Bangkok Post, Thailand, Kriengsak Niratpattanasai Column.

Byline: Kriengsak Niratpattanasai

Oct. 4--Many expats always have a common question: "How can I motivate Thais?" This question is not easy to answer. Whenever I have to run a workshop, I also ask myself this question.

I am a big fan of motivation. Most Thais associate learning with pain. The sooner I am able to motivate them, the faster they will learn. My strategy in motivating participants is exactly the same approach I use whenever I work with a new colleague. I call it the break-the-ice introduction.

Let's say I am assigned to lead a team in one organisation. The first meeting will be dedicated to "member introduction". Each person pairs with the person he knows the least. Then, each member interviews his partner on the following five topics:

--Name, nickname, ...