm Hanoi evening, under soft golden lights and the hum of casual conversation, leaders, students, professionals, and curious newcomers gathered for a special PMI networking dinner themed Cultural Connection & Leading Projects in Southeast Asia.
At the heart of the evening was a shared purpose: welcoming Mr. Francis Koh, President of the PMI Malaysia Chapter, on his visit to Hanoi — but the event became much more: a vibrant mosaic of stories, insights, and cross-cultural connections.
(Some in depth insights shared by Mr Francis Koh during the event)
Section 1: Before the Plates Arrive — Big Decisions and Brave Moves
Before the dinner, early guests mingled and shared their current journeys. In one corner, Mr. T — a seasoned project manager — leans in, his eyes bright as he shares his bold decision to resign from his job and dedicate a full year solely to studying for an advanced, officially recognized project management certification. His story
sparked admiration and thoughtful reflection among attendees, as he spoke about the personal and professional risks involved in stepping away from stable work to upskill.
Around the tables, the discussions dance between career shifts, cultural experiences, and first-time PMI encounters. Someone at the corner asks,
“Which country holds the most PMI certifications?”
“How many members are active in Hanoi, Da Nang, Saigon?”
“How do we even earn PDUs?”
The atmosphere thickens with curiosity — until a warm voice cuts through:
“Good evening, everyone.”
Mr. Francis has arrived with his wife. We started the event. Mr Francis first introduced the PMI Malaysia chapter. Established in 1994 and celebrated 30 years anniversary last year, PMI Malaysia chapter is the oldest chapter in Asia, being 4 days older than the New Zealand chapter
Section 2: Dinner Round Table — Leaders, Dreamers, and First-Timers
The dinner officially opened with a welcome from Ms. Nhung Nguyen, President of the PMI Vietnam Chapter, who set the tone by emphasizing cross-chapter collaboration between Vietnam and Malaysia. Seated prominently was Mr. Francis Koh, President of PMI Malaysia Chapter, accompanied by his wife, adding warmth and cross-border leadership presence. Introductions circled the room: a first-year student leading the project management club at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering (which had just signed an MOU with PMI), representatives from KUKA robotics, researchers, consultants, outreach team leaders preparing for U.S. higher education, and industry professionals from banking, oil and gas, insurance, and education. Fun fact: 10+ industries represented. 30 attendees. Many of them attended their very first PMI event , underscoring the community’s expanding reach. Mr Francis Koh wore a Malaysian Batik Costume to match the theme of the event. It was patterned with floral and light coloring
The dinner table buzzed with informal talks and discussion, the energy was palpable — a lively back-and-forth between generations, industries, and nationalities. The clinking of glasses, bursts of laughter, and thoughtful head-nods fill the room. Not everyone here carries a project management title, but everyone here carries the mindset.
Section 3: Hot Mic, Big Questions — The Future of Project Management
The evening shifted into an open mic discussion, where attendees asked sharp, meaningful questions. The Q&A round started with a pretty sensitive question: “We are a foreign company and our customers are Vietnamese government agencies. Regarding working with government clients in Vietnam, do you often encounter ‘facilitation fees, ‘ and how do you handle it?” Mr. Francis acknowledged the sensitivity of the question and shared that while these situations arise in some environments, his approach has always been to escalate carefully to higher management levels, maintain transparency, and when necessary, walk away from deals that are not aligned with the company’s ethical standards. He emphasized the importance of balancing professionalism with cultural sensitivity, noting that project managers must navigate such challenges tactfully but firmly. Mr. Hoa, the Regional Mentor, added to the discussion by introducing a relevant skill covered within the PMI framework. as incorporated a specific skill related to this into the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification He identified this skill as “internal personal skill political awareness”. Mr. Hoa emphasized that anyone who has studied for the PMP certification would be familiar with this skill
There was also a thoughtful moment when Mr. Hoa was asked, “What has changed for you moving from chapter President to Regional Mentor?” Mr. Hoa responded,
“It’s a new dimension. As a chapter President, I was involved in every single event, joining the frontline activities. But as a regional mentor, I have to step back, oversee the bigger picture, guide the teams, and ensure alignment across chapters rather than just focusing on one chapter’s activities. It requires shifting from hands-on involvement to strategic leadership, which means I now focus more on enabling others and creating space for chapters to grow autonomously. ” Below is a list of some critical questions raised and the key messages shared in response by Mr Francis for those who missed the night to catch up, and for those who dedicated time and effort to joined and helped shaped the event to recall the atmosphere — an evening where leadership met learning, where questions
sparked dialogue, and where cultures connected over the shared ambition to lead better, smarter projects in Southeast Asia.
● Q1 by a Cross border Connector: What is your biggest challenge when leading multicultural, cross-border teams?
○ Key message: Aligning the definition of project success across different cultures and balancing it with project management goals.
○ Mr Francis’ sharing: “You need to understand the cultural nuances — for example, in government settings, as Mr Francis explained, the truth is often shared before or after the meeting, but rarely during, because of a strict hierarchy where nobody speaks until the department head has spoken. In American corporate culture, people will challenge you directly and speak the truth, making you uncomfortable but pushing for honest dialogue. In Dutch companies, hierarchy is flattened — in the meeting everyone is seen as a peer, and everyone speaks up equally. In Malaysian contexts, people typically avoid direct confrontation; they won’t say ‘no’ to your face but will suggest discussing things offline. In India, Mr Francis noted, there’s often a lot of discussion but sometimes lack of follow-through. In British settings, people tend to tell you a long, indirect answer, which often contains their real feedback or objections buried within. In addition, he mentioned: You need to consider project success to business success and that project management success alone is insufficient. This insight stands as one of the evening’s most practical takeaways: Mr Francis elaborated that successful project leadership isn’t just about processes — it’s about mastering the human dynamics shaped by cultural contexts. Recognizing these patterns allows a project manager to adapt communication strategies, anticipate
responses, and steer the team more effectively across cultures.”
● Q2 by a Reflective Challenger: To become project manager, introvert or extrovert is a better fit?
○ Key message: Adaptability and emotional intelligence matter more than personality type.
○ Mr Francis’ sharing: “It doesn’t matter if you’re introverted or extroverted — the important thing is self-awareness and adapting to who you work with. Mr Francis gave a vivid and raw explanation: extroverts tend to think as they speak, processing their ideas aloud, which can feel chaotic or unstructured to introverts, who often think silently first and wish for more carefully organized, thoughtful answers. Extroverts might feel frustrated when introverts don’t speak up quickly, while introverts might wonder why extroverts can’t take a moment to organize their thoughts before talking. An extrovert should hold back when needed to let others process, and an introvert should know when to push themselves to share their thoughts even if they don’t feel fully ready.”
● Q3 by a Boundary Navigator : As someone from sales looking to become a PM, how can I manage
promises I make without frustrating the project team?
○ Key message: Avoid overpromising; verify feasibility before committing.
○ Mr Francis’ sharing: “I used to be in sales too. Before I promised, I checked with the team. I make sure the commitment is realistic, and then I advocate for it. Mr Francis elaborated that when making promises to customers, you must first know exactly what can be done and what
cannot — it’s critical not to make anyone’s life more difficult. He vividly described how, in his own experience, he would first check feasibility carefully: “Before I promise something to the client, I check with the team what is possible. Then, when I go back to the IT guy, who might initially resist or say no, I help him understand why this specific change matters, explaining, ‘You just need to do this, and the company will fly.'” He stressed that it’s not about pushing people harder but about showing them the bigger impact and aligning everyone toward a shared goal. This approach is about building bridges, not adding pressure. It’s about negotiating carefully, ensuring feasibility, aligning both the sales and delivery sides, and making sure that promises are both inspiring and achievable. It’s about balancing creativity and feasibility, making sure every promise is a smart promise.”
● Q4 by a Growth Architect: What advice do you have for a younger PMI chapter like Vietnam Chapter
to grow?
○ Key message: Focus on adding value to members, understand their needs, and create networking and mentoring opportunities. Focusing on the key industries in Vietnam that require certified project management, similar to Malaysia’s focus on “IT construction, oil manufacturing”
○ Mr Francis’ sharing: “When I started, I joined small PMI gatherings to learn and meet practitioners. Chapters grow by offering value, helping new project managers, and focusing on key industry areas like construction, manufacturing, or IT. ” He used the example of a first-year university student studying project management, identifying them as a potential long-term member who will encounter problems when she starts managing projects and will need support. The chapter should help members “with the career” by teaching them about project management and providing a “support system” for when they “run into a wall” and need someone to talk to. Mr. Francis also strongly promoted volunteerism, calling it a “lubricant in a society”. He shared his own recent positive experience with volunteering, highlighting how it helps members “feel to make a difference”. Volunteering within the chapter allows members to apply skills and talents they might not use in their day jobs, such as “writing artic communication, “programming, ” or “photography” . He connected this to finding one’s “strength, ” which he linked to emotional intelligence (EQ), leading to happiness. Additionally, volunteering helps members “make more friends, ” “create your network,” and potentially “move to another” role or advance their careers4. He mentioned the 70-20-10 rule for people development, where 70% is applying learned knowledge and 20% is coaching and mentoring, and 10% involves formal training; suggesting that the chapter can facilitate this practical application and guidance. Finally, Mr Francis advised chapters to find out what their members want, recommending activities like conducting surveys to “see a pattern” in member desires for things like “networking,” “knowledge, ” or “opportunity”. Ultimately, he stated, “chapter survives because of members” implying that by providing value, the chapter ensures its own growth.
● Q5 by a Strategic Enabler: How should PMs approach salary negotiation?●
○ Key message: Understand the complexity and value of the project before negotiating; align compensation expectations with project demands.
○ Mr Francis’ sharing: “You have to look at the dimensions and the complexity of the project. If you understand that, then you can command the pay you are asking for. Personally, when I am interviewed, I don’t negotiate — I give them a number. If they want to talk about it, I say no. First, they need to help me understand: how complex is the project? What is the value, and what solution is needed, given the experience I bring? Then we talk about how much the pay should be, depending on the budget they have. Some jobs have very high requirements but offer low pay, and that’s not fair. So don’t just look at the job description — understand the real scope and impact. I always advise people: when you go to an interview, ask about the
complexity and scale of the project. Then you’ll know roughly what kind of pay you should aim for. And it’s okay to ask about the budget for the vacancy — just like when you go shopping, you ask how much something costs!”
● Q6 by a Future-Ready Explorer: What is the most important mindset for future project managers? What is the Future of Project Managers?
○ Key message: Adaptation is the cornerstone; without it, no other skills can fully come into play.
○ Mr Francis’ sharing: “When asked what mindset the project manager of the future needs, I believe adaptation is the key one. Adaptation is one.” He elaborated that emotional intelligence (EQ) sits alongside adaptation as essential: the first rule of EQ is self-awareness — knowing whether you’re introverted or extroverted, what makes you tick, and how you respond. This self-awareness leads to understanding others, which is where adaptation truly happens. Mr. Francis described how many traditional project managers cling to rigid methods, saying, “Oh, this is the way I do things, this is the scope I have, I don’t want to change, I avoid the change. ” But change is constant — laws change, company directions shift, new leadership arrives. Without adaptability, a project manager quickly becomes outdated.He further linked this to his own career: “If there’s one word that defines my career, it’s adaptation. Anybody can learn something new and change if they want to.
” Mr. Francis also reminded the group that the definition of project success is evolving: traditional success meant meeting scope, time, and quality, but sponsors today care about value — the value delivered, not just the money or effort spent. The biggest challenge for any PM is aligning with
sponsors on how they define success, stepping out of the classic project management box to see the stakeholder’s value and culture. In summary, the future-ready project manager embodies adaptability, emotional intelligence, resilience, clear purpose, growth mindset, and a strong orientation toward value-driven outcomes. These moments of shared wisdom anchored the evening’s learning.
Section 4: Threads That Bind — Culture, Connection, and Collaboration
What stood out overall was the strong sense of cultural respect and mutual curiosity. From understanding the subtle differences in workplace hierarchies between countries, to exploring how national holidays and religious practices affect project timelines, attendees shared openly and eagerly. One participant reflected on the power of belonging: “It’s not just about the work; it’s about the sense of community.” Beyond country-to-country cultural insights, an interesting observation surfaced: when looking at cultural diversity, members were not only reflecting on the dynamics of human nature in each country or culture but also on the distinct ‘cultures’ attached to different stakeholder positions — such as the culture of government officials, corporate executives, frontline engineers, or community outreach leaders — each
bringing its own mindset and interaction style to the table when working with project managers. Another observation was the gender balance: unlike many professional events and organizations where the number of female attendees typically outnumbers male attendees, in PMI events it was noted that there seemed to be more gentlemen present than ladies, offering an interesting glimpse into the gender dynamics within the project management community. There were laughs over shared meals, moments of collective learning, and promises
of future events, collaborations, and outreach. A shared desire emerged: to continue strengthening ties between Vietnam and Malaysia’s project management communities and beyond.
Written by Linh Vu, a participant from Fundamental Decisions x YLab Vietnam
Volunteer member of Marketing team at PMI Vietnam