Sometimes I feel like a micro-manager and sometimes a macro-manager. Really, we need a bit of both in most of the situations business throws at us. I have been thinking about this a lot recently as I work with a couple of Chinese contractors who are renovating the cafe New Frontier is starting out in the beautiful, though rural regions of Guangxi Province.
Sometimes, I feel like I am nit-picking every detail of the cafe. Yet, my contractors' "interpretation" of my vision for the cafe is just not what I was going for. And though this is specifically speaking of decoration of a cafe, I am finding it so applicable to our communication with all coworkers, especially Chinese coworkers.
These two contractors are really good at what they do. Of all the people in our town, at least those I know, these two seem to understand what I want out of this cafe the best. They know how to make things look good and have definite opinions how how to get there. That is a big first step. Most workers around here simply do not have any opinion. You tell me what to do; I do it. That is where it ends.
When looking for someone to manage these projects (or in the future to manage the cafe), I am looking for someone with some initiative...just some is all I ask. These two contractors have it, and that is good, but it will always bring a little friction between what they see in the cafe and what I see. This is the difference between what I communicate to them and what they communicate to the workers nailing that wood finish up.
Communication is the most important factor here: mine to them, and their feedback to me. Just a couple days ago, I saw that we were thinking in two radically different directions for some of the cafe decoration. When I told them, their response seemed something like "that is not going to look good and I do not think you should do it." In all patience and kindness, I had to set things going in the direction I needed to reach the end goal.
I feel like I am trying to pick apart every detail, and in a way, I am. Yet, I am keeping the overall goal in mind. They still do not understand the end goal, speaking of renovation specifically, the "look" I am going for in the cafe. Until they have the end picture (the vision) in mind, I will need to keep an eye on the details to make sure we are all working toward the end vision of what I need to happen. Yet, all along the way, I keep trying to use these details themselves to communicate that end goal, the "look". It is using some temporary micro-managing to work toward the macro goals.
This communication process is really what we should all be doing, but when managing across cultures, extra emphasis needs to be placed on this part of the process. When communicating the end vision across cultures, it will take longer for the workers to understand what you are really thinking. Most of us are going to be the "crazy foreigner" in these situations. For me, at least, it is taking a lot of extra communication and a lot of extra patience to keep things moving in the right direction.
