It’s All In The Relationship - The Power of Guan Xi

Successful business in China is not reached through merely a good project and good management, that's all significant of course but what can really make it or break it? Relationships - the Chinese call it "guan xi" (pr. Gwan shee). This term is so central to the Chinese culture that most people who have spent only a short period of time in China will come away knowing the word.

A winning business venture in Asia can almost be compared to a friendship in the way it grows and develops; an exchange of ideas and an acceptance of differences where input and effort are being applied by both parties. There is an understanding that true friendship is worth nurturing and developing because we never know when we may need a good friend. Strong relationships are most important when we have nowhere to turn, when we find ourselves in a hard spot.

To the Chinese guan xi may be protected at almost any cost. Consider the expression - Zai jia kao fu mu, Chu men kao peng you; At home depend on family, away from home depend on friends.

How do these ideals translate over into our borders? In this fast-paced, disposable culture it is sometimes easier to do away with something than to spend the extra time and effort to maintain or fix it. Do we also see our relationships in this light?

What is the motivation for the Chinese to maintain strong relationships in times of aggravation? Rather than looking at the negative they tend to realize the value of maintaining a positive bond. They may look beyond the here-and-now to envision how the relationship might be beneficial in the future. In the present, they may not have realized a mutually desirous outcome but realize that one or two years may bring a new opportunity. When the relationship is maintained in a positive light the window to opportunity will remain open.

How does face fit into all this? Understanding face is important in nurturing good relationships in Asia. The nearest illustration of face in Western culture would be the basic idea of pride; though face goes much deeper and is more complex than pride. In China face can be given, taken away, and even bumped. Sensitivity to face requires a sense of diplomacy - sensitivity to the pride of an individual or nation and the values and ideals that may not cross boundaries in style. Sometimes it's easy to have high expectations, when it comes to what we want for an outcome, but like in any relationship there is more than one individual involved, if you've had a personality clash before imagine something bigger; a culture clash - the clash of big personalities. The basis of mutual successes can be realized through well cultivated guan xi.

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