Chinese vs Germans

I visited a very good seminar on Friday, about the differences between Germans (or Europeans) and Chinese @work. The trainer, a Chinese who has lived in Germany for 10 years now, focussed his lecture on 3 topics:

1. Managing people
2. Negotiations
3. Conflict management

Even though most of the issues were not new for me, some aspects and points of view did bring a new understanding of several situations I experienced. Here are some interesting points that cought my attention:

3 times China:
In China, the population can be divided into 3 groups:
1. Tradition > Age group 60+
2. Socialism > Age group 40 - 60
3. Modern > Age group 40-
Always consider which group your business partner belongs to, and adapt your communication accordingly.

Cultures:
According to the trainer, only 2 cultures exist: the one of the hand workers, and the one of the traders.
-Germany, Switzerland, and Japan are typical examples of the first one
-China is a typical example of the second one.
This partly explains why Germany produces quality products and China produces cheap products.

Kommunikation:
-Germans expect that information is pushed: if you have informtion, bring it to those that need it (proactive communication).
-Chinese expect that information is pulled: if you want information, ask for it (reactive communication).
I have heard several German colleagues in China complain about the fact that they are never informed if a deadline cannot be made, if they don't ask for it themselves. I understand this situation better now.

Negotiations:
-For Germans, only the result is what counts, not the process that leads to it. The ultimate form being the contract, which is binding for all parties.
-For Chinese, the process that leads to the result is at least as important. The contract is still often seen as a letter of intent, and can be re-negotiated if necessary.
-For Germans, negotiations should be carried out as quickly as possible
-For Chinese, negotiations should be carried out in as much time as necessary
So, always take notes of what was promised by whom during negotiations, and never loose your patience. Germans beware: anything you say, can and will be used against you at some point in time.

Of course, these points are generalised, and may not be valid in individual cases, but still, as a rough guideline, there lies some truth in them.