Mutual Trust
“How do you build trust with your Chinese managers and employees?” was the first question on the sheet I held in front of me. I was standing in the lobby of the Dow Jones building in lower Manhattan, waiting to meet with Li Yuan of The Wall Street Journal Online. In our interview, Li Yuan wanted to discuss the issue of building trust in relationships in China, and had sent me a list of proposed questions ahead of time.
Born and raised in China, Li Yuan instinctively understands the importance of mutual trust in China, which is why she wanted it as the focus for our interview. When I first went to China, everyone continually referred to “mutual trust,” and the importance of establishing it, as the key to developing successful relationships in the country. In fact, the words were said so many times that I began to think of them as a platitude. But, did my new Chinese colleagues really believe so strongly in their meaning, or were they just saying the words?
Having been here for 15 years now, I have found that the words, “mutual trust,” are probably the two most important in the Chinese language. If you can ever truly achieve it—if your managers, employees, partners or customers really believe that you trust them— everything in China begins to change.
Harry S. Truman, the straight talking, “the buck stops here,” president of the United States, was from the “Show Me” state of Missouri. If you are trying to convince someone from Missouri of something, words only go so far, you have to show them. “Don’t tell me, show me,” they are apt to say.
In my 15 years in China, I have found that everyone here is from Missouri. The Chinese hold their judgment and look at what you do, not what you say.
With your managers and employees, the way you convince them that they have your trust is to empower them. You not only have to give them the title and the position, you have to give them the authority and the responsibility to carry out their duties. If they happen to falter, they must believe that you are there to help them, not criticize them.
With partners, customers and government officials, it works the same way. Filled with enthusiasm, many come to the country with grand promises of what they are going to do. When those promises are forgotten, as too often happens, the gulf between the two parties remains wide. On the other hand, a high level of trust begins to develop when actions follow words. Trust is something that is earned in China, and there is no shortcut to achieving it.
All of this and more is discussed in the interview with Li Yuan. Click here to listen to it in its entirety.
