From Beijing to Chengdu: Part IV - Drawing Feet on a Snake

Many visitors to China often comment on the ideological differences that affect business, culture, and daily life. There have been many articles, by foreigners and Chinese nationals, about the 'can't do' attitude that is common here. Like so many things in China, this too is changing.

Dietz: At times the lack of ingenuity and freedom of creative thought it is a little frustrating, at even with basic business services. For example, recently at a restaurant, I asked for something on the menu and asked if some of the extraneous toppings could be left off. I was met with an extreme face of fear and puzzlement at my request. The server's response was: "We have never done that, don't do that, and probably will never do that."

Bates: I have had similar experiences that are equally frustrating. Recently, I made the long journey to Starbucks to enjoy an Americano. I particularly enjoy a strong cup of jo, thus I asked the barista to fill the cup only half-way with water. I too was met with a blank stare that did not want to comply with my request. It took several minutes for my Chinese friend and I to persuade the barista that this is what I truly wanted and had to explain why before I could relish in my vice. The constraints placed upon the Chinese in the past have also contributed to the lack of creativity and innovation.

Dietz: At times this doesn't seem to be limited to the basic services sector, but to generally doing business. Due to the broad availability of labor (both blue and white collar), things that would generally rustle feathers are seen as a liability, not an asset. Thankfully, this is changing.

Bates: Agreed, the rate of change is increasing everyday and will eventually contribute to better service models and business cooperation between the West and China. Due to the supply and extremely liquid labor force here, it is dangerous for most employees to step outside normal business protocol. If employees deviate to satisfy customers and it somehow backfires, it could very well mean getting displaced for another available employee; employees acknowledge that they are very expendable.

Dietz: If you are one of the millions of workers that have come to China's urban area seeking expanded opportunities from the vast rural communities, an activity which may annoy your boss is not the first thing that comes to mind at the office.

Bates: This reminds me of a famous Chinese idiom (hua1 she2 tian1 zu2) which translates to “drawing feet on a snake.” The story is about a drawing competition, where the competitor who draws the snake the fastest gets a nice bottle of booze. One guy draws the snake really quickly, but seeing the others are still working, decides to add feet to the snake for fun. Another guy finishes his snake drawing, grabs the booze, chugs it, and says in triumph “You didn’t draw a snake. A snake doesn’t have feet!” As I understand it, the idiom means that you shouldn’t do superfluous things — only what’s asked of you.

Dietz: However, Bill Gates said last year that some of the most interesting software development in their company is the stuff coming straight from the top college graduates they recruit over here (specifically Qinghua) and give free reign.

Bates: This is a prime example of the changes taking place in China at this time. The younger generation has experienced a completely different way of life and thus will begin contributing to China and the world economy in a great way. However, the rate of intelligent college graduates is also making the working classes suffer lower wages. Many Chinese companies have so many people to choose from that they can offer low wages and at times recent grads may work for free. At the same time, wage in many cases is what is driving China in to the super power it has become.

The question in my mind is how do you encourage really smart and capable people — and there are a lot of them — to break that conformist tradition, and draw feet on snakes? For instance, stop thinking “what job can I apply for” and instead ask “what opportunity can I create”? Looking back at the development of Korea and Japan, and the similarly rigid educational systems and labor pools, ingenuity and innovation were not adjectives used to describe them either. However, the current situation with both these countries puts those wayward viewpoints to rest. In all probability, the same is happening here.