Six Keys to Working Effectively with Chinese

Here in Ghana, people are not afraid of showing their affections towards a person from a different cultural background, the so-called Oburoni. As the country enjoys decade long stable democracy and inflow of foreign aid and investment, it embraces more Oburonis, especially many Chinese who come to work or do business.

The other day, I was told that a Chinese businesswoman had a quarrel with her Ghanaian business partner. The Ghanaian complained that the Chinese was disrespectful and yelling at people and the Chinese said she was simply trying to explain the situation.

As a cross-culture trainer, I think that, “Conflict is not always a personal clash, but a clash in value and perception.” When working with people from different cultural backgrounds, preservation is everything.

To overcome cultural bias and stereotypes, I created a simple model to work with clients, the model of UNIQUE. It stands for:

Understand, before being understood.

No Presumption. Even with good intention

Inquire. ASK

Quote back and confirm

Use humor

Empathy

To elaborate the model, I developed the following six keys to guide you through the maze of working with Chinese:

1. Understand what the Chinese culture values:

· Trust

· Face and Harmony

· Long term relationships -- “guanxi”

· Reciprocity: mutually beneficial

· Loyalty. An old Chinese saying goes like this, “Dogs don’t leave poor owners; You don’t complain about your mom’s looks”

· Achievement: Fame and Profit. There are five criteria to judge the success of a Chinese man: Money, House, Wife, Son, and Car.

2. Identify characters of Chinese people:

· Pragmatism, “whatever works”

· Materialism, Money is God

· Relationship oriented, network is the way to success. Who you know is more important than what you know

· Distinguish between an insider and an outsider. Foreigners are called “lao wai” (“senior outsider”)

· Collectivist culture

· Hard working: save hard for rainy days

3. Pay attention to Chinese cultural aspects:

· Hierarchy, highly structured and everyone aware of own position

· Respect and obey the old and superiors

· Privacy is still an imported luxury, and people are inquisitive

· Education is the way to get better future

· Too flexible, “rules are set to break”

4. Communicate with Chinese:

Chinese communication style: High Context Culture

· Indirect way of communication. From A to C then B

· Informal environment is preferred

· Non-verbal communication, use a lot of body language

· Volume: speak loud, you can’t tell whether it is a talk or a quarrel

· Don’t listen well, presume

· Tolerance for ambiguity

· Avoid saying NO. Thousand ways of saying No, without actually saying it

· No is also a Yes………with a little work

5. Respect Face Factor

• Face (mianzi, pride) needs to be saved by all means. No face, no pride. Everyone needs to look good

• Harmony is maintained to keep a long term relationship

• Due to a rapid economic growth, Chinese are particularly proud of themselves

• Saving face is universally applicable. Chinese are who they are, not where they are.

6. Seek Common Ground

• Make an effort and show your understanding for the culture and the values. Appreciate what Chinese culture has to offer. Biggest complaint – “Foreigners don’t understand China”

• Seek things of common interests, not you vs. us

• Be prepare to read between the lines, understand nuance and body language

• Be humble and persistent

• Listen well. Ask a lot of good questions, then listen.

Finally, Use humor:

Chinese have a natural inclination to be afraid of black people. Why?

They think you are taller and know better Kung Fu

You are welcome to quote freely from this article once you give proper attribution. (A link to letterfromghana.blogspot.com and author: Brian Yang would be appreciated.) You are also welcome to republish this article in full once you give the proper attribution .

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Bamboo Bikes Blossom

A recent trip to Aburi garden, a botanical plantation some 30 kilometers away from Accra, got me into bamboos and its usage of bike building.

It is all started 10 years ago when an American designer came across the idea in Ghana. The idea is to use bamboo as a frame for a bike, the rest has been history. The bikes are blossoming in the U.S, where there are multiple places you can buy, and even build yourself one. In NYC, there is a workshop that teaches people how to build one. The price is around $1,000, but you got a sturdy bike and thrill of being part of it.

In Ghana, some 40 people are now employed to work building the bikes, they use bamboos that are ready available, and require minimum tools and no electricity. Youth are encouraged to participate as apprentice.

The question is only about the cost, it seems that most of the bikes are sold in the U.S., where in Ghana, where bikes play an important role in transporting everything from people to merchandise, there are nowhere to see the bikes.

African Food Culture Gains Popularity In China

Can Made-in-China translate into Created-in-China? One Chinese company, TV and write goods maker Hi-science is testing the water in Africa.


Following my Chinese tourists in Africa post, there is a Xinhua story on how to save money and travel to Africa after the Chinese Spring Festival, which is to begin this weekend.


In Guangzhou, China, where estimated over 30,000 Africans live and work, African foods culture also takes off, such as Moroccan soup and Arabian floor cake.
I wonder how many Guangzhouese will forgo Dim Sum for the soup and cake?

Attractive Accra?

As Chinese New Year is fast approaching, tens of thousands of well-doing Chinese will be hitting the road near and far. The Spring Festival is one of the biggest and busiest travel season in China, ranked only next to Golden Week (May Day) and National Day (October First). A year or so ago, the Chinese government suspended the week-long May Day holiday scheme, now the Chunjie holiday period, usually two weeks off for most of people, is increasingly gaining popularity among urban middle-class Chinese.

To appear to the Chinese travelers and attract tourism dollars, Ghana grants visa waives to Chinese tourists and became one of handful countries to do so. The result has been mixed, there are certainly more Chinese tourists walking around capitol Accra streets, usually easily spotted by walking together and uniformly money belts around their waists.

How does Chinese media portrait Ghana to its readers? Here is an article picked by biggest news portal, Sina, which cited a Lonely Planet's Cities You Really Hate ranking. Accra is among the nine unattractive cities in the world for tourists. Ranked second, Accra is only next to Detroit of the U.S. and above Seoul of South Korea.

The article says Accra lacks any beach city charms:
第2名是西非加纳首都阿克拉(Accra)，ugly(丑陋), chaotic(混乱), sprawling(杂乱无序)，毫无海滨城市特色。

Cup of African Nations

The tragical shooting attack to Togo National Football team has shocked the whole competitions at Angola, where the cup of African Nations are being held. Three people died and multiple players were injured at the incident.

The African football fest will be severely tarnished. But the carryon of the games will show that the countries will not fear and crumpled by the incident.

At the first match, Angola and Mali draw to 4-4. Ghana team, aiming to carry a strong momentum to the June World Cup to be held in South Africa, will once again try to shoot for the top goal.

China is ranked same as Ghana in QOL

International Living has unveiled their newest ranking of countries in terms of quality of living. Both China and Ghana were scored at 54. The countries scored the same include Peru, Paula, Cuba, Lebanon, Jordan and Kiribati.

China's score is severely dragged down by the poor scoring of freedom, which is only 8, the only countries scored lower are Cuba, North Korea, Libya, Uzbekistan and Myanmar.

France tops the list with a score of 80 and Somali and Sudan are listed at the bottom with 32 and 34.

Hope for the New Year

New Year Day, 2010.Kokrobite Beach.

Kobrorite is one hour driving from the capital Accra, and the white sanded shore line makes a great weekend getaway for locals and expats alike.

Spending the New Year Day on a beach seems to be an annual celebration here, especially for the young and restless. Kokrobite is packed with 20s and early 30s, we are the definite minority here. Hundreds of young couples, singles and everyone in between played in the with the waves or on the beach with friends. Soccer balls flying around, kids were busy running around.

Even walking vendors selling beads, oranges, pineapples, fish, you-name-it seemed to be having a great day. Three 7 or 8 year old boys carried an aluminum basin of coconuts, which run out before the boys could trun around and got back to us.

One young couple sat by the edge of water, her back lying on his chest. When the waves came ashore and created an whiteout, the water foams surrended them, and they seemed to be floating in an island of bubbles for a second.

Football, the national pastime is the play of the New Year Day. Not only did we drive by a field where a local game was being played (6 hours later when we drove home, the games were still ongoing), the young men were all treat the beach like another street for fatancy football. Within a few months, the World Cup will be held in South Afirca, the first African country to host the games, the footballmania will heat up even more in Ghana.

No one seemed to mention the domestic double digit inflation, the failed terror attack attempted by an African, and many other glooms and dooms in the 2009, and everyone is enjoying the arrival of something new with the hope that the New Year will bring them something better.

Happy New Year!

Ghana 2009 Review

Jan 7

Prof. J.E.A. Mills and Mr. John Mahama are sworn in as President and Vice President respectively of Ghana, after a close run off with opposition party leader NPP's Nana Akufo-Addo

July 10-11

US President Barack Obama visits Ghana after attending G20 in Italy and addresses Parliament.

August

Chinese Ambassador donates Chinese language textbooks to University of Ghana, the privileged school to encourage teaching Chinese

Sept 6

Ghana national soccer team Black Stars beat Sudan team and became the first African nation to qualify for World Cup to be held in South Africa 2010

Sept 21

Ghana marks Centenary Celebrations of the birth of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the nation’s founder and first president after gaining independence in 1956.

Oct16

Ghana’s Black Satellites under-20 soccer team beat Brazil to win Africa’s first World Cup at the U20 soccer Championship held in Egypt.

Nov 10

MP runs his car into Parliament Speaker’s in an attempt to outsmart Accra traffic

Dec.

China tops Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) list for having the most registered companies in Ghana, but South Africa ranks the first in terms of the amount of the investment

U.S. Airliner Bombing Suspect Bought Ticket In Ghana

The suspected bomber of Northwest Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit bought his KLM ticket 10 days ago before he carried out the attack. On Dec. 16, he purchased the ticket from a sales office in Accra, the capital of Ghana. He is now facing charges in the U.S.


How bad is corruption in Africa? Ghanaian President John Atta Mills refused to accept Christmas gifts from people for fear that will be considered as bribery. Even such gift-giving customs, so called hampers, are common practice in Ghana. (ireportGhana News)


Could a execution of a Briton heroin carrier by China cause a Sino-UK relationship to sour? Both sides have no softening their tones and the emotional side of the story will certainly stir up a lot of black eyes towards China and its legal system in Britain. (Reuters)

Bang for Banku

Have you heard or even tried the Ghana national soul food, an equivalent of chicken noodle soup in the U.S.? The difference, the Banku is WAY heavy and starchy.

Banku is such a starchy food, you almost need to eat and sleep. A young Ghananian friend in his 20s, educated in the U.S. and once worked in China, told me that he has a guilt feeling for not being able to eat Banku for lunch at work, but he don't want to be found sleeping on the job.

Banku is a starchy ball made of plantine, maze and other local grown grains. The ball is then put in a soup source, usually a light soup(not light at all!), groundnut soup or palm soup. And then it is added with a piece of chicken or fish along with chicken or fish source.

I recently discovered an excellent article written by a Ghanaian about Banku, both informative and interesting. Enjoy!

items of Interest

China, Ghana explore new ways to further collaboration. The Chinese ambassador Yu Wenzhe told an audience in Accra, Ghana. (GBN News)


Obama handpicked Nanfang Zhoumo (Southern Weekend) for only interview with a Chinese media while he visited Beijing last month, and now the top editor of Southern Weekend had been punished for that. You bet some one in top is not happy about it. (Reuters)


Thiland finds a plane full of weapons from North Korea en route to a third country. (Reuters)


After 10 year hilatus, China, two Koreas and the U.S. will start new round of Peack Talks. (Reuters)
Is North Korea desperate or a gesture for liver branch in the year of soccer world cup where North Korea will be a part of after decade of absense?


Fake receipts are creating huge problems and posign grave threats to Chinese economy. (TBS News)


A rule of 30 day advance notice was broken when Chinese vice president Xi Jinping wanted to pay a visit to Japanese Emperior, and Hatoyama administration pressed the office of Emperior to receive Mr. Xi. Should the rule be bent for the Chinese? A debate is on in Tokyo. (TBS)


Hatoyama's right hand man Ozawa took a 600-puls delegate visited Beijing. With or without a 30 day notice, Hu Jintao sit down with Ozawa and the two shared plenty of plesantries. (TBS)


The U.S. and Japan agree to open each other's sky. (TBS)


Still want more Maguro (raw Salmon fish filet famous for making shushi), it may not be there tomorrow. Japan signs the first international treaty to limit the fishing of Maguro in Pacific occean. (TBS)

Half Baked

Upon arriving in Ghana, the first thing you will notice besides potholes dotted roads and aggressively driving cho chos are half finished houses.

These houses can be together in a housing compound, like some huge mansions or villas, or they may be just some random living spaces, but they are all similarly half completed.

I heard that it is so expensive to build anything that is solid bricks or adobe with a real roof, instead of palm tree leaves, that people will build them over a period of time. It could be years, or even decades. In a good time, it may be shortened as more materials can be purchased with less time; when people have to tighten their own belts, the housing will be delayed and pushed aside.

Although it makes economic sense, I wonder how the final project will come out if it is build over a prolonged time, especially if any changes take place and inconsistency appears.

Are there better ways to bake the cake in one short?

Language Barrier

It seems everyone is talking about language barrier between Ghanaian and Chinese.

One director at the Ministry of Tourism here in Accra complained to me that the Chinese employers in Ghana are not hiring or training locals, due to language barrier.

Meanwhile, Economic councilor at the Chinese Embassy said the misunderstanding between the Chinese employers and their Ghanaian employees because of language barrier.

He urged Ghanaians to learn Chinese.

Considering 387 Chinese companies operating in Ghana, it could provide enough incentives for people who want to get ahead and improve marketability.

However, looking around, there are nowhere to see any advertisements for Chinese learning, while French, Spanish are abundant. A new Chinese language center, with the help of the Embassy, just established this year in the University of Ghana, the premier high education institute in Ghana.

The time will come for the barrier to eventually come down, and there will have many nascent language learners.

Dispatches from Africa

Here are some stories that catch my eyes:

Kilimanjaro Ice cap retreats faster and it could all gone in as little as 24 years. (from the photo, it looks it could be gone any time from now)


Sahara sun to help power Europe. (I wonder how long does it take for anyone here to tap the vast solar power in Africa. I am doing my part by making at least two large bottles of sun tea everyday!)


China launches 严打(Strike Hard) campaign in Xinjiang. (The new frontier has been a new unrest spot for China)


Even South Korea is struggling with race