*Nodding and agreeable noises*
English: Verbal translation: I understand what you’re saying
Chinese: Verbal translation: I acknowledge that you are saying something and that the words are audible
*Vaguely unintelligible opinions that appear to not have a concise point*
English: Complete nonsensical cr@p that demands further clarification
Chinese: Common business convention, where a sense of ambiguity is preferred over the prospect of losing face
Lunch time
English: A twenty minute break from the office where one fetches a sandwich to eat back at the desk
Chinese: A sacred one hour get-away which must be observed because you won’t get that chance again for another 24 hours and you need a significant amount of time away from the office in order to stay sane.
Networking
English: An encouraged activity, designed to promote visibility across the management hierarchy and to increase exposure of an individual’s achievements, involves a significant degree of @ssmosis.
Chinese: A hypothetical activity, which can only be applied in practice in the presence of your direct line manager in case you say something stupid which makes him look like a fool, for which you will receive a smack-down for shortly. As high net worth/senior management targets are often expatriates, they must be treated as deities, and therefore all engagement must continue to reflect utter subservience, and all their jokes are extremely funny.
Chain of Command / Management Hierarchy
English: The formal authority structure and governance model within an organization. Ultimate accountability falls on the manager’s shoulders, however conference calls, meetings and projects are attended and accomplished by a general mix of SMEs, project managers and senior sponsors. Discussions are had between various levels of hierarchy, supported by a degree of trust between subordinates and managers. There are multiple lines of communication across the organization.
Chinese: The formal authority structure which must be observed in normal day to day circumstances. All communication is channeled through the single chain of command between subordinate, manager and senior manager. This allows all information to pass through the middle manager so that they have the latest news to pass to the senior manager - even if they don’t actually have a clue on what is actually going on. In this respect, micro-management is the norm. No circumvention should occur, unless someone is on leave in which case special dispensation to speak directly to upper management is granted. A centralised structure is preferred over a more efficient, open structure and perceived power is heavily orientated towards senior figures. These senior figures, especially expatriates, are descended from the heavens and must be fawned upon.
Communication in Meetings:
English: Individuals are expected to contribute opinions and expertise. Depending on the matter at hand, junior staff may be empowered to attend, and provide subject matter expertise to senior stakeholders. The use of “I” is prevalent, to represent the offering of one’s opinion. The key objective is to attain a solution to the problem at hand through discussion and brain storming.
Chinese: Meetings involving important business are attended by the privileged few (see Chain of Command/Management Hierarchy). All expertise is second-hand, gathered collectively by management’s collective minions. Reaching a mutually agreeable consensus is the key objective, and therefore opinions should be offered vaguely and meekly. Strong viewpoints should be avoided in case they get shot down by management.
Prospectus
English: A document outlining the terms of a venture or project in order to attract new clients or business.
Chinese: The preferred word for “perspective”
