China Law Blog - How To Succeed In China Business. THE Rules. - Comments http://www.chinalawblog.com/ China Law for Business en Copyright 2011 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:36:52 -0800 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:36:52 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.32-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Damjan Denoble It's amazing how folks refuse to put things into perspective when it comes to succeeding in a 'China' business.

Ask a hundred Beijing expats about the likelihood of striking it rich, in NY, or Paris, or London, or Tokyo shortly after moving there, and few are going to rate that likelihood as anything greater than 'very low'.

For some reason, ask them the same thing about 'China' and they'll rate it as 'doable when I learn Chinese'.

Mmmm...China's population and, by extension, your pool of competitors, is 10^3 times greater in 'China'.

But, for some reason, the people who are scared of trying to make it in New York keep coming to China.

]]> http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/03/how_to_succeed_in_china_the_ru.html#16153 http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/03/how_to_succeed_in_china_the_ru.html#16153 China Business Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:18:25 -0800 Dan Wolfman This is a very good list for succeeding in China, though virtually all of it applies to succeeding anywhere, which I think is the whole point. China business is like business everywhere else and so the point I would add to the list is that "It's Just Business."

]]> http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/03/how_to_succeed_in_china_the_ru.html#16154 http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/03/how_to_succeed_in_china_the_ru.html#16154 China Business Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:18:25 -0800 Dan Twofish Curiously none of these rules are China specific at all.

One of my favorite business rules.

It's not a negotiation if you are not willing and able to say no.

]]> http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/03/how_to_succeed_in_china_the_ru.html#16155 http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/03/how_to_succeed_in_china_the_ru.html#16155 China Business Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:18:25 -0800 Dan Renaud "Have lines (moral and economic) that cannot be moved": so true. I see many foreigners involved in the sourcing game here who "turn to the dark side".

]]> http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/03/how_to_succeed_in_china_the_ru.html#16156 http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/03/how_to_succeed_in_china_the_ru.html#16156 China Business Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:18:25 -0800 Dan LaoLao Excellent post and comments. I would only add a few things specific more to China.

> Do not under any circumstance call out previous failures of an individual in a group setting.

That should be obvious to Old China Hands. But I have seen many a professional relationship damaged due to a wet behind the ears MBA in a project meeting trying to use a person's previous failure as a "learning" point on what to avoid in the future. The person in question will lose face, and you will more so.

If you have a professional issue with an individual, and feel it's that critical, discuss it one-on-one with his leader privately.

]]> http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/03/how_to_succeed_in_china_the_ru.html#16157 http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/03/how_to_succeed_in_china_the_ru.html#16157 China Business Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:18:25 -0800 Dan