9+ Years of Working in China - What I've Learned: Part Three

Chinese Employees and Attitudes.

Building relationships, and creating a nice work environment, it's all about the attitude, right?

We all tend (prefer) to interact with people who show attitudes that makes us feel comfortable... and when the "vice-versa" is true, then you get people who become friends at work. Oh sure,there's the "common interests.. and all that".. It's that simple. Or is it?

Before I start on a tangent, let me add my little reminder I mostly refer to urban working Chinese people aged 20 to around 40.

OK, let's start.

There are three family of attitudes that I have observed through my years
in China. The first attitude is one that shows some reservation like they are asking themselves:" who are you? what do you do? what do you want? how can we be connected and for what?"

It's an attitude based on "practical purposes" to determine whether a relationship (usually long term) is worth the shot.

The second one is an attitude shown after there is a clear indication that you and me are "not" compatible. There are no (or almost none) practical purposes for keeping in touch. The Chinese will often think:"Maybe it's because you might affect my current situation and what I am working for..Many Chinese will work hard and with great ambition to build a wanted future, and make sure it's not affected/diverted...

Now, this attitude is not directly expressed.

Thank you to Chinese's indirectness, and caring for preserving harmony.. and again, this harmony is very practical for their futures.. you see now the kind of yin-yang circle of virtue that all makes sense?
A++ to you if you answered "Yes!, I see it!"

So, the second attitude, before I forget, is simply an avoidance of interacting (too much) with you.

The third one is the one where it connects, it clicks, for very practical reasons. Like (and they will first think about those):"oh, we can possibly start a business together, or cooperate somehow, or we could enjoy life and do sports like play basketball, and we can help each other with our learning of languages, etc". Wonderful relationships can be built up like that.

Advice:

At work, with good communication, by accepting cultural differences, by listening to employee needs,
what they like and want to work on, and most importantly how their positions can help them advance in life, in their careers..is the Big Key to get such attitude, this third one.

I want to write that again: "BIG KEY".

Those sounds like attitudes of anyone in the world, right?

Also and finally, just remember this big difference between Occident and China: In China: first, it's practical, clearly defined purposes

In Occidental societies: first it has to click, we have to feel like we get along, and the rest is all potentials

Hope that will be useful for you.