Be clear, don't speak in Chinese
Such management tips might sound like a recipe for disaster. Yet, if you are planning to be a manager in China, you might want to take these hints seriously.
By TNN |
CHENNAI: Don’t appreciate your subordinates. Don’t assume they can figure things out for themselves. If a prospective employee comes to you with proof of his previous work, don’t recruit him. Such management tips might sound like a recipe for disaster. Yet, if you are planning to be a manager in China, you might want to take these hints seriously.
Having a ‘China Strategy’ has become de rigueur among top executives. Those who have had the opportunity to work in China have realised that soft issues such as HR are heavier than they anticipated.
Senior executives from companies that have engagements with China converged at a seminar organised by the Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry to share their experience. Many lessons they gave were counter-intuitive.
A Natarajan, former head of operations at China Sundaram Fasteners and now a consultant, said it is better to avoid or at least minimise appreciation in China. Reason: Appreciation generally leads to demand for higher salary.
In fact, a Chinese worker once asked him for a raise with retrospective effect, “as you have been praising me for the last three months”. Money is all-important for the Chinese. “They don’t believe in certification or appreciation. The only thing they believe in is hard cash,” Mr Natarajan said.
L&T executive vice-president, (electrical sector) SC Bharagava, said the cultural revolution under Mao Tse Tung uprooted the existing value system in China, without replacing it with anything else. Value for money has occupied the vacuum.
Similarly, managers in China have to be careful about how they communicate to their team. Broad instructions might never get things done. Medopharm CEO Udhan Kumar Chordia gave an amusing example of how he asked his secretary in China to book a ticket for a train that left the city between 4pm and 5pm.
The secretary wanted him to be specific about the time, and he said 5pm. Yet, a couple of hours before he was to leave, he discovered his secretary had not booked the ticket. “There is no train at 5pm,” she said. It did not occur to her to buy a ticket for 4:35 or 5:20 train.
Such instances might be an exception. But it’s important for managers to be very clear about standard operating procedures right at the beginning. Spell out each task carefully, ideally using a Chinese trainer, Mr Natarajan said.
Again, it’s important to pay attention to intellectual property rights.
Having a ‘China Strategy’ has become de rigueur among top executives. Those who have had the opportunity to work in China have realised that soft issues such as HR are heavier than they anticipated.
Senior executives from companies that have engagements with China converged at a seminar organised by the Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry to share their experience. Many lessons they gave were counter-intuitive.
A Natarajan, former head of operations at China Sundaram Fasteners and now a consultant, said it is better to avoid or at least minimise appreciation in China. Reason: Appreciation generally leads to demand for higher salary.
In fact, a Chinese worker once asked him for a raise with retrospective effect, “as you have been praising me for the last three months”. Money is all-important for the Chinese. “They don’t believe in certification or appreciation. The only thing they believe in is hard cash,” Mr Natarajan said.
L&T executive vice-president, (electrical sector) SC Bharagava, said the cultural revolution under Mao Tse Tung uprooted the existing value system in China, without replacing it with anything else. Value for money has occupied the vacuum.
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Similarly, managers in China have to be careful about how they communicate to their team. Broad instructions might never get things done. Medopharm CEO Udhan Kumar Chordia gave an amusing example of how he asked his secretary in China to book a ticket for a train that left the city between 4pm and 5pm.
The secretary wanted him to be specific about the time, and he said 5pm. Yet, a couple of hours before he was to leave, he discovered his secretary had not booked the ticket. “There is no train at 5pm,” she said. It did not occur to her to buy a ticket for 4:35 or 5:20 train.
Such instances might be an exception. But it’s important for managers to be very clear about standard operating procedures right at the beginning. Spell out each task carefully, ideally using a Chinese trainer, Mr Natarajan said.
Again, it’s important to pay attention to intellectual property rights.
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It’s not uncommon for prospective employees to come with product designs and blueprints from their earlier organisations. It’s better to say ‘no’ to them. “I have always felt a little uncomfortable about hiring these people, as they could do the same to your intellectual property,” Mr Natarajan said.Download
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