China ¨C Fascinating, fast, innovative, rich in culture and also challenging.
Should I give up my life in Germany and take the challenge in China?
This is exactly what I did when my wife and I moved over from Nuremberg,
Germany to Beijing more than 2 years ago to take over the General Manager
position for the Standard drives business at Siemens ltd. China.
What to do first in the new job? Learning of course: About China, about the culture,
about how business is done and about the Chinese people.
The first month were dominated by traveling
throughout China. Not only to the big Cities where
life is easy for Europeans but also to the country
side - to small local companies, where business is
personal and relationship oriented and trust is built
over Moutai and Karaoke.
This understanding about China is essential for an
international and intercultural relationship.
Based on this I understand myself not only as the ambassador of the German
culture in China but also as the ambassador for the Chinese culture in Germany.
On my regular trips to Germany I use this opportunity frequently to educate the
German colleagues about China. Individually and also in larger presentations like
during the Siemens Senior Management Meeting in Bamberg (Germany), where I
had the honor to hold a speech titled ˇ°China ¨C Country, people culture and
businessˇ±.
How to bridge western and eastern culture as well as the traditional and the
modern China?
For me a good example is the Chinese Ding.
During a vacation in XiˇŻan and Luoyang I had the vision of
using this Ding as the symbol for my business. On one
hand it stands for strength, power and success coming in
the old Chinese tradition. On the other hand the 3 legs
represent the 3 product lines of my business as well as
the 3 elements I believe are needed for success: People,
vision and passion.
Using this traditional symbol in modern management was
highly accepted and appreciated by our customers as well
as the internal team.
A healthy balance between work and life is a basis for personal happiness.
Learning about culture, understanding the Chinese people and reflecting these
findings with other delegates and people at home is important to develop personal
intercultural skills.
An experience that comes to my mind first is the traditional
Chinese wedding I had the pleasure to be invited to.
Many old traditions come together in this ceremony. Being
the guest of honor I was invited to read the wedding
certificate and also hold a speech. During an Interview of
CCTV with the famous Cao Cao I also expressed my deep
feelings and happiness of being so closely integrated into
such kind of impressive event.
Looking back in history many famous expatriates
supported the Sino German relationship. The person that
impressed me most is John Rabe, the ˇ°good German of
Nankingˇ±. Mr. Rabe managed to save hundreds of thousands of lives during the
Japanese invasion by bridging the culture between Germany (he was the Siemens
boss in Nanjing that time), Japan and China. I am deeply impressed about his
courage and love to China and the Chinese people.
This love I deeply share with him, showing it by funding local charity initiatives in
Yizheng (Jiangsu) and educational cooperation with universities like the Harbin
institute of technology. I believe that transfer of knowledge between the cultures
will lead to generate a harmonious society within China but also internationally.
This I support from the depths of my heart.
As the 2008 Olympic torch represents the integration of Chinese tradition and the
Olympic spirit, I would be extremely proud to carry this torch, representing the
international community that love China and give their passion, talent and skills to
participate in the development of the Chinese society and economy.
