| Prior to privatisation in China, business | | | | the appropriate time and you will grab |
| only existed in the form of State Owned | | | | everybody's attention and gain substantial |
| Enterprise (SOE). These were (and still are) | | | | respect.How to use chopsticks and understand |
| run by people with strong political | | | | meal etiquette |
| backgrounds and relationships, usually | | | | |
| connected by family ties to someone in the | | | | This involves practice beforehand. Using |
| government. This sort of closed | | | | chopsticks is the first step of eating |
| organisational structure gave no opportunity | | | | etiquette and conveys the message to the |
| for its employees to be involved in any | | | | Chinese that you are willing to learn and |
| decision-making processes. Often, | | | | accept their way of living. There are two |
| principle-based leadership was substantial to | | | | kinds of chopsticks - disposable (wooden) and |
| motivate staff to be productive, although the | | | | those used at banquets (made of plastic, jade |
| extent of government financial support | | | | or polished wood). The latter are quite |
| available meant that SOEs frequently didn't | | | | difficult to use to eat the peanuts and small |
| need much in the way of business knowledge or | | | | bits, so common in Chinese cuisine, so make |
| understanding of the market. Success was | | | | sure you practise with these.When dishes are |
| based rather on good relationship building - | | | | brought to the table, wait for your |
| which effectively meant getting government | | | | counterpart to start eating or at least |
| financial support.With the boom of joint | | | | invite you to help yourself. Fish is always |
| venture in the late 80s and early 90s, | | | | taken by the highest ranking person seated at |
| foreign investors started sending their own | | | | the table. They usually get the fish cheeks |
| managers to interact with the SOE business | | | | too - the best part of the fish.When drinking |
| culture. They were given great packages as | | | | toasts, your cup should be held at a lower |
| incentives to compensate for hard local | | | | level than your counterpart's. That way you |
| living conditions. In the 13 years I have | | | | show respect. If they attempt to say cheers |
| been living in China, I have heard stories, | | | | with their glasses held lower than yours, |
| too numerous to mention, of foreign managers | | | | don't fall for it, it is just a |
| attending hundreds of banquets and getting | | | | test.Waitresses will keep refilling your |
| drunk with government officials, while the | | | | glass while you are talking. While |
| translators took over the communication | | | | conversation continues, tap your index and |
| channels. Most of the time they would have no | | | | middle finger twice on the table, which |
| idea of what was going on, other than that | | | | simply means 'Thank you'. This custom is |
| they were expected to drink vast quantities | | | | explained by the legend of an emperor, who |
| of alcohol, which somehow or other bridged | | | | decided to mingle with his people in |
| the gap between the two cultures. The main | | | | disguise. He swapped clothes with his servant |
| criteria for foreigners to be successful in | | | | and watched as officials focussed all their |
| this business arena were knowledge of the | | | | attention on his servant, believing him to be |
| following:1. How to recognise who is a | | | | the emperor. When the servant, dressed as |
| decision maker | | | | emperor, was offered tea the true emperor in |
| | | | servant's clothes had to serve him. To |
| 2. How to impress Chinese counterparts by | | | | preserve the disguise, without compromising |
| speaking a few Chinese phrases | | | | the respect due to his emperor, the servant, |
| | | | dressed as emperor, tapped two fingers on the |
| 3. How to use chopsticks and understand meal | | | | table to denote bowing with respect to the |
| etiquette | | | | real emperor.How to 'fake' drinking (and not |
| | | | get drunk) |
| 4. How to 'fake' drinkingHow to recognise | | | | |
| who is a decision maker | | | | The easiest way is secretly to pour water |
| | | | into your cup, since you will be challenged |
| All banquets are served on round tables and | | | | to drink baijiu (white spirit). This lethal |
| there is no obvious distinguishing mark, to | | | | spirit has a strong taste and is 50%-70% |
| indicate where the main guest is seated. | | | | alcohol. While nobody is watching fill your |
| However there are a few give-aways. Look out | | | | cup with water and make sure it is always |
| for these clues: | | | | full. Initiate constant refills of |
| | | | everybody's drinks and you will soon gain the |
| - The guest of honour is most likely to be | | | | title of 'Lao Han' (honourable Chinese). An |
| facing the door (so they can see when the new | | | | alternative is quickly to dispose of the |
| dishes are brought in). | | | | contents of your cup over your shoulder as |
| | | | you bring it close to your mouth. Make sure |
| - Fish is the sign of prosperity and a | | | | there is nobody watching and that there is |
| banquet is likely to include a fish dish. The | | | | nobody standing behind you! Baiju is always |
| head of the fish will be placed facing the | | | | drunk down in one go unless it is mentioned |
| person of highest status. | | | | otherwise. It is a good idea to fake being |
| | | | slightly drunk too, in order to avoid |
| - The counterpart will be seated directly | | | | arousing any suspicions.And remember, enjoy |
| opposite. | | | | the meal, be prepared to eat intestines, |
| | | | turtles, snakes and drink snake blood and |
| - The people seated at the right and left | | | | bile without showing any disgust - these |
| hand of the person of highest status are the | | | | delicacies are believed to improve your |
| two next most important decision makers.How | | | | manhood. If you are a woman, you are more |
| to impress Chinese counterparts by speaking a | | | | likely to be forgiven the odd lapse and at |
| few Chinese phrases | | | | least won't be under so much pressure to |
| | | | drink heavily. In this case, you should make |
| The Chinese language consists of phrases | | | | sure that you are accompanied by a Chinese |
| that are called 'chengyu', the nearest | | | | person of higher position in your company, |
| interpretation of which, would be - proverbs. | | | | who is prepared to take over the drinking |
| They usually have four characters and have a | | | | part of the evening, which is so crucial in |
| whole story behind them to support the | | | | establishing good business |
| meaning that you want to express. There are | | | | relationships.Copyright 2006 Dalida |
| dictionaries with a selection of the most | | | | TurkovicDalida Turkovic - Master Coach and |
| frequently used chengyu, an essential part of | | | | Master NLP Practitioner has lived and worked |
| your library. Make sure you use a chengyu at | | | | in China since 1990. |