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Chinese employee - need advice quick | ||
Tags: Polite/Informal Forms | Mandarin | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Cultural Experiences in Foreign Languages |  | |
| SueK Groupie United States Joined 4562 days ago 77 posts - 133 votes  Studies: Mandarin | Message 1 of 5 31 January 2012 at 5:37pm | IP Logged |
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I work for a company that has several manufacturing sites in China and some executive offices in Hong Kong, but it is a an American company.
I've just been asked to manage an employee that works in Hong Kong and PanYu and she was notified this morning, her evening, of the change. I don't know precisely where she's from, but her English is quite broken (albeit miles better than my Chinese), so I beleive she is native Chinese, which is not otherwise a given in our business. I was about to jot her a note - "look forward to learning from her (she's been with the business for awhile, I'm a newbie) and hope I have something to offer her as well", when I realized I don't know nearly enough about Chinese culture for this! She has spent time working in our Hong Kong office, which I presume has a great deal of American influence, but I don't wish to be insensitive to her culture or start of on the wrong foot in anyway. She is a very valued employee and I've taken a call from a VP asking me to be be cautious as she's been moved around a bit and he doesn't want her to take that wrong and risk losing her. He's clearly very concerned about her. I go to Hong Kong next week and will get to meet her for the first time then. I will be reading about Chinese business ettiquette before then, but can anyone offer some quick advice on the best way to handle an immediate communication? 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| smallwhite Pentaglot Senior Member Australia Joined 5119 days ago 537 posts - 1045 votes Speaks: Cantonese*, English, Mandarin, French, Spanish | Message 2 of 5 31 January 2012 at 9:09pm | IP Logged |
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I think American business etiquette applies here more than Chinese business etiquette does. I've worked in several companies, local and foreign, and the only time I felt any cultural shock was when I worked in a mainland-Chinese company.
Edited by smallwhite on 31 January 2012 at 9:10pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| SueK Groupie United States Joined 4562 days ago 77 posts - 133 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 3 of 5 31 January 2012 at 10:36pm | IP Logged |
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Thanks, Smallwhite. Sounds like I may be worrying too much. I do that. Her last boss was English, so she has more experience with the multi-cultural thing than I do.
I'm very introverted and have no people skills. The whole people manager thing is very uncomfortable for me. I'm told she's quite shy, so the two of should be interesting together. I think I'll say as little as possible until I can meet her in person next week. That way we have facial expressions to help us both get to know each other. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| smallwhite Pentaglot Senior Member Australia Joined 5119 days ago 537 posts - 1045 votes Speaks: Cantonese*, English, Mandarin, French, Spanish | Message 4 of 5 31 January 2012 at 10:58pm | IP Logged |
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The only thing I can think of is we usually don't like to lunch or dinner or drink with our bosses. Let's say I was her, and you've just arrived and wanted to talk with me privately about work or just to get to know each other better, I'd prefer we chat in a conference room during work hours, to chatting in Starbucks downstairs during work hours, to lunch on a work day, to drink after work, to dinner after work, to anything on a non-work day. I know my friends think that way, too, but some people may think differently, eg. my father feels very proud when his bosses invite him out :D
Just mentioning that because I have this stereotype that Americans like a glass of beer after work :-) But yeah, don't worry too much. I'm sure you'll do just fine. Edited by smallwhite on 31 January 2012 at 11:02pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| SueK Groupie United States Joined 4562 days ago 77 posts - 133 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 5 of 5 31 January 2012 at 11:38pm | IP Logged |
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Some stereotypes are there for a reason! We're very big on the after hours social.
Thanks for mentioning this. I was actually thinking of having her out to dinner. I loved going out with my last boss, but now that you bring it up, that was only after we'd worked together long enough that we became friends. I'll keep it to the office for now. It's good for both of us, she doesn't have to spend her evening smiling for the new boss and I can catch up on sleep after the long flight! 1 person has voted this message useful |
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