Beware of trust traps
Incoming managers need to consider cultural differences on the mainland if they are to win over employees, writes Yue-er Luo, Erik Duerring and William Byham.
Yue-er Luo, Erik Duerring and William Byham
Update on 21 Feb 2009
Trust is the cornerstone of all successful business relationships, no matter what their scale, type or duration. It is implicit in the handshake that concludes the deal between buyer and seller, in the
authority the supervisor delegates to a subordinate and in every trade or transaction done by
bankers, brokers, multinationals or street-corner start-ups.
That is as true in China as in other parts of the world. Therefore, any executive transferred to run all or part of a mainland-based enterprise should recognise from the outset that establishing trust - among the various team members and in one's ability to manage - has to be a top priority.
Good executives know, too, that trust can never be taken for granted. It takes time to develop, can be easily lost and, once gone, is difficult to regain.
That applies anywhere but for someone who is unfamiliar with certain cultural norms in China and has limited experience of interacting with mainland colleagues and employees, it is particularly important to remain sensitive to differences and alert to signals.
Otherwise, the incoming manager, without even realising it, can easily fall into all kinds of trust traps. Some may result from trying to impose alternative methods or conflicting expectations. Others can arise from a reluctance to accept ideas and feedback, or just from basic miscommunication.
To minimise such difficulties and thereby enhance trust in the workplace, it obviously makes sense to consider first where people typically go wrong. When appointed to oversee operations in China, every manager arrives with the right intentions. However, initial actions and decisions can raise doubts and immediately erode the chances of establishing trust and having good long-term working relationships.
Incoming leaders, like all employees, need to find their feet quickly. As a result, they tend to turn to a small circle of people who can answer the most pressing questions for advice and insights on everything. Employees not consulted - when they quite properly should be - feel excluded and perhaps become suspicious.
They can soon come to feel their views and expertise are overlooked, that too much is done behind closed doors and that the style of management is cliquish and opaque. If that happens, there will soon be not one team, but two, or more.
When the new manager starts to implement specific changes, that problem will only intensify. Change of any kind generally breeds mistrust, and employees in China can easily misunderstand why the organisation would want to alter strategy, redefine priorities or redirect funding.
In some cases, staff who are not fully informed may see change as a threat and a budget cut that affects them as a personal affront. The way around this, of course, is to communicate the reasons clearly and explain the situation in detail.
Inconsistency is another factor that can harm the level of trust. If a manager behaves in ways that differ sharply from one day or one meeting to the next, the team will be left trying to read the boss all the time. They will be uncertain, slow to take the initiative and unsure what is right for the organisation.
Employees may also conclude that the boss is inconsistent because he or she lacks conviction and ability. That can lead to a loss of respect and, in turn, less trust in whoever is supposed to be giving direction.
On the mainland, it often happens that staff will approach recently arrived managers to discuss benefits or expected privileges. It is important to stand firm in refusing to grant such requests. If not, rumours of favouritism will soon spread, creating mistrust.
Some less wary managers try to earn quick acceptance by granting these requests and allowing a few extra perks. However, doing so tends to sow perceptions of unfairness. It is therefore best to remember that the paramount need for any leader is to be fair, not generous or simply keen to please.
To build a sense of trust, it also pays to bear any bad news or surprises with equanimity. There is an obvious tendency for new bosses brought in from elsewhere to react adversely - perhaps visibly and vocally - to bad news. On the mainland, though, this is not the way to instil confidence or show authority. Staff may well feel they are being blamed personally when they are merely acting as
messenger.
Once word of the reaction spreads, colleagues will be more likely to hide or gloss over other bad news, which will only lead to delays and a general lack of transparency and trust. Managers can be left feeling they don't really know what is going on in the office or the division they are meant to control.
That impression is sometimes exacerbated if the person in charge does not speak Chinese well or understand the local dialect. It then becomes easy to think - perhaps quite mistakenly - that individual colleagues are unwilling to share information. In reality, they may simply be used to structuring answers in Chinese that start with a general point and move to specifics only if prompted in a certain way. Otherwise, the conversation may remain general in tone, in accordance with established social etiquette, but leaving the newcomer largely unenlightened.
One person may think there is deliberate obfuscation; others will be puzzled at the apparent failure to understand; and all may be put off their stroke by various cultural miscues.
For that reason, anyone transferring to the mainland to take up a senior position must remain open to cultural differences and always consider how people from distinct generations are likely to think and behave. Such awareness will make it possible to reduce misunderstanding and build trust more readily.
No one would claim the process is straightforward. It takes time and application, since trust must be earned, not demanded. Certain strategies definitely help, though, and a key one is to inspire the practice of communicating upwards.
This will encourage employees to discuss problems, exchange ideas and volunteer information.And while it may involve overcoming an aspect of workplace behaviour that is deeply ingrained on the mainland, there should be long-term benefits for the organisation.
Along the way, it is important for managers to emphasise there will be no adverse consequences for voicing alternative opinions and that mistakes are occasions from which everyone can learn.
Clear guidance on team rules and ethics is also essential for promoting trust. You can decide the main outlines through a series of group discussions, giving people a chance to participate and agree collectively on the ground rules to apply in the work environment. Once rules are agreed, everyone should abide by them - including the leader - since doing so adds to the sense of trust within the whole group.
Gaining trust is the foundation of good leadership. When you show others you have confidence in them, you are also sending a strong message about respect and their ability. This tells people that you are ready to listen to their opinions and rely on their competencies - essentially, that you believe they have what it takes to do the job.
Without this element of trust, certain things are likely to happen. Overall productivity may not be as high, the work environment will not be as happy and, ultimately, the better staff will leave as they go in search of opportunities where they believe someone will put greater trust in their intellect and abilities.
This is the first in a three-part series adapted from Leadership Success in China - An Expatriate's Guide by Yue-er Luo, Erik Duerring and William Byham