Unreasonable Fear in China
I sometimes talk about things we should fear or be concerned about in China. Today, let’s talk about one unreasonable fear in China. One of my customers mentioned to me how he felt in the days before he fired his power hungry ‘invaluable’ Shanghai leader.
He mentioned that that guy had an amazing ability to make him fear that he would lose everything if he fired that guy.
After he let him go, he kept waiting for something bad to happen, and nothing did. That guy had held over half their sales, and yet they did not lose any clients when he left.
Unreasonable Fear in China Must Be Put to Rest
Because of Western unfamiliarity with China and even normal thinking on recruiting in the West, we often fear what will happen if the ‘invaluable’ employee is let go.
People like that guy withhold information and keep a lid on their workers, so none are free to talk to the owner. They often recruit people who are worthless, so they appear invaluable amidst the worthless hires.
In another case, a purchasing office manager held all the contacts for all the suppliers. So they feared letting the purchasing manager go. Foolish, the suppliers need this customer. It can be overcome more easily than you think. Why does she hold all the info so tight? How much corruption is in the contracts she holds? What kind of people did she hire who cower under her? A better day can come. However, you must have a way to hire the right person on this try. You need a new and more rigorous process. See 11 Things You Need for Excellent Executive Search China.
Do not fear loss of these people. Fear the loss of value in the whole rest of your team because of them. You will be better after they leave, and we guarantee you will have someone better and more able to make everyone a hero and not just themselves.