Cool shadow can ease multi-race tension

By DR MARIE WILSON*

Q. I am an expatriate Kiwi living in Asia, where I lead a multi-racial team in an engineering firm. I am having a little difficulty with some of the Chinese members of the team, who are the majority.

Initially I thought it was just my age (bar one other person, I am the youngest, at 31, and some of the engineers have 20 years on me.) I don't get a lot of co-operation.

But what seems to be more of an issue is that I have been with the company just two years and have leapfrogged a lot of the time-servers.

I gather many Chinese see longevity with a company as the major way to promotion, and that my recent arrival and rapid ascent could have ruffled a few feathers.

I don't rate people by the number of years they have had their feet under the same desk; I believe in meritocracy. Our ultimate boss is an American-based company, so is probably more that way inclined.

But, given that I'm in Asia and will always have mostly local people in the team, do you think I should do anything about it, or find some sort of strategy to deal with it?

A. While Confucian values that emphasise teamwork, harmony and respect for elders may contribute to the problem, you would be likely to encounter difficulties in many countries - including New Zealand - if you were promoted rapidly to supervise a large group of mature, experienced staff and started doing things a bit differently and expected their full co-operation.

The first principle to keep in mind is that no matter how much confidence the company has in your abilities, each new supervisory role requires you to win over a new group of staff by demonstrating the competencies that got you the promotion.

Authority arises from you and your credibility, not from your promotion.

The second principle is that many professional teams expect their expertise to be respected and the team to be managed collaboratively and consultatively, rather than being told what to do.

If you have not managed in this environment before, you may need coaching and mentoring to develop a more peer-based management style.

The third issue is more specific to your situation.

There is excellent research that expatriation can cause problems for acceptance of management authority, as expatriate pay packages are often significantly better that those of local managers and workers. This can cause resentment and difficulties, even for managers who are skilled and experienced.

Finally, a New Zealander working for an American company in Asia with a multi-ethnic team is going to encounter cultural differences. This means acknowledging the differences, accepting them (instead of assuming that your approach has more merit) and working with them.

If you seek mentoring or coaching, try to find a senior manager with more cross-cultural and supervisory experience to assist you in understanding and learning to manage in your situation.

The Chinese saying, "There is a cool shadow under the big tree", means finding a leader to work alongside provides a much easier working environment.

Your fast rise may be short-lived if you do not learn from these new challenges; an experienced mentor may dramatically increase your ability and the speed of your development.

Q. I am pretty sure my boss has lied to me about the reason my application for an internal educational opportunity was knocked back. I did some homework and worked out the real story. I'm not sure whether to bring it up - friends say just leave it. But my trust in my boss has been undermined and I'm not sure whether I can trust her to the same degree as before.

A. First, think through how sure you are that your boss has given you a false reason for being declined, and think through what her motivation might be. She may think she was doing the right thing by not disclosing a reason that would anger or de-motivate you.

After you are as sure as you can be of your facts, ask for a meeting - perhaps off-site - to discuss it. You might start by reviewing why you applied for the opportunity and then your disappointment at being declined.

Review what your boss told you about why you were declined. Let her know that you have heard that there might be other reasons and ask for clarification regarding the decision.

To do better in future applications for education, you need to know the reasons you were declined so that you can address them.

Honest feedback is essential to your development.

If your boss does not disclose alternative (and perhaps additional) reasons for the decision, and you are convinced that other reasons are afoot, then you'll have to drop it, but be a bit more cautious of her communications in future.

If your boss does come through with a fuller disclosure, thank her and move on to development planning; don't dwell too long on her oversight.

* Dr Marie Wilson is associate professor of management at the University of Auckland, research director of the ICEHOUSE business accelerator and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business.

* Email your questions for Dr Marie Wilson to answer.