Ask the Geezers

Productivity, Communication & Foreigner 1st Line Managers

Question : Per the GENO productivity survey, communication is the top issue for BJ engineers. Of course this refers to communication in English. If it is the top issue for work productivity, it is likely to be a big problem in a manager/employee relationship if the two parties have to communicate in English. In that sense, I don't think foreigners should be made first line managers at all. Please respond.

Amiram: I fail to see the connection between having no foreigners for first line managers to the productivity survey.

The fact is that "productivity survey" is the wrong name for this questionnaire. It should have been called "Customer Satisfaction Survey", because it tries to measure the perception of productivity - and not the actual productivity.

First line managers carry a large part of the communication between the remote sites and the main site in the US. The perception of productivity is determined by the quality of communication directed outside the site, which implies - English. Again, first line managers should be appointed based on many criteria. Communication in English is certainly one of them, but not the only one.

Lastly, I am not sure how we determine who is a foreigner anymore. Is it by passport? Place of birth? Native tongue?

Sin-Yaw: The top issue for software productivity is innovation, not communication. Our US-based stakeholder, not local employees, requested improvements in communication. Therefore it does not dictate local communications done in English.

ERI had/has several English-only managers, they did/do quite well compared to the average. It is therefore *not* a big problem if the manager/employee communication must be done in English. I knew many "foreigners" who speak fluent Chinese (and some in ERI). Being a foreigner, then, does not dictate that communication must be done in English.

We consider many factors other than communication, such as planning and executing skills, when choosing managers. (In fact, most new managers are not very good in communication anyway. Not being able to communicate in Chinese does not automatically disqualify anyone from being a manager.

This question is based on a series of flawed assumptions. It itself attempts to justify (badly) a managerial decision based on something a person cannot hopefully change -- his or her ethnic origin. It also targets a group of people (foreigners) stereotypically. I hope this does not reflect the thinking pattern of most managers here. Every individual, Chinese or foreigner, deserves a fair chance. (And I would explain what "fair" is if someone will toss that question to this column's editors.)

And don't forget, your paycheck is signed by a foreigner who does not speak Chinese.

Mike: Communication could be seen as a means to better productivity.

This is an international company where the universal communication language is English. The ability to communicate with other parts of Sun is essential to the team's success. If we have a situation where managers need to represent their groups to other locations at Sun, the manager needs to communicate in English better than his/her team members. In that case, having a first-line manager who is an excellent English speaker is an advantage to the team.

If you look at the people who are at the top of companies and who are at the top of governments, it is pretty common that they speak good English.

The idea behind the submitter's question could be that this is China, so communication ought to be done in Chinese.

If employees feel that they can't communicate with their first line manager openly, freely, clearly enough because that first-line manager is not a native Mandarin speaker, that idea itself causes productivity problem at ERI.

I don't necessarily agree with the submitter. But what that person thinks is his/her own business, and he/she has the right to their opinions.

Posted at 12:49PM Apr 10, 2007 by Wen Michelle Lei in General  |  Comments[0]