A while ago, I wrote a post about eating melon seeds in the office, which captures the challenges foreign managers face in China in a nutshell. I am sure many of you have first hand experience in your work.

So what does it take to manage your team effectively in China? The best answers and thoughts are to be found among the practitioners. That’s why I have started a new interview series on my Suixuntong.com . It features conversations with foreign managers in China who face dual challenges of management and cultural peculiarities. I prompt the guest with one question, ‘how do you get the most out of your team’? It often leads to some fresh insights about managing people in China. This first interview with Peter Bomer, who has both senior management experience at a large MNC in China and running his own business here vividly illustrates it.

I have known and worked for some great foreign managers in China. From my pint of view, an essential part of their success is that they work particularly hard to understand their local staff’s perception, action and motivation shaped by the socio-cultural context. They go beyond than just saying ‘why don’t my staff get it’. They observe, communicate and reflect to find a better approach.  I hope their stories will give you a look inside managing people in China and help you manage your team more effectively here. You can subscribe to the podcast on itunes by searching the name ‘Suixuntong’, or listen online on suixuntong.com.

I look forward to hearing your comments on the show. I am also keenly looking for guests, please feel free to contact me jennyzhu@suixuntong.com.

Thank you!

The man in this interview has a fascinating story. Sidney Shapiro or 沙博理 has lived through Mao’s China into Hu’s China. Now in his 90′s, he enjoys a quiet life in his adopted home in Beijing. He is one of the few hundreds of ‘communist sympathisers’ (for lack of a better term) who joined the Communist Party’s effort in building the PRC. Most of them left China forced by circumstances. But Shapiro managed to stay. 

Trading his U.S. citizenship for Chinese and joining the Communist Party all makes him seem like a fanatic and regime collaborator. But in fact he came to China by chance, and it was through the force of daily life engulfed in earth shattering historical developments that has shaped his life rather than a single burning belief. Perhaps our lives are always a bit more interesting in other’s view.  

And speaking of Communists, you will be surprised to find what a modern day communist is like. A few of my friends are registered party members. They work in media, drink Starbucks and watches Lost.  Joseph McCarthy would be stunned.  

Savoring a piece of handmade gouda as I am writing this post, I am compelled to tell the story of Marc de Ruiter. Marc is the owner of Yellow Valley cheese, http://www.cheeseinchina.com/dynamic/ a cheese factory in rural Shanxi/山西  province. I interviewed him for my radio show. 

Marc came to China 10 years ago working with Chinese farmers on various projects to help them improve their life. After helping many acquire better farming techniques, he noticed the village’s cow farmers were left behind. Milk was sold at a very low price and there was an over production. Coming from the land of gouda, what would you do? Marc set up his artisan gouda factory and took it from there.

His cheese has an elegant and homey taste, one that combines traditional techniques, patience and dedication. The velvety texture and uncomplicated good flavors are the best embodiment of someone doing great work and enjoying it.

The bonds between imperial China and Western missionaries are an eternally fascinating subject. Amongst them are Italian missionary Giuseppe Castiglione. He came to China to spread the gospel, but ended up spreading Western arts and science to the middle kingdom. Castiglione’s holy calling took a detour when his artistic skills impressed Emperor 康熙/Kangxi who later commissioned him to paint and design Western style houses for the royal family. Castiglione went on to work for the subsequent two emperors 雍正/Yongzheng and 乾隆/Qianlong. He also took the Chinese name 郎士宁/lang2 shi4 ning2.

His style was a unique blend of European painting and Chinese subjects and themes (see the portrait of Emperoro Qianlong). Castiglione’s time was the golden age of Qing Dynasty. Contact with the West thrived, especially in arts and science. Missionaries played a key role in the process. Castiglione even became the subject of a TV series about his life and work here. In a rather beguiling casting decison, he was played by famous Canadian sinophile Dashan (picture and clip).

Another prominent Italian missionary was Matteo Ricci‎/利玛窦 who contributed largely to math and science. Like Castiglione, he passed away and was buried in China. His grave is in a beautiful garden which is now the Communist Party School in Beijing.

Today is Children’s Day 儿童节/ér tong jié in China. The incrediblly courageous children in ravaged Sichuan speak out loud love, peace and hope/爱、和平、希望/ ài, hé ping, xī wàng.

The boy in this clip has become a national hero. He is 9 years old and his name is 林浩 lín hào. Here he tells matter-of-factly in his native Sichuan dialect how he carried 2 classmates out of the shambles. But he still hasn’t been able to find his own parents.