IN HOSPITALITY IN CHINA one of the biggest questions is who to serve first – the local or the foreigner? John O’Shea is the General Manager for The Langham Xintiandi in Shanghai. He has a simple rule: Always serve the local first.John’s reasoning is simple – in China people expect a higher level of personalised&hellip

IN TECHNOLOGY MARKETS it is important to fail fast in order to find the best fit fast. So says Jenny Zhu, co-founder of OpenLanguage and Masie Asia Learning Fellow. Jenny says that while this philosophy is critical to get product to market fast, many employees don’t understand that failure is part of the product development process.&hellip

CHINA’S RAPID ECONOMIC GROWTH has created a lot of overnight successes. Consequently, the wealthy come in all shapes and sizes, making it difficult for service staff to identify ‘high rollers’ and ‘big spenders’. John O’Shea is the General Manager at The Langham Xintiandi in Shanghai, China. His property is one of Shanghai’s most premier hotels, situated&hellip

MANAGEMENT MEETINGS CAN BE DIFFICULT at the best of times. Reaching a consensus on tough decisions can bog down a discussion, create rivalries, or even bitterness. Grace Huyan, HR Director for Shanghai Centre, explains a simple technique used by a previous boss that involves nothing more than asking questions. The outcome is stronger buy-in and consequently&hellip

WHEN SERVICE STAFF FOCUS on their job they often overlook their purpose – to provide quality service. However, training staff to see the bigger picture is easier said than done. Grace Huyan is the HR Director for Shanghai Centre, a Shanghai icon since opening in 1990. Located on Nanjing Road West, one of Shanghai’s most famous streets,&hellip

WHILE LONGEVITY OF EMPLOYMENT can be linked to loyalty, it has a dark side – complacency. Political jostling becomes more prevalent, and rooting out this culture can be challenging.  So says Lorenz Wagener, founder of Rimagine, a successful photography studio founded in Shanghai

THE ‘RIGHT’ PERSON DOESN’T NECESSARILY mean that they are the ‘best’ person. So says Joe Pan, Vice President of RayooTech in Beijing. Joe’s company hires engineers from top Chinese universities, often with PhDs. However, he found that many of these academically minded employees lacked the drive and motivation to do hard work. He soon realised that&hellip

THE WORD ‘PROFESSIONAL’ MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS to different people. Some might state that appearance and politeness are critical, whereas others will argue that professional is all about getting results. There simply is no right and wrong answer. So how do you get seen as professional by your boss? Rupert Munton, ClarkMorgan’s Head of Professional Services believes&hellip

CULTURE SHOCK CAN HIT ANYONE, but it can be more prevalent with cultures that are thought to be similar. Consequently, says Tim Lyons, Managing Director for ManageChina, it is likely expatriates from Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia will be tripped up by the ‘cultural potholes&#

BUILDING A TEAM IN CHINA is challenging, with inexperienced staff and high turnover. In Asia family businesses have traditionally succeeded, however, Jim James disagrees that this model is the best culture for a business. Instead Jim suggests a model based on a sports team is more suitable to the volatility of Asia. Jim started his first&hellip