Impressions from China
By attending Daniel F. Pinnow’s seminars in Beijing, Chinese directors, CEOs and executive boards get into a new understanding of leadership. There is a big difference of how western managers and how Chinese managers approach conflicts. If a management trainer is not aware of this, he will fail to carry out the seminar. Confuscious teaching tradition is always focusing on the group and not on individuals. Thus, it is not desirable for Chinese people to take on responsibility for the group. In consequence, the Chinese participants of the training need more time during group decision making.
Another big difference between Western and Chinese understanding of management arises during feedback exercises. An old Chinese saying states that a tree is dying if you remove his bark. The bark of a person is his face. Having said this it is one of the worst things for a Chinese, to be criticized in front of his colleagues. Thus, you need a lot of tactfulness for feedback exercises in China.
But if one manages to combine the Chinese tradition of harmony with the western communication style, a particular quality of boss-employer-relationship arises.
This post is also available in: German