PUBLISHED ARTICLES

In our research, we ask foreign and local executives what they believe Western managers will need in order to be more successful in their interaction and leadership. We focus our research to managers working in international companies in China. This column shares the commonly perceived crucial advice from veteran leaders and managers on how to succeed as a Western manager in China and a Chinese manager in an international company.

Most frequent advices for Western managers relate to interpersonal communication skills:

“LEARN CHINESE!” This advice cannot be overemphasized. To be able to speak the Chinese language will work as a powerful lubricant in your organizational engine. It will catalyze day to day communication and make you less reliant of finding employees talking fluent English. In addition, the most experienced employees in the market often do not speak English fluently since it is only recently that English education has become mandatory in school.

“Learn how to patiently listen and watch.” To be able to read between the lines of what the Chinese are saying is sometimes crucial (can be crucial anywhere in the world). This may relate to the way things are said or not said, as well as the body language. If you learn to master this you have come a long way. You will further benefit highly if you learn the values that influence Chinese behavior! Do not make quick assumptions before you have had extensive experience in China. “If you want to study the ocean, don’t study the waves, study the currents.”

- Practice tolerance. When communicating with your employees, never lose your temper publicly or you will be ineffective and furthermore lose the respect of your local staff. Prompt for verification even when you think you have been understood. If, upon request, a Chinese employee recites your instructions verbatim, you may not have been understood. If, on the other hand, a recital is made in the employees own words, you have probably been understood. Building relationships of mutual respect with your Chinese colleagues will enable them to start taking initiative, giving opinions and asking for clarifications on their own.

- Be consistent and fair. You must treat all employees equally, including Western colleagues, if you want to earn respect. Never look down on the Chinese and learn to treat them as individuals. In the West, a popular expression is: Praise in public, criticize in private. In China, managers are more successful by giving subtle public praise, preferably to the group that performed well - direct individual praise will embarrass the employee in front of peers. Besides, the Chinese employees generally know who in the group made the biggest contribution anyway. When an employee needs correction for a mistake, a correction in private may be: “It was ok. It would have been even better to…” The employee will understand that they must not repeat their mistake and additionally you have saved this person’s face. Too direct feedback will hurt the relationship, especially if in front of peers.

- Peter J. Karlsson