OntoSomething

Pondering in China: The one-child family rule and its implications

An interesting fact I learned today, per the human resource director of my client here in China:

If you were born during the 1-child/family rule in China, and you marry someone who is also an only child, you are allowed two children. But if you come from a family where one of the parents is not the only child, you are permitted only one child.

With these rules in place for China, projections show that India will have a larger population by 2014, since they have no such restrictions. Currently, India already has more people between the ages of 18-35 than does China.

The Chinese government will have to grapple with how to pay for its aging population and how the young will take care of its older people.

I wonder the psychological impact of a nation of people without brothers and sisters. How does that change family dynamics and cultural preferences over time? As the H.R. director pointed out, "Can you imagine the consequences that every child has 6 people taking care of each child?" (2 sets of grandparents and the 2 parents)

From a cultural perspective, I also wonder about the collectivist orientation that is so strong in Chinese culture. A collectivist culture focuses on social affiliation, with value placed on dependence; where the "we" predominates over the "I". Could it be that the Chinese become more individualistic, valuing independence and focusing on "self" over time? How would that show up in the workplace? What are the implications?

These questions, among others, to be pondered as I'm here near Shanghai this week.

France on the U.S.: From “love-hate” to “tentative-skeptic”

I’ve just spent several weeks in France, in part to get a firsthand look at Franco-American relations on the street in 2009. A few observations, past and present…

For the last number of decades -- there has been a clear “love-hate” relationship between France and the U.S. My experience in the country over the last 25 years reveals that French perceptions of Americans generally tipped positive until about the year 2000.

For young French people, Americans were mostly regarded favorably in large part due to its economic power that yielded so much “cool stuff” that they in France didn’t have access to, but wanted. From mid-age and older French citizens, it was the U.S. role in France during the two World Wars that significantly contributed to an overall positive rapport.

But Americans were also disliked over these years for a variety of reasons, including what some see as a jealousy of U.S. economic/political dominance in the world that France once enjoyed. Said dominance came hand-in-hand with (arguably) an inevitable culture of mounting arrogance, not unlike the perception of French arrogance which stems from rhetoric on French superiority by former General and President Charles de Gaulle after WWII. All this, along with the French perception of American lack of savoir vivre, was perceived as threatening the French way of life.

Fast forward to 2009 in a fully globalized economy, France enjoys much of the economic buying power and all of the cool stuff it wants. And the economic crisis has reinforced long-standing French notions of the hazards of over-consumption and lack of regulation that were used as justification against following U.S. market practices. And the recent military interventions, particularly in the George W. Bush years, run harshly counter to French political ideology. Severe criticism mounts these days as well on topics that range from the poor U.S. education system and the lack of regard for the environment, as well as an ongoing culture of excesses.

Is there anything, then, which the French look favorably upon, relative to the American culture?

Certainly there is admiration for the physical beauty of the country as a whole, the country’s geographic diversity, and also for the unique cultural “can-do” optimism. And those who have traveled to the U.S. have attested to being treated very well in the U.S. Of course, the Obama factor doesn’t hurt either, but it would be premature at this point to label the French anything more than “tentative-skeptic” vis-à-vis the U.S.

The Limitations of Having Goals: A Story Set in Patzcuaro, Mexico

This month, I was with my husband in Salamanca, Mexico, not far from Celaya or Morelia, for the wedding of a dear friend. The ceremony and celebration were big fun, and the following day we went sightseeing in Patzcuaro, Mexico, in the state of Guanajuato.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Patzcuaro -- world famous for its celebration of Day of the Dead, as well as for its fabulous ice cream. (Try the caramel ice cream, or “pasta” flavor.) This little town has a large, lovely square with enormous trees and park benches, lots of green space and very neat and tidy. There are big verandas in front of the shops that line the square, giving plenty of space for café tables, wandering window shoppers, and the occasional sidewalk vendor.

Patzcuaro also happens to be the former town of residence of the people we were with (the parents of the groom) when they were a young couple. That afternoon, while enjoying a lovely lunch on the square, Ramón told us a story…

Many years ago on the square, out goofing around with friends, Ramón saw an old woman sitting on the far side of the square. She was selling peaches. The group felt a bit sorry for her and spontaneously decided to offer to buy all of the peaches she was selling so that she could go home and rest. So they approached her and stated that they wanted to buy every single one of the peaches.

However, they were surprised and baffled when they heard her response and explanation: “Absolutely not,” she said. "Why?" the group asked incredulously. And after a pause she responded,"Because what in the world would I do tomorrow?”

OK. I just love this story. It pulls my brain and heart in several directions. One direction calls me to consider what happens to all of us when we have goals, but we don’t have a vision for ourselves. Toward what do my goals lead me? Without a long term plan, we can’t even conceive of what would happen if we suddenly achieved our goal 100%.

Goals seem easy: both setting them, and achieving them. Most of us have lots of practice on this. But vision is tough. A vision, by definition, leads to something bigger than oneself. It requires us to see ourselves as capable of anything, to dream big and to not be afraid to achieve it.

Is it safe in Turkey?

This is the question many have asked us before our departure. And my response after 2 weeks in this country …I have honestly never felt safer in any country I have ever been in. People think of Turkey as the Middle East …and it must be very dangerous!

The Turks laugh at that comparison. They seem to know that the misconception is out there. One indıcatıon is that there are very few Americans wandering around here. And some have reported that upon news of trouble in the Middle East (Iraq Iran...) their Amerıcan guests have packed up and gone home.

Lots of British…especially in the beach zones. What was amazing to me is that tourists in these zones make little or no attempt to speak Turkish. I would get huge smiles and “double-takes” when I would simply say a few words in Turkish such as “Bill please.” In a culture built on the importance of relationships makıng no attempt to connect wıth people ın theır own language ıs like leavıng "şiş kebap" on the table!

What's the News In Turkey?

 

Everyone is talking about the economic crisis.  In one situation yesterday a rather desperate guy approached us and begged for us to come to his restaurant…in the next town!  Free transport back and forth!  Now there is someone who ıs feelıng the downturn.  Tourism is down and some are worried that some towns and cities have become too dependent on one industry.  Many have left other occuptions behind only to suffer when tourism numbers decline.

 

Obama and McCain also have few minutes on the nightly news here most evenıngs.  Many seem to support Obama as in many other places in the world ...

Management Consulting in Turkey

Given my 2 year post as the immediate past president to the Arizona chapter of the Institute of Management Consultants, many clients and colleagues know that I am interested in the profession of management consulting. I believe the profession is a science and an art and not what former managers should simply take up because they are between jobs!

On my list of things to do while here in the Republic of Turkey was to explore the state of management consulting. Enter YDD. The YDD (acronym for Turkish Management Consulting Association) – like the US organization “Institute of Management Consultants USA” (IMC USA) -- is an accredited member of ICMCI, the international umbrella for management consulting. The YDD, with 164 members spread between Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, has monthly meetings and certifies its members as well. (Of the 25 or so present, four were certified.) Management consulting is relatively new here and requires a good understanding of the opportunities and risks of working in family-owned businesses. Almost all businesses are held among family members.

The topic of the month was a discussion of the benefits and risks of strategic partnerships for small and medium sized businesses. (Next time I hope to speak enough Turkish to convey some of the themes!)

I was honored to speak on the state of consulting, the current strategy of IMC-USA and the state of affairs at the Arizona Chapter. A key theme presented was how to partner with our professional colleagues in other countries in order to provide services to our global clients? Could a global, virtual chapter provide the vehicle for these connections?

The Istanbul Chapter was most generous and hospitable, and I look forward to future collaboration with its members.

Istanbul: Land of diversity and flying carpets

 I am departing from my normal business commentary and write about Turkey– where I am currently traveling. I thought you might enjoy reading about my impressions. I’d love to hear your comments or own experiences…

People are friendly and happy to help in any way. My Turkish is improving and everyone is gracious. I was clearly born to eat Turkish food – it jives with all my taste buds – cheeses, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, jalapenos and other peppers, pita, olives… And everyone wants to sell us a carpet.

It's a country with 73 million inhabitants and 9.5 of them in Istanbul. GDP is $657 Bill and per capita is about $8700. It's a secular country with the vast majority Muslims. It was estimated to me that less than half are fully practicing and it was mentioned that 10-20 years ago there was no religious extremism. Women covered head to toe is a recent change due to geopolitical threats and global influences. Not understanding this point is a big miss for anyone considering our global political environment.

History

Turkey is a fascinating place – a storied history with many diverse influences. I’m not an expert but in broad strokes I can say that it was inhabited in the first half of the 1400’s by Christians when Fatih Sultan Mehmet conquered Istanbul for the Ottoman Empire and the region officially became Muslim. It was ruled with impressive tolerance and Muslims, Jews and Christians worshipped freely together.

The Turkish Republic was formed in 1923 - the first democratic Republic. Nationalist resistance forces led by Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) defeated the occupying allies after the First World War to establish the country's present borders. His goal was to reform and modernize the country, including such things as restricting the use of the traditional “fez” (cap) and changing the alphabet to use Latin characters.

Turkey oriented its political and economic structure towards the West, becoming a member of NATO (1952) and the Council of Europe (1949). They are still working on coming into the EU, but are no longer scrapping to do so...Turkey actually has a lot to offer on other fronts -- perhaps to become a powerhouse in Asia -- and with the EU struggling, it just isn't as important for some as it used to be. The country remains in a kind of paralysis between those who want to continue the Ataturk’s vision of forward movement through giving more power to the people and those who see that popular opinion will somehow be detrimental to the country. Indeed, as it currently stands, the military formally has significant power and the politicians have ceded their power. Much still happens contrary to democratic principles.

Istanbul

My trip began in Istanbul. It’s a fascinating city which sits on both sides of the waterway, the Bospherus, separating European and Asian sides of the city. Ferries go back and forth transporting people, although many avoid crossing unless necessary. The European side is home to the famous Sultanhemet area, where the Blue Mosque, the Aya Sofia and the Grand Bazaar are located. It also is home to the modern town center, full of sky scrapers and shopping malls.

I attended a management consulting professional association, YDD, here in Istanbul this week to see what is going on there and expand my network. More on that soon.