[...] Another example of 'keeping distance' in Chinese society is to be found in the use of names. Chinese always mention their family name before their first name and when speaking with someone, they always address the person by his or her family name. The use of just the first name is only found within the family. Chinese who work for Western companies now often take an English first name so that colleagues have no problem pronouncing it. This is the name they use within the company. However, using an English name does not close the gab between Westerners and Chinese. The use of a different language is another manner of keeping others distant. [...]
[...] I explain 'keeping distance', as an effort to control your own territory and remove everything from that territory that does not belong there. This is strongly related to perfectionism. One could say this character trait is not typically Chinese. However, when you look at the immediate personal environment of a Chinese person, you will notice that they are in fact perfectionists. In general, their homes, their territory per se, are very tidy and neat. More proof of Chinese being perfectionists can be found in Chinese art, calligraphy, and in their academic work. Chinese seldom miss even the most minute detail concerning material they are studying. Once Chinese are committed to doing something, once they have made a personal commitment, they have all the self-control necessary to achieve what they set out to do. This translates into an ability to sacrifice and deny oneself of all things not related to the goal. Chinese can focus fully on a specific target and in their determination appear oblivious to anything else.[...]
[...] Because it can be very difficult for Chinese to organize specific tasks within a framework, it is your job to teach them how to assign priorities when looking at the bigger picture. With each task you assign, you should explain how the result fits into the general framework. When the task is completed, follow it up by checking the results. If the explanation of how to do a specific task was not clear to the worker or not sufficient, chances are you will be disappointed when you stumble across the results later. During my interviews with Chinese that work for Western companies, many said that they felt the need for better support and explanation when given tasks. Chinese are not accustomed to prioritizing tasks and activities in the larger picture and so you must foster this new approach in order to achieve the results you want. You can start by giving them specific tasks, explain how the result fits with the general goal and after each task is competed, check the final result. Then you can move on to the next task, check the results and so on. According to many Chinese, Westerners explain things inadequately and rarely use a follow-up system, which means after the short explanation, the Chinese worker is on his own without any support or back-up from his superiors. This situation will not enable him to learn from his mistakes in a positive manner, which is what everyone concerned should be aiming for. [...]
Go to Aiming to please within Chinese society
| Keeping quiet within Chinese society |
Over Compensating within Chinese society |
Fighting within Chinese society |
Fleeing within Chinese society |
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| Safety in numbers within Chinese society |
Keeping distance within Chinese society |
Aiming to please within Chinese society |
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