Project Issues in Asia (2 of 3)

Team Motivation

A project manager needs to deal with the issues of language and open communication while managing people in East Asia.

Language

Western and Asian project managers alike face the same problem of communicating in local language. Asia has more than 10 major languages, such as Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua), Cantonese Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Thai, and Vietnamese. There are also countless local dialects. Difficulty in communication with project team members or the customers in local language can impact the outcome of a project. For most business or IT projects, English can be used for team or customer communication though most Asians only possess limited English skills. When using English in Asia, it should be noted that:

• Most Asians’ reading and writing skills are much better than their listening and speaking skills;
• People from different countries have strong accents of their own, and can be a hindrance;
• Even people speak in English, the usage of words and expressions may carry the culture and patterns of their first languages.

Open Communication

In a project setting, open communication among stakeholders is important to the project’s success. The more candid are communication between all parties, the earlier problems can be identified and resolved, and a higher trust level and morale among all parties. However, this is not easily achievable in East Asia, particularly for projects that involve many parties. Sometimes the biggest challenge is to cultivate an open atmosphere within the project team. East Asians are generally shy and concerned about face, so they usually remain quiet in meetings. When they do speak, they sound humble and hesitant. If they have different opinions to their seniors, they do not speak out directly. Instead they only voice out their concerns in a very mild way, or simply keep to themselves. It’s quite common though they would speak out their concerns and disagreements in the most direct way during informal discussion with their colleagues, and complain about their managers not listening.

The only way to cultivate a candid and open communication environment is to build trust within the team, specifically between team members and the project manager. This requires the project manager to participate in team activities more frequently, adapt to local culture and customs, and encourage different opinions during meetings.

Motivators

To motivate a team in East Asia, the project manager needs to show a lot of respect to the local people, try to become a part of the ingroup, and cultivate an environment of trust and open communication. In general, East Asians are concerned about job security and monetary reward. They are willing to work long hours, and like to take up responsibility. Education and training can be a strong motivating factor for most people especially among younger members of the team.

To be continued...

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