Working in China 235understand direction, their role in it, and how to achieve
success. On an interpersonal level, this involves active, patient
listening, with regards to a person’s entire life: work, family,
aspirations and frustrations.
The best expatriate executives in China play an important
role in the ‘glo’ part of glocal. Their task is to bring global
business knowledge and practices to strengthen the
professional competence of their team. The most sought
after competence to gain from an expatriate executive
is the judgment and credibility required to be a global
businessperson. If you deliver this to your team, you have
given both them and their families a ticket to the world.
Don’t give that feedback in a front of their peers where
they will lose face. Make sure that you have important
conversations in private, ask a number of questions
to begin to make sure you clearly understood the
situation, and clearly lay out actions to be taken that
create improved job performance. Typically when
chastised publicly, a Chinese person will not defend
themselves, but will be deeply hurt and remember
long after you do.
Do have a clear outcome in mind when negotiating.
Make sure that you negotiate from a point that
leaves room for win-win solutions that give all
parties credibility when they are reporting back to
their superiors.
Don’t squeeze so much from a deal that the other
side feels unfairly treated, whether business partners,
customers or employees. Chinese have a way of
continuing to negotiate past a signed agreement
or agreed conclusion if they didn’t get terms they
fundamentally want. You need to assure the deal you
have struck is one that everyone is comfortable with
and committed to in order to comfortably draw a line
and move forward.