Intercultural Communication: How To Work With French Bosses

Xiao Jia, a finance major graduated from a finance and economics university, is currently in charge of personnel administration at a new factory in the three tier city of the world, the world's top 500 company. The factory is a about one billion large project invested by its company in three tier cities in China. The general manager of the project, Barry, is a Frenchman dispatched from Thailand factory.

Xiao Jia, as a personnel administration supervisor of a new factory, often needs to report to general manager Barry. Barry is also a factory manager in Thailand and China, and is often away from business. Due to the lack of approval or confirmation from Barry, many of the works of Xiao Jia could not be carried out normally, and they were repeatedly shelved, and sometimes they even disappeared.

Barry speaks very fast. He often speaks in English with French accent, and likes to use rhetorical devices to explain his views. At the end of each conversation, Xiao Jia listens to the clouds and has no clue.

Barry is not very satisfied with Xiao Jia's recent work. work Slowly, the task of last week's meeting has not been done yet.

Faced with the blame of general manager Barry, Xiao Jia has some grievances. In last week's meeting, Barry only mentioned the intention of the project, and the specific implementation plan still needs further discussion. Xiao Jia also sent an email to Barry last week, asking for specific implementation steps. But last week, Barry was on a business trip in Thailand. Xiao Jia had not received any response, so the matter was shelved. Now suddenly asked about the implementation, Xiao Jia is very embarrassed.

It is understandable that Xiao Jia's grievances are common problems in cross cultural cooperation between employees and bosses. I gave her several suggestions: first of all, we should change our way of work, change passively and wait for the initiative, if we wait for the boss's next instruction, we will start to act. It's already late.

Secondly, with Boss In communication, we should learn to summarize, confirm and put forward our own suggestions or views. Facing the boss's "long winded", we should immediately summarize the boss's speech content and keynote, so as to ensure that there is no deviation in understanding. When the foreign boss's subordinates are the most taboo, they do not know or pretend to be ignorant, so as to reduce the efficiency of work and communication. If you clearly understand the boss's intention, you need to implement it quickly so as to show your efficiency.

Third, changing questions is multiple choice. Xiao Jia blindly sends emails and asks the boss about specific implementation time and specific requirements. This kind of work is very unsatisfactory. Xiao Jia should attach his own preliminary plan and ask the boss's specific requirements and suggestions. Such communication with the boss can be regarded as a definite goal.

Fourth, dialogue Communicate Better than mail communication. It is suggested that a fixed time be agreed with the boss and some urgent affairs can be handled by telephone conference, so that the work will not be delayed.

Lastly, respect and understand the culture of different countries and learn to think in the opposite way. Only by mastering the characteristics and behavior of the French can Xiao Jia's work be carried out smoothly. The French have the characteristics of publicity, self-confidence, courage to express their views, pursuit of enjoyment and individualism supremacy, but lack of planning and execution.

We Chinese like to express their opinions in a roundabout way, while the French like to express their opinions directly. Different cultures have their own advantages. What we admire is "all words and deeds". The authority of leaders and superiors is not offensive. But if the French feel that his employees "offend" have some sense or originality, he will readily accept or even appreciate it. Frenchmen usually separate work, study and moral character. In China, everything is linked.