I worked in Shenzhen from August 2008 to April 2009. This is my impression of that period.
It is Monday afternoon. I just arrived in China and I enjoyed lunch with my new colleagues. Back at my desk it is dark and you can hear a pin dropping on the floor where 80 people work. It feels unreal and I decide to check out the other floors and come to the conclusion that this Chinese multinational company sleeps, but only for a little while a day.
The Dutch Chinese resident
As a management consultant for Accenture in Singapore I help clients, in general the top 500 multinationals, to define their strategy and take responsibility for organizational change and business transformation. For the past 9 months I was leading a strategic project for a prominent Chinese client, one of the most admired companies in the world. Their mission is ambitious and we will help them to become a leading player in the European market. Their headquarter is impressive: spacious, modern, surrounded by small lakes, lanes and bridges. Nothing is left to the impression that this company is not going to conquer the world. Something different than ‘Industry Park Vianen’ so to say. In their gates 40.000 people live and work. I had never faced such a great challenge in my work life before. And to embark on this endeavor I first had to become a Chinese resident and learn basic Mandarin (which is a whole other story…!).
Shenzhen - the Pearl above Hong Kong
“The client is based in Shenzhen” an American voice told me over the phone. I had never heard of that city in my life. Now I do. Here are some data points for you: Shenzhen is 1 hour north of Hong Kong and connected through the MRT system. The city has 14 million inhabitants, with an average age of 30! Only 20 years back it was a small fishing village, until Deng Xiaoping declared Shenzhen to be a Special Economical Zone. Now it is home to the largest companies in the world, coming with modern skyscrapers, luxurious hotels, complex infrastructure and a lot of HDB’s, following Singapore example. The one thing you directly notice when driving through Shenzhen is the chaos on the roads. Any ride turns into a rollercoaster. A Singaporean would get bended toes by the jaywalkers, the ghost riders, the tricycles on the highway and the unattended traffic lights. Several times I’ve said farewell to the world in the back of a taxi or bus.
The main difference with Hong Kong and Shanghai is that everything is in Chinese: conversations, menus, signs, telephone operators, you name it… The city is not really catered for westerners, but the good thing is, once you get through it, Shenzhen offers the best restaurants in China, is extremely affordable and has a flamboyant nightlife.
Learning on the job
Commuting up and down Shenzhen, Monday to Friday from Singapore was a dragon travel. It took me 6-8 hours door-to-door, depending on luck and availability of transportation means, involving, taxi, plane, boat and limousine service. During the week I stayed in the impeccable Pavilion Hotel.
In an over-simplistic way, you could say my work consists of preparing and hosting meetings. Two aspects stood out:
* First, the dynamics of the meetings: Organize a meeting in China with 2 or 3 people and you will find yourself presenting to an audience of 30 people. The unwritten rule is that anyone invited can invite others at their judgment or interest. So when the Accenture consultants come and speak everybody wants to listen in. After the meeting people just disappear, normally without giving any feedback.
* And second, the people that attend the meeting: Chinese people. Some behaviours are so far from what I am used to. I found some good insight in differences between cultures on www.globesmart.com.
Also a matter of learning through practice: Festive celebrations. A round table, plenty of food and Chinese red wine are the ingredients of Chinese New Year celebrations. You go around, yell “Gan Bei” to anyone, you laugh loudly, you slam the red wine away and then you yell something like “Happy Ox”. After some practice a lot fun.
Lunchtime was my favorite. We were given special pink ‘Tunch’ vouchers, that we could exchange for food in the canteen. The food was rather good, very Chinese style. The Chinese word for food is ‘fan’, which also translates to rice. So there is rice mornings, middays and evenings. Sometimes there was ‘French fried’, but more often not. And then after lunch, the curtains close, the stretchers come out of under the desk, the lights go off, the phones go on mute and everybody goes to sleep. I can assure you after nine hectic months: A wonderful oasis in the midst of turbulent meetings!
My contribution to the project has ended. It has been a fantastic experience. I am glad to be back in Singapore though.
Koert in ADB - page 15-16 The Dutch Chinese resident
As a management consultant for Accenture in Singapore I help clients, in general the top 500 multinationals, to define their strategy and take responsibility for organizational change and business transformation. For the past 9 months I was leading a strategic project for a prominent Chinese client, one of the most admired companies in the world. Their mission is ambitious and we will help them to become a leading player in the European market. Their headquarter is impressive: spacious, modern, surrounded by small lakes, lanes and bridges. Nothing is left to the impression that this company is not going to conquer the world. Something different than ‘Industry Park Vianen’ so to say. In their gates 40.000 people live and work. I had never faced such a great challenge in my work life before. And to embark on this endeavor I first had to become a Chinese resident and learn basic Mandarin (which is a whole other story…!).
Shenzhen - the Pearl above Hong Kong
“The client is based in Shenzhen” an American voice told me over the phone. I had never heard of that city in my life. Now I do. Here are some data points for you: Shenzhen is 1 hour north of Hong Kong and connected through the MRT system. The city has 14 million inhabitants, with an average age of 30! Only 20 years back it was a small fishing village, until Deng Xiaoping declared Shenzhen to be a Special Economical Zone. Now it is home to the largest companies in the world, coming with modern skyscrapers, luxurious hotels, complex infrastructure and a lot of HDB’s, following Singapore example. The one thing you directly notice when driving through Shenzhen is the chaos on the roads. Any ride turns into a rollercoaster. A Singaporean would get bended toes by the jaywalkers, the ghost riders, the tricycles on the highway and the unattended traffic lights. Several times I’ve said farewell to the world in the back of a taxi or bus.
The main difference with Hong Kong and Shanghai is that everything is in Chinese: conversations, menus, signs, telephone operators, you name it… The city is not really catered for westerners, but the good thing is, once you get through it, Shenzhen offers the best restaurants in China, is extremely affordable and has a flamboyant nightlife.
Learning on the job
Commuting up and down Shenzhen, Monday to Friday from Singapore was a dragon travel. It took me 6-8 hours door-to-door, depending on luck and availability of transportation means, involving, taxi, plane, boat and limousine service. During the week I stayed in the impeccable Pavilion Hotel.
In an over-simplistic way, you could say my work consists of preparing and hosting meetings. Two aspects stood out:
* First, the dynamics of the meetings: Organize a meeting in China with 2 or 3 people and you will find yourself presenting to an audience of 30 people. The unwritten rule is that anyone invited can invite others at their judgment or interest. So when the Accenture consultants come and speak everybody wants to listen in. After the meeting people just disappear, normally without giving any feedback.
* And second, the people that attend the meeting: Chinese people. Some behaviours are so far from what I am used to. I found some good insight in differences between cultures on www.globesmart.com.
Also a matter of learning through practice: Festive celebrations. A round table, plenty of food and Chinese red wine are the ingredients of Chinese New Year celebrations. You go around, yell “Gan Bei” to anyone, you laugh loudly, you slam the red wine away and then you yell something like “Happy Ox”. After some practice a lot fun.
Lunchtime was my favorite. We were given special pink ‘Tunch’ vouchers, that we could exchange for food in the canteen. The food was rather good, very Chinese style. The Chinese word for food is ‘fan’, which also translates to rice. So there is rice mornings, middays and evenings. Sometimes there was ‘French fried’, but more often not. And then after lunch, the curtains close, the stretchers come out of under the desk, the lights go off, the phones go on mute and everybody goes to sleep. I can assure you after nine hectic months: A wonderful oasis in the midst of turbulent meetings!
My contribution to the project has ended. It has been a fantastic experience. I am glad to be back in Singapore though.
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