My Asia Popcorn Adventure

Since completing my MBA in 2007, I have had the opportunity to lead projects in diverse settings - from sales training at HSBC Bank to supply chain process improvement at Cisco Systems and from HR system implementation at Medtronic to marriage and family community classes in Shanghai.  The end goal of all my program and change management has been the same - measurable improvement.  Improvement is seen as people embrace change, whether it's a buyer using a new supplier negotiations framework or a husband breaking a bad habit of interrupting his wife.  Indeed, program and change management can can be applied in any industry, function or area of life - even popcorn.

 

On February 29, 2016 I embarked on the unexpected professional venture of selling popcorn across Asia. Building on my global operations program and change management experience, I will be building out sales operations and business development capabilities across Asia through my role as Asia Director at Preferred Popcorn.  Preferred is the largest U.S. exporter of popcorn (selling to over 50 countries, including more than 10 in Asia) and the third largest producer of popcorn in the U.S.

 

 

Preferred Popcorn CEO, Norm Krug, and Assistant VP of Production, Sam Krug After My First Two Weeks at Preferred on March 11, 2016

 

Three Reasons I Jumped Into Popcorn - A Compelling Mission, A Versatile Product and Change Opportunities in Asia:

 

1. A Compelling Mission: The Preferred Popcorn backstory is remarkable and worthy of a separate post. The end result is summarized in the company mission of "Striving to honor God by producing high-quality products and serving customers with integrity."  This values-based mission not only aligns with my personal desire to honor God in all I do, but also my passion for creating quality products and driving exceptional customer service.
2. A Versatile and Healthy Product: I've been a fan of popcorn since I was a kid and our family eats copious amounts of popcorn on a weekly basis. What's more, this snack product can take on numerous forms – from the sweet caramel corn made by the gourmet popcorn maker Garrett's to the light and healthy Skinny Pop that satisfies consumers' demand for healthier snacks.  Moreover, popcorn can be a healthy snack as detailed in this article by the Popcorn Board.
3. Change Opportunities in Asia: Although popcorn has a steady hold on the American snack market at roughly a 10% market share, it's adoption in Asia is in the single digits where it is largely seen as a treat that accompanies trips to the movie theater or high end gourmet popcorn shops. While it has also been a street snack, the quality of this popcorn is a far cry from what we have in the US. There is an opportunity to change the way families snack by increasing their consumption of healthy popcorn in their homes as well as opportunities to take popcorn into more markets in Asia.

 

What's Next - Leaving Minnesota for a Global Adventure

On June 10, my family and I will begin our global popcorn adventure. We will leave Minnesota and spend much of the summer in Nebraska, where the company's headquarters are located.  Our plan is to relocate to China in the late summer. If you are in the Twin Cities, please you are welcome to join my popcorn happy hour send off on June 7 – RSVP using this eVite link. If you are not, please stay in touch through LinkedIn. 

 

One Tip for Effective Communication in China: The Rule of Three

Effective communication requires engagement from both ends of the communication cycle—both the ability to send a message and receive feedback from your audience. Using this cycle to reach a common understanding is more of an art than a science—even when we communicate with others from our home culture. However, it is even more challenging when communicating cross-culturally in China.

Communications Cycle

Image Source: Living Well Education

A key communications difference is the Chinese emphasis on maintaining a good relationship, which generally comes across through indirect communications where messages are communicated more subtly. However, typical American communications focuses on details and efficiency in a style that is more direct. In my experience, adjusting to the Chinese communication style is more effective than forcing Chinese friends or colleagues to adjust to the American default. This adjustment may honestly feel like a waste of time as it means personal interactions may take longer, but is a critical way to build relationships of trust with Chinese connections. 

One Tip: The Rule of Three

A practice that helped my interaction with Chinese friends and colleagues is the rule of three - asking about the same topic three different times in three different ways".  I first learned of this concept through an invaluable class called "Connecting across Cultures" from Global Savvy and it has proved to be an invaluable practice.

Image Source: Germane Consulting

Case in Point: Lunch Plans

In question— arranging lunch with a group of coworkers.

In America this question is typically resolved in short order through a direct dialogue centered around everyone's availability. If your colleagues, aren't available, you identify a time when everyone is available in the near future and update calendars accordingly. However, while living in China over 8 years I discovered this question was not so simple.

A Typical Lunch Dialogue in China

Step 1 (10 am): A general question followed by a vague answer

Question - "Hey, what's the plan for lunch today?”

Answer – "I don't know."

Follow Up - "Ok. Well, keep me posted."

Step 2 (11 am): A more specific question followed by a still murky answer

Question - "So about what time are you thinking about going to lunch today?"

Answer – "Probably before 12."

Follow Up - "Got it. I'll check back in a bit.

Step 3 (11:45 am): An even more specific question followed by going to lunch.

Question – "So where are we going for lunch?

Answer - "Either the Sichuan place or the spicy fish place."

Follow Up - "Great. Either works for me. Let's go!"

In the end, we may go to a completely different restaurant! However, when lunch involved a group, the communication was indirect and required me to ask at least two times before arriving at a clear answer. This does not mean that Chinese people always communicate in an indirect fashion, but in social activities for a group indirect communication is the default. Adjusting to this style was difficult, especially because such indirect communication is not the default for most people in America.

Broader Applications at Work

While this post has focused on a lunch dialogue, I also found the rule of three helpful when discussing projects at work. If I simply asked a direct question, I may have received a prompt reply, but the feedback either created inaccurate perceptions or misunderstandings. If we dig deeper into the source of these communication differences it comes back to the way the Chinese person views relationships. In the next post, we will explore in more depth the major differences on how these two cultures view relationships.

China Tech Best Practices - Part 2: High Tech Challenges

Like the traditional technology companies featured in this first blog post, high tech firms face significant challenges with their China operations.  This post highlight the key challenges for high tech firms and two best practices that will enable companies to overcome them.

The Challenges: Pressures and Competitors

At the Minnesota - China Business Forum on November 1, 2014, I highlighted two key challenges for high tech companies:    

• Market Pressures: The market pressures on high tech firms can be seen in Microsoft's on-going anti-trust investigation and Adobe's decision to close its R&D operations in China.  Though Obama's attendance of the APEC conference in Beijing in early November brought welcome news of a US-China partnership for potential reduction of global tariff on IT products, the China market remains challenging for high tech firms.

• Innovative Competitors - Alibaba and Xiaomi:  Viewing Chinese technology companies as merely Western tech knock-offs of Apple or Google is inaccurate and unhelpful - here are two prime examples:

• Alibaba - World's Largest IPO: Not only has Alibaba, which holds over 80% of China's e-commerce market share, conducted the world's largest IPO of $25 Billion in mid-September, but they have also begun to discuss a potential partnership with Apple to help bring ApplePay into China.  

• Xiaomi - World's #3 Smart Phone Maker:  The company moved into the #3 spot for global mobile phone market share (up to 5.3% in Q3 2014 from 2.1% the year before), and was ranked as the world's 35th most innovative company in Boston Consulting Group's 2014 survey.       

The Way Forward: Clear Vision and Teachable Teams

The good news is there are two best practices that will enable high tech firm's to overcome these challenges:  

• 1) Clear Vision - Build and Communicate a China Business Case and Associated Metrics: Successful companies have a well resourced, long-term vision for China operations that clarifies both the value-add for the China market and how this value can be leveraged globally.  This vision must include a clear business case for the China operations and timelines for achieving related metrics.  At the same time, the business case and associated metrics must be co-created by the China leadership and the executives accountable for evaluating the Chinese operations.  Once there is agreement, the business case and metrics must be effectively communicated to the China team.  Such communication must be more than thin executive presentations communicated on an annual basis.  Instead, an on-going, two-way discussion with local managers and individual contributors about their priorities and daily activities that will support the vision is required.   

• 2) Teachable Teams - The Key to Keeping Pace with Constant Change: For such on-going communication to be effective the teams must remain teachable on China.  The China market is incredibly complex and constantly changing.  Therefore, the business case and metrics contained in the company vision must be clarified through an on-going emphasis on learning what is most relevant to the target customers in the China.  Such continuous learning requires employees to leave behind any biases about how their company successfully operates in other countries.  They must see the unique value they provide to their Chinese customers with fresh eyes.       

Everything is Possible but Nothing is Easy 

The potential of the China market is indeed significant, but success comes to high tech companies who work hard.

In short, the key is working with the China leadership to craft a company vision that is both clearly understood by the local team and is adaptable to the changing needs of Chinese customers.  Such adaptation will come to firm's that can cultivate teachable teams who continuously seek to understand the customer's perspective on the unique value they are providing in China.

China Tech Best Practices - Part 1: Traditional Tech

On November 1, 2014 I had an opportunity to join the inaugural Minnesota China Business Forum, which was co-sponsored by two organizations focused on fostering Minnesota's engagement with China - China American Business Association of Minnesota (CABAM) and U.S. China Business Connections UCBC.  My remarks on the panel that concluded the forum answer the question "What are the key challenges and best practices for foreign technology firms operating in China?"  I answered this question in two parts: traditional technology firms and high tech firms.  In this post I will focus on traditional technology firms and in a future post I will address the best practices of high tech firms.

Traditional Tech: 2 Best Practices for IP Protection - KISS and KICX 

Traditional technology companies are in traditional markets such as manufacturing, but rely heavily on technology to remain competitive.  For these firms a major challenge continues to be protecting their Intellectual Property (IP).  Key reasons this problem persists include: lax enforcement of IP protection laws and a traditional culture that encourages copying.  However, what is most critical isn't what is causing the issue, but proactive ways to address it.

Field research I conducted with executives in China identified two key solutions: keeping it simple and keeping it complex.  

1) Keeping It Simple (KISS):  When firms focus on simplicity they are crystal clear on both the broader picture of why they are in China and the business intelligence for the specific segment of the massive China market they aim to service.  At the same they put simple legal practices in place to protect their company trademarks - in their home market and in China.  It is critical to note, however, that these practices must go through a process of continual refinement as the needs of the Chinese customers and the legal landscape are very dyanmic.

2) Keeping It Complex (KICX): Competitive firms work hard to keep their operating framework complex from the vantage point of their competition, partners and even employees.  This best practice is broken down into 6 pillars

• Interest Alignment: Understand the interests of your community, government officials, customers, employees and suppliers; actively find ways to put your company in a position to benefit their interests.  
• Disagregation:  Don't put all your eggs in one basket.  Externally work with a variety of local vendors and partners and proactively seek to understand what they will do with the IP you've share with them.  Fragment knowledge of your IP - internally and externally - so that IP is shared on a need to know basis.       
• Dynamism:  Seek to out innovate the would-be copy cats through continually improving your products and processes.  The more flexible your company is in adopting technology that benefits end-customers, the more difficult it will be for others to copy.
• Control Discipline: Clearly segregate the access anyone - internally or externally - has to IP information through varying levels of IT access.  Deliberately build a culture that encourages control of company information and reinforce this culture through rewarding good behavior and quickly addressing questionable actions.
• Talent Management: Create a company culture marked by challenging work, opportunities for professional develop and recognize employees who share their knowledge in a way that benefits the company.  Actively work with employees, especially high performers, to outline a career path of continuous development and increased opportunities to contribute to the company.
• Focused Community Activities:  Attract and retain top talent through both a reputation for community involvement and on-going activities that support this reputation.  If a company has both a positive impact on the community and treats employees fairly, staff are less likely to steal company IP. 

More details about this research can be found both in this Forbes article (May 2011) and in this MIT Sloan Management Review piece (Summer 2014).

In the next post in this short series I will focus on the best practices of high tech firms in addressing similar challenges in China.

Taking Your Guanxi / Relationship Building On-Line

Guanxi or personal relationships are one of the three cultural keys (Relationship, Face and Hierarchy) that will help us work effectively with Chinese colleagues - See this June 2013 post for more details.  I want to build on my June 2013 post to look at relationship building within the context of China's workplace today.  Today the workplace in China is increasing influenced by social technology tools. However, like many things about the Chinese market, China's social technology landscape is unique and largely unknown to non-Chinese consumers.  Honestly, how many people outside of China - myself included - have ever heard of any of the popular social technology brands listed in the image below?

 Source: Digital Strategy Consulting Post - November 28, 2012

Context: Social Technology in China is Growing

First, it is helpful to understand just how impactful social technology is in China today.  According to this post from the CEO of the internet marketing company ByReputation.com there were 597 million active social networking users in China as of July 2013.  What is more, the volume of information these users have created increased by 60% in 2012 alone.  In addition social media usage is more common than in the U.S. as 91% of China's online population has an account on a social media site compared to only 67% in the U.S.  Much of this staggering growth has been fueled by smartphone penetration where where according to this video produced by the PR company GroupM there were over 360 million mobile internet users in 2011.  In addition, this number is expected to overtake PC netizens by 2015.  What is more, the same report indicates that smartphone users typically check their phones every 6 minutes and 38% of smartphone users spend more than 5 hours a day on their phones.  Clearly, if you are going to connect with Chinese colleagues today, you need to actively jump into social technology.  

The question is - how do you properly harness the value of external social technology activity to drive deeper connection to your Chinese colleagues?  

Connecting with Chinese Colleagues

First, pick a platform. A few years ago all the rage was about micro blogging on Sina's Weibo, which functions a lot like a mashup of Facebook and Twitter. However, in the last year WeChat has become the tool of choice due to its simple mobile interface and the ability to limit the information you share to a specific group of followers. Personally, I think WeChat is the best choice unless you aim to become a serious Chinese blogger or follow the Chinese language news closely.  For a full list of social media platforms popular in China, see great list from the ByReputation.com CEO in this infograph.

Second, determine how much and with who you want to share.  As I learned from my "Facebook Fast", you don't need to share all of your thoughts or experiences on social media. Before you jump in take some time to think about the type of things you want to share. Personally, I am currently focusing on humorous or puzzling aspects of Chinese culture and actively asking my co-workers about their thoughts on what I post.  Also take time to think about your target audience.  Who are the key individuals or groups that you want to connect with.  One practical action I took was to lead the creation of a WeChat community for the colleagues with whom I frequently sit in the office.

Finally, connect your social media conversations to real life.  Don't passively view or merely comment on what your colleagues post, but ask them about it in person.  Also take your off-line activity and place it back on-line.  Your relationship with your colleagues will be strengthened even further if you share information and pictures from a shared experience like a team outing or trip to the local Karaoke Bar.  

Why This Matters: The greatest value from following the social media activities of your colleagues is to gain a deeper personal connection. While in the West this might be seen as intrusive or crowding into our personal space, in China it provides critical relational context that will directly benefit your working relationships.

What about you? 

How are you using social technology to connect with your Chinese colleagues?  Have you discovered any best practices for deepening that connection?

If you have an experience you would like to share, please post it below or send me an e-mail at joabmeyer@global.t-bird.edu.

Beyond Bai Jiu: 3 Keys to Connecting with Your Chinese Colleagues

On a blustery winter evening in early 1998 I was first introduced to both Bai Jiu (Chinese hard liquor) and the concept of "guan xi" or relationship.  As I choked down a few shots of Bai Jiu , which tasted like a combination of paint thinner and rubbing alcohol, I started to wonder just why we needed to drink with these local government officials and how in the world this was going to help us conduct the audit of our micro loan project.

What I have discovered since is connecting with Chinese co-workers can be confusing and even require you to step out of your comfort zone ;whether it is drinking Bai Jiu or singing Karaoke.  I have also found three keys to connecting with your Chinese co-workers.  Whether they are co-workers or customers, if we want to connect with Chinese colleagues, we must understand these three keys.  If we don't, we will further complicate the already difficult business environment in China.

Three Keys to Connecting with Chinese Co-Workers or Customers

Recently, a friend invited me to appear on a TV show here in Shanghai called "Culture Matters" to discuss my experience working with and for Chinese colleagues here in China.  During the show, the other guests and I discussed a variety of topics, but what is most relevant to this post are specific examples that highlight the three keys to connecting with Chinese co-workers or customers. 

• 1) Relationships - Importance of Personal Interactions: Personal connections or relationships are important in a Western work environment, but "guan xi" or relationships in China carry different expectations.  There are two clear examples discussed in the show: Bai Jiu and Duck Necks.  In video 2 (time stamp 7:45), a member of the audience and Jie LIang explains why it is important to drink with your Chinese business associates.  The key idea is that it provides a relaxed setting with your Chinese associate and an opportunity to more clearly define your relationship with them through the shared experience of a meal.  This is also why bringing snacks like duck necks back to the office after a trip, which is discussed in video 4 at time stamp 0:30, is important.  Both Bai Jiu and duck necks are shared experiences that help define and develop your relationship.   

• 2) Deference to Authority - Preservation of "Face": Saving face or showing respect to others does exist in the the West.  For example, we may apologize if we have said something that other's have found offensive or use especially polite language when discussing a sensitive topic.  However, the added twist in China is a connection to hierarchy.  It is not only about whether what you are saying is offensive, but also the hierarchy of those speaking. For example, when Andrew Curtain talked about raising a suggestion to visiting foreign executives in front of his Chinese boss in video 3 (time stamp 3:14), he was causing his boss to lose face. However, the reason his boss lost face was not due to Andrew's comments themselves, but because from the Chinese perspective Andrew's position was lower on the company hierarchy than both his boss and the visiting executives.

• 3) Hierarchy - Respect for Status and Seniority: From my perspective, successfully navigating hierarchy is the most challenging part of Chinese culture.  As I mentioned in video 2 (time stamp 14:20), a clear example of hierarchy can be found in an important report, which I worked on extensively over a number of weeks, but never understood why we were compiling.  What was most shocking was the fact my direct boss not only didn't know how our report was received by senior management, but also told me it was none of our business! In that situation it would seem that the hierarchy was such that my boss and I were too low in the department hierarchy to learn about the outcome of the meeting.  

What Does Your Experience Look Like?

Given the fact the number of foreigners working and living in China has grown in recent years, I would be eager to hear others' experience in this area.  Has understanding these three keys help you connect with Chinese colleagues?  If so, how have you successfully used them?  What else have you found helpful?

Next Post

Working with Chinese colleagues can be complex, but I believe understanding the influence of these three keys will help us successfully navigate this ancient yet ever-changing landscape.  In my next post, I will explore best practices for navigating these cultural differences. If you have an experience you would like to share, please post it below or send me an e-mail at joabmeyer@global.t-bird.edu.

Culture Matters Video Links

• Culture Matters: Part 1 
• Culture Matters: Part 2  (I enter at the 10:56 Time Stamp)
• Culture Matters: Part 3 (I exit at the 5:56 Time Stamp)
• Culture Matters: Part 4

Additional Resources:  Sites I Have Found Helpful in Creating This Post

• Doing Business in China 
• W3's "Working Effectively With China" 

Thoughts on Social Media After my "Fastbook Fast"

Does it ever feel like checking your Facebook Wall to "like" your "friends" newest silly picture or share your personal commentary on world events is a mild addiction that you can't kick!? 

To be honest, for me back in February I could sense these sort of tenancies arising in my heart.

In my February 12, 2013 post I began to explore how technology can be used as a tool to connect with others and increase our personal productivity.  However, after discussing some of the issues in that post with my wife, we jointly made the decision to "fast" or abstain from viewing or posting on Facebook as part of lent.  

I went into the fast holding a number of convictions on how to best use social media.  However, now that I have come to the end of six weeks without Facebook, I wanted to reflect on key lessons I learned from this "Facebook Fast".  I especially want to talk about how it has changed my personal convictions about the best way to use social media to build connections with others and how to avoid those addictive tendencies moving forward.    

"Facebook Fast" Takeaways
  
I would capture my lessons learned about Facebook into two camps - the first is largely a list of things to avoid and the second those I want to embrace. 

#1 With Facebook I don't...

• Need to comment on everything that happens - either in my personal life or in world news.  Sometimes, it is ok to just let something your kids said be funny or simply share it with your family or friends the old fashion way - over phone or e-mail.  Furthermore, when crazy things happen - like North Korean launching a "We are the World" music video - it can just be funny and you don't have to tell the world your personal opinion on the matter.

• Gain as much satisfaction on-line as through face to face interaction: When I chose not to follow what was happening in people's lives through Facebook, my face to face interaction with them became even more precious.  I enjoyed discovering what they were thinking or feeling for the first time without having already read about it on-line.  What is more, I was reminded just how much more satisfying it is to have a face to face conversation.  You can understand a bit about how your friend is feeling about moving back to the U.S. after living in China for years by following their Facebook feed.  However, sitting down and talking with them about their feelings, provides a much richer experience. 

• Need to eat when I am not hungry.  I have heard it said that "Facebook has become the equivalent to standing in front of the fridge and looking for something to eat when you aren't actually hungry."  I found this to be very true during my fast.  Yes, I felt lonelier, especially at first, but I soon realized that what I was missing was largely trivial interactions.  These interactions largely provided a way to feed my urge to gather a large quantity of information or served as a distraction from things I was procrastinating.  I often succeeded in gaining information, but it was far from satisfying, especially if it wasn't related to someone with whom I had a on-going, real life connection.          

#2 With Facebook I Do...

• Learn - Staying in Touch:  Facebook is a powerful tool to stay up to date on the photos, funny moments and general thoughts of my family, friends and others I can learn from.  Without Facebook I missed seeing pictures of my growing new-born niece and the latest funny story from my friend who seems to pick up China news stories before the mainstream media.  

• Share - A Convenient Platform: I want a platform to quickly share information with a wide group of people I have a connection to (IE: blog postings, funny pictures or experiences).  During my "Facebook Fast" I had to find other ways to share this information with others.  While there is still merit in traditional tools like e-mail, one of the major values of Facebook is that it is convenient. 

Facebook Ambitions Moving Forward

With these experiences there are at least two things I aim to change when it comes to how I use Facebook

• #1 Be Intentional:  Before I even point my browser to Facebook, I want to have a clear purpose in mind for how I plan to use the site to share or connect with others.  If I can't think of something specific to share or someone in particular that I was to connect with, then I don't need to get on the site.

• #2 Set Limits: Facebook is one of many tools I can use to connect with those around me; therefore, it is healthy to set limits as to how much and for what purposes I use it.  
• The first part of the limits are natural - if I have not had a significant conversation with my wife or children, today I need to prioritize interaction with them over any interaction I might be able to gain on-line.    
• The other part of the limits are more mechanical.  In this area, one of the best tools recommended to me is the Pomodoro Technique.  You can learn more on their website, but the big idea is to use a timer to rotate between 25 minutes of "work" and 5 minutes of "non-work" activities.  It works best when I have tasks that are primarily my responsibility to complete.  The Pomodoro Timer app on Google Chrome as helps me stay focused and avoid the temptation to go on Facebook or other "non-work" sites during a time I have designated for focusing on work.  In fact, if you try to go on any non-work sites it will block you with a pomodoro tomato!    

Community Question 

So what do you think?  Do you have any tips that help you use social media like Facebook in a healthy way?  How do you use social media to build significant connections with those around you?