Korean Management: Monthly Fun

以 逸 待 勞 ... 三十六計
Use leisure to recharge your people's inner batteries and build strong teams

This is the great idea of management practice from my Korean customer DACC in Changwon. Everyone here works very hard, killer hours in fact, 6 days per week or more. One Saturday per month, however, is for sports fun. The complete company meets on a Saturday morning and enjoys active sporting events together. Sometimes badminton, soccer, tennis, or basketball. This time it was a big group hike up the local mountain above Jinhae. After the sport, everyone soaks in a public bath house (without clothes, of course), and then enjoys a lunch together.

Yesterday I got the opportunity to participate in the group event. Since I normally go hiking here on weekends anyway, this was a great opportunity to go with others and make acquaintances with some of the people I never get to talk to otherwise. We all had a great time. The sauna and hot bath afterward was really relaxing. I'm not sure many American engineers enjoy the opportunity to get naked with the customers. But that's life in this part of the world. The food afterward was delicious, as usual. Already I'm ready for the next hike.