Monday, November 1, 2010

Harmonically correct!

In Asia, individual interests are often based on the interest of the group as a whole. It makes the image of this group very important for its members as it reflects their own success. Thus everyone is trying hard to keep the apparent harmony in between colleagues, family members or team mates. Hence I would recommend to avoid any type of direct confrontation like asking an embarrassing question to someone or questioning a figure in front of everyone; if you wish to do so, find an intermediary close to the speaker or ask to meet him/her in private.

If you want your opinion to be taken more seriously, you should use terms like "we think that X" or "X would be better for all of us" aplenty while using "me" and "I" soberly. Expressing your own opinion isn't as strong as speaking on behalf of the group of people you are representing. You should always look for consensus too or at least for something which looks like consensus. Don't hesitate to reformulate your point and get people to agree or at least nod for approval. 

 In Asia, a lot of people believe that success attracts success and failure attracts failure. You will notice many people trying to make friends with successful businessmen while avoiding lousy ones like the pest. This is especially true in India, Japan and China where speaking about unlucky events like bankruptcy, sickness or even sending condolences would be considered rude and inauspicious.


[Feel free to use and share this material for non-commercial purpose. And don't hesitate to share your experience and questions in the comments or by email; I will come back to you as quickly as possible. Happy reading!]


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