VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese CEOs believe that the positions of their chairs and the locations of their offices can determine their business success.

The first thing that Tuan, CEO of a media firm, did when moving to a new office was to tell his employees to break a wall between the two rooms and change the interior decoration.

A feng shui expert told Tuan that his business would be tough because it faced the north. Therefore, Tuan decided to create a new door, through which, the expert said, good luck can enter.

Tuan is always very demanding on issues relating to feng shui or interior decoration. He believes that he has advanced in his job because he always strictly follows the advice of feng shui experts.

Twelve years ago, Tuan was a newcomer in the company. It took him four years to become the head of a division and another three to become director.

Two years ago, according to a rumor whispered amongst staff, the boss soundly reprimanded a new employee who had given him a chair as a gift. “What do you mean by giving me such a gift? You need to learn about feng shui if you want to continue working here,” he admonished the unnerved worker.

Some months ago, a chambermaid was dismissed because she accidentally placed his chair in the wrong position.

The chair has very high significance to Tuan, because it signifies his position in the company. It must not be touched by anyone else.

In fact, not only the chair, but the other items in Tuan’s office, from teapots to pictures, plants to statues, must remain untouched by his workers. Only feng shui experts can decide where to hang pictures and what plants are to be grown.

“Everything is determined by God” is the most favorite saying of Son, the director of a real estate firm headquartered in My Dinh quarter.

Son’s office looks like a palace, appointed with luxurious items and decorated in a rich Oriental style. However, the things that most attract visitors’ attention are the sacred objects arranged in accordance with feng shui art.

Every object displayed has its specific meaning. However, all the objects in total symbolize prosperity and everlasting life. There is a statue of a toad holding gold coins in its mouth. It is Son’s belief that with the protection of the toad, his business is assured of fat profitss.

Son says his business was not always going well. Things were slow until one day when he met a feng shui expert. The expert told Son what he needed to do to gain achievements.

The advice, in Son’s view, proved fruitful: his business has been going very smoothly ever since.

Trung, a senior executive of a securities company, admitted that he makes important decisions on buying securities only after consulting with fortune tellers. Meanwhile, the market analyses or reports from securities experts do little to influence his decisions.

“I won’t buy shares if the fortune tellers warn I would take a loss,” he said.

Duy Anh