Dammit!

Aren’t we all tired of the word, “guanxi”?

Yeah, we’re all supposed to be building guanxi – or relationships - in China, but WHAT does that really mean?

For all of its emphasis, guanxi is a rather amorphous term that could better be explained with a HOW rather than a WHAT.

So, HOW do we get good guanxi?

Do we have to give into corruption? Do we have to drink gallons of baijiu, or Chinese liquor? Do we have to sleep with someone in the government?

Eww.

Fortunately, by and large, probably not.

China Business Review suggests five excellent ways to “build and manage a guanxi network,” in bold below, which we’d like to amplify with our own examples.

1) The best way to strengthen a guanxi network is to stay connected. In this era of cell phones and text messaging, it might be easier not to stay connected. But take a minute and think about this. When was the last time you called a Chinese friend when you didn’t need something; when “How are you?” wasn’t succeeded by “Can I ask you a question?” Why not just call to ask “How’s the family?” That will make you seem much more like extended family that deserves help whenever needed.

2) Send small gifts or ask for small favors to keep a relationship active. The second part of this is very interesting. You’d think that by asking for small favors, you’re burdening someone. But so long as you have a good relationship starting point, asking for something small means someone has to make a small investment of time in you. If they’re investing their time, that means they value you. And they value that you value them enough to ask them rather than others. So next time you’re lost in translation, don’t be afraid to ask a friend how to say “underwear” in Chinese. Make that “thong” – they might appreciate the laugh too. And who doesn’t appreciate small gifts? All it takes is a stop at the airport souvenir shop on your way back from Thailand to make a friend smile.

3) Host an occasional get-together. Top three side-benefits of doing so with Chinese friends only: 1) you can buy cheap Great Wall wine for a change and not have to worry about pissing and moaning from your foreign friends, 2) you can finally practice Chinese with your English-speaking Chinese friend’s Chinese-only speaking boyfriend/girlfriend, 3) you can shock everyone at the conclusion of dinner by bringing out a pile of watermelon seeds instead of watermelon. Suggest that in this environmental friendly age, it’s every Chinese resident’s duty to plant vegetation. Then laugh to clue in your Chinese friends that it’s a joke, and in the ensuing ruckus, top off everyone’s wine glass with the last of the Great Wall. Don’t leave any of it around for your French friends to find.
4) Remember the major Chinese holidays and send greetings. This is easy. Just send a quick text message to all your friends with good wishes. You’ll notice on days like this, Chinese mobile phones are blinging like crazy. This is why. Join the club.

5) Get to know your colleagues’ outside interests and find ways to support them, like getting tickets to a sporting event or concert. Emmaticketmaster at Emma.cn is a good place to start. Given their modern proclivities, your friend may enjoy surprise Hairspray rather than Terracotta Warriors musical tickets.

Sure, there are ways to build bigger and better guanxi with heavy government hitters, as we noted in this story.

But the day-to-day guanxi that’s going to get you both through China business and life is easy to achieve, with very little time, effort or moral sacrifice.

Related:

• Feeling Guanxi Deprived? Meet This Guy Now

    Channel: Local Wisdom     |