An employee purposely slows down their productivity or begins to under perform relative to their colleagues. That seems inconsistent with mind-set #1 (having a bias for results) and mind-set #2 (being a part of something bigger than oneself), right?
Well, no. At least if you’re in China!
In China the group trumps the individual. Anyone who attempts to elevate themselves over the collective interests of the group will likely be ostracized by the group. In other words, the Western model of the rugged individual (and the gold stars that are earned through the accomplishment of outlandish performance standards) doesn’t translate well in some Eastern cultures. In other words, in China it doesn’t pay to try to stand out.
Thus in China the individual who has unintentionally ‘one-upped’ the group will naturally be inclined to conform to the performance norm of the group. And–to be clear–the norm of that group may reflect a very high level of performance. That’s why someone in China who throttles back their production for the reasons we’ve illustrated may very well hold dear both mind-sets #1 and #2.
The point is perhaps obvious. The two mind-sets we’ve illustrated here are just as valid in China as they are in the U.S. Yet, because of the difference in cultures, they take different forms. One isn’t right, the other wrong–they’re just different. The difference in cultures can be as dramatic as two differing nationalities or as subtle as two corporate subsidiaries that have the same corporate parent.
That’s important for all of us to remember–whether one works in China or just down the street.
Note: This post was inspired by a terrific article by Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith in the May 2012 edition of Talent Management magazine.