(September 2006, Beijing) Donny Huang, managing director of the 4stones Cross-cultural Consulting Group, has exactly the same feeling.
When he was in Hawaii doing a research project in the 90s, Huang was invited by the instructor to his house for tea. When the host asked if anyone wanted a drink, Huang, out of politeness, answered no. He turned out to be the only one who did not have a drink and remained thirsty throughout the afternoon.
"Being polite is no mistake, but westerners may not understand the Chinese customs, so you have to be more direct," says Huang, who, after taking various executive positions in many overseas companies, now has his own human resource consulting business in Beijing. He provides training to a number of MNCs, including Motorola, Philips and Alcoa, on cross-culture management. "It is especially so with MNCs where you have to be more aggressive to receive more attention." His business is growing, as more MNCs realize the importance of cross-culture management.
Some of his clients, foreigners running businesses in China, are confused by the cultural differences. They seek his advice on management of local staff and relevant communication skills. There must be mutual understanding and effort from both sides to make cross-culture management work and bring out the best efficiency of a team, Huang says.
While Chinese have to be more open and outgoing, foreign executives should have a better understanding of the Chinese culture and incentives that work well for local employees. A wise leader is like water, says Huang, citing the ideology from the famous Taoist philosophy.
The liquidity and softness of water makes it more flexible and tolerant and less fragile when the external environment changes.
By SUN MIN(China Daily)
