By Dale G. Simpson
USTC - MBA Instructor
Are You Willing to Change?
中译/邓岚
You are the Future of China.
You may think you are here at the University for the education
and the additional
money you are going to obtain for yourself after graduation
and getting that great
job. I would like to challenge you to consider that you
are here not only for
yourself and your family, but also for China, the People
of China, and reputation of
China in the World.
China has progressed a lot in the last 20 years but is
still developing and going
through growing pains. Many of China's businesses and
management methods are
currently still very similar, in many ways, to what the
Western businesses were like
in the 1950's and 1960's.
While you are here at the University you will be learning
many new ideas, concepts,
theories, methods, strategies, and techniques in your
MBA program. Learn as much as
possible. Learn from your teachers but also be willing
to study more. Research
further than your teachers and managers expect. Today
you have access to many
additional good books, and Internet resources on management
methods than ever
before. But this all will be easy, compared to your next
biggest challenge going
to work in the Chinese business world.
How are you then going to convince your boss or management
to listen to you and try
to use some of the new concepts you have learned here
and to listen to your new
ideas? So you and they are able to improve.
In my own experience, I was a Computer Science major in
the 1960's, when it was only
first becoming a degree major in western Universities.
After graduation, I worked
for IBM and with many other small and large businesses.
At this time most
businesses were still using manual methods for all phases
of business-including
accounting, writing, math, spreadsheets, etc.
In the process of trying to write computer programs and
automating methods, as a
Systems Analyst, our biggest challenge was convincing
people to change. To change
what they did and how they did it. Especially now after
they had been doing
everything the same old way for years and years.
We were in the business of designing new systems, new
methods, and computer
automating anything automate-able. In doing so, we faced
many obstacles and "brick
walls" in people's attitudes to allowing change to
occur. From many people in
businesses we were always faced with the same excuses
- "But this is the way we have
always done it." "That is not the way we do
things here." " That will not work."
Then after automation occurred still some may say - "I
do not know how to use a
computer." "I can not learn how to use a computer."
People are afraid of change.
Since I have been here in China, consulting, advising
businesses and mentioning
options of new management methods and concepts to assist
in their improvement, I
have heard a similar kind of excuse - "We can't do
that." "This is China." "That is
not the way it is done in China." " It will
not work here."
Some people even try to make it an excuse that the problem
is a difference between
"Western and Chinese Culture". This is not true.
That is "a Cop out" (an excuse for
inaction or evasion.) These are just excuses so they can
ignore new ideas. The block
is not culture, the block is themselves.
It is really just narrow mindedness, or closed-minded
individuals with various
possible issues: They think their way is the best. They
are comfortable in the old
way of doing things. they think they would loose power
or control if they acted upon
your new idea. They are afraid to try new business and
management methods, or do not
want to take the time to learn about it. They want to
make a lot of money quickly
and do not want to waste the time changing. They do not
realize that they could be
earning exponentially more money in the long term, if
they did invest the time up
front. Or they know it would be better but they just lack
the self-confidence to try
anything new for fear of failure, and thereby they block
anyone else from doing
anything different as well, because it may fail. They
are afraid of change. They
are not open-minded. They are not innovators. They are
not the future of China. Not
unless they become willing to change, learn, and try.
Many people who have started companies in China today
have become wealthy, very
quickly. Possibly because they were the first to get started
in that product, or
were in the right place at the right time, or they had
good relationship
connections, and in some cases, they may have practiced
unethical methods, but it
was not always because of good management skills. They
are still running their
company with family members in all the important positions,
using old authoritative
management methods, with no interest in trying better
management concepts, and with
no real concern for their employees, their benefits, nor
desire to listen to their
employees advice.
If these companies continue in the same direction, and
do not become open to new
ideas, their company gradually will fall by the way side.
During the next phase of
development, you will begin to see the younger competitor
companies succeeding and
surpassing the older giants. Why, because they are the
ones who are willing to learn
and try new techniques, ideas and methods. They will be
treating their employees
fairly, honestly, with more respect, providing better
benefits, and listening to
their advice and concerns. They will have a higher moral
stance, living up to the
proper ethical standards of business, and working toward
a "win-win" relationship
with their customers and vendors.
Close to half of the MBA students who were open to talking
to me about their past
employment experiences, have told me they finally became
fed up with the companies
they worked for because of poor management methods and
their unfair treatment of
employees. So they quit their job to attend the MBA program
to learn to be better
managers than the ones they had experienced and hopefully,
start their own business
one day, so they could use their newly learned methods
and their own ideas without
criticism or put downs.
So the admonition for you is - Do not make these same
mistakes of the old style
management organizations. Overcome your fear of telling
management what you think.
Use the marketing techniques you learn, to market and
sell new ideas and methods to
management. Sell them on your ability and self-confidence
to accomplish the new
concepts with them, and assist them in over- coming their
fears. At least
convincing them to do some research, testing, practice,
and try some prototypes to
observe the results. If you continue to get no response,
move on to organizations
where vision and innovation are desired, one that is on
the move, willing to try new
things and listen to your ideas, willing to grow into
the future.
Do not let others keep you down. Do not live with their
limitations. Do not be
restricted by their lack of knowledge, intelligence, insight,
and vision.
If you cannot find that type of organization to work for
- then you become an
entrepreneur and do it yourself, start your own business.
But then do it in the
right way, do it with new approaches, different concepts,
and be willing to change,
where change is needed.
Improve the benefits and working conditions of your employees.
Listen to their
advice and ideas. Seek employees that have vision, are
brave enough to tell you
what they think, and are willing to work with new methods.
Then you each become
your own bright future and China's future.
Do not accept things the way they are. Improve-Yourself,
Others, Business,
Management, Human Resources, and your employees' conditions
& benefits.
Use Synergy (The interaction of two or more forces so
that their combined effect is
greater than the sum of their individual effects.) Combine
the MBA knowledge,
western ideas you will be learning, with Chinese ideas
to create a third new better
way.
Make your MBA education more than just a degree on your
resume to get more money.
Accept the Challenge - To gain more knowledge, to try
new concepts, to express your
ideas to your management, to be different, to be better,
to improve, not only for
just yourself, but for the good of all people, even the
peasant and the poor, and
thereby for the benefit of all China and the world.
You are the Future of China. Rise to the Opportunity ahead
of you.
你们是中国的未来。
你们可能认为你们来到大学是为了接受教育，是为了毕业后获得更好的工作，挣更多的钱。我更希望你们能够认为你们来到大学不仅是为了你们自己和你们的家庭，而且是为了中国，中国的人民和中国在世界上的声誉。
在过去的二十年，中国取得了巨大的成就，但是经历了而且仍然面临着成长的痛苦。目前许多中国的商业管理方法在某种程度上仍然和西方的五六十年代相似。
当你们在学校学习MBA的课程时，你们将学到许多新的思想、理论、方法、策略和技术。今天你们能够前所未有地接触到许多更好的关于管理方法的书和网络资源，所以不要只接受老师传授的知识，而要主动尽可能地多学，主动钻研以超过老师和学校的期望。但是和你们下一个最大的挑战——在中国商界创造辉煌——相比，所有的这些都显得很容易。
你将如何取信于你的老板和管理阶层，让他们愿意听取你在这所学到的新观念，愿意使用你的新方法以便大家共同提高呢？
以我自己的经验来说，我在六十年代获得了计算机科学的学位，那时计算机科学在西方的大学里首次设置成学位课程。毕业后，我为IBM和许多大大小小的公司工作过。在那时大部分公司在公司运作的所有阶段仍然使用手工方法——包括会计、书写、计算和图表等等。
作为一个系统分析家，在写自动化的计算机程序时所面临的最大挑战就是说服人们愿意去改变他们的工作内容和一直以来使用的老方法。
我们为公司设计新系统、新方法，用计算机自动化一切可自动化的事情。在做这些事情的过程中，我们遇到许多人为的障碍。大部分人都有同样的借口：“我们一直是这么做的”、“我们在这不这么做”、“你的方法行不通”。
然后在实行了自动化以后，许多人仍然说：“我不知道如何使用计算机”、“我学不会使用计算机”，人们总是害怕改变。
自从我来到中国以后，我为公司做咨询工作，为他们提供新的管理方法和理念，我听到了许多类似的借口：“我们不能这么做，这是中国”、“在中国我们不这么做，在这行不通”。有些人甚至试图将问题归咎于东西方文化的不同。这些不是事实。这些只是他们试图忽略新思维的借口。文化不是障碍，他们自己才是障碍。
以下是思维狭隘或思想封闭的人可能有的问题：他们认为他们的方式是最好的；他们只习惯于用老的方式工作；他们认为如果用新方法，他们将失去控制权；他们害怕学习新东西；他们想尽快地挣钱，认为做改变会浪费时间；他们没有意识到从长远的角度看，这些时间上的投资会带来利润的几何性增长；或者他们知道什么更好，但是缺乏自信，害怕失败以至于阻止别人做不同的尝试；他们胆小，他们不具备开放型思维，他们没有创新精神；除非他们愿意尝试改变，愿意学习，否则他们不是中国的未来。
在今天的中国，许多人开办了自己的公司，并且变得很富有。他们之所以迅速致富，可能因为他们是第一个开发某项产品的，或在恰当的时间有恰当的位置，或有很好的关系网。在一些特别的个例中，他们成功不是因为他们有很好的管理技能，而是可能使用了一些非常的手段。他们仍然使用老的授权管理方法，家庭成员占据了所有重要职位，没有兴趣尝试更好的管理理念，并不真心关心员工的福利，不愿听取员工的意见。
如果这些公司仍然沿着这个方向运行，不向新观念开放，它们将逐渐走向衰落。在下一个发展阶段，你会看到年青的竞争者赶上并超过这些老巨人。为什么呢？因为竞争者们愿意学习并尝试新技术、新思想和新方法。他们愿意尊重他们的员工，提供更好的福利，并认真听取员工的意见和建议。他们站在一个更高的商业道德标准上，愿和客户创造一个双赢的局面。
大约有一半和我谈过他们过去工作经历的MBA学生告诉我，他们最终离开工作过的公司是因为原公司落后的管理方法和对员工的不公平待遇。所以他们放弃了工作来学习MBA课程，以便成为更好的管理者。他们希望有一天能学以致用，创办他们自己的事业。
所以我对你们的建议是，不要犯老式管理机构犯过的错误。不要害怕告诉管理阶层你的想法。用你所学到的市场理念去向管理阶层兜售新的思维和方法。至少说服他们去研究尝试一下，让他们相信你有信心和能力去完成这些新构想。如果你一直得不到管理者的回应，转向那些有远见、愿意尝试新鲜事物、愿意听取你的意见的单位。
不要被别人打倒。不要受制于他人、不要因为他人的缺乏知识、缺乏远见而限制自己的发展。
如果你不能找到理想的公司工作，就自己做。运用正确的方式，不同的理念开始创办自己的事业。当需要改变时，就去改变。
提高你的职员的福利和工作条件，听取他们的意见和建议。寻找有见解、敢于表达自己、并愿意尝试新方法的员工。这样你们每一个人不但会为你们自己，而且会为中国创造一个光明的未来。
不要只会接受现实。要学会改进自己、别人、以及公司的经营、管理、人力资源、工作环境和职工福利。
要博采众长。将MBA知识，西方的观念和中国的观念有效融合，创造出一个更好的方法。
让你的MBA教育帮你创造更多的财富，而不仅仅是工作简历上的一个学位。
接受挑战。学习更多的知识，尝试新鲜事务，勇于表达自己的观点。要做到与众不同，要做到不断提高，不光是为自己的利益，也是为了其他人，包括农民和穷人的利益。这将最终让全中国，以至全世界获益。
你们是中国的未来，迎接你面前的机遇。
（作者系中国科大MBA中心美籍教授)
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