Is information in your workplace shared effectively? I wouldn’t be surprised if you have your doubts. In previous blogs we talked about a lack of trust. The sharing of information is closely intertwined with this issue. Likewise, resolving this problem will make leading teams in China more effective. It really should be a priority.
Information may not be shared at all, or not shared fully and honestly. If I can’t benefit, why would I let a colleague tap into my skills, resources and experiences? It’s a common thought, one that you’ve probably had, but in the end it’s not helpful for anyone.
I’ve been working in China for a long time. One of my previous logistics managers provides a case in point. He got a kick out of people coming to ask him directly for help. The end result? His information system collapsed when he wasn’t around the workplace, and nobody else could distribute the required information.
In a similar vein, I’ve seen negative information not being shared so as to avoid showing weakness. A US colleague of mine once asked a Chinese colleague about production problems both parties knew existed. The Chinese colleague refused to admit that any issues existed. Why? It was more preferable to him to solve the problem independently without showing weakness.
What actually happens in the office when information is not shared properly? Think clique forming, scapegoating, incapable leaders… the list goes on. Information becomes a closely guarded resource and those who hold it, hold the power.
Office politics begin to dominate behaviour. Colleagues may be willing to share information with bosses. But sharing with equals or those lower than us? Of course not! Politics like this not only creates inefficiency, but also unhappiness.
Ok, enough about the problems. What do we do about it? We should start by asking ourselves two questions. First, what type of leader do I want to be? Secondly, what type of culture do I want to create?
If we do realise that a change is needed, what do we do? I like to emphasise one word – transparency. From running my own business in China, I’ve learnt countless useful techniques that can be used to resolve these problems.
In our tailor-made-workshop series, we emphasise the advantages of being transparent. We use role-plays, games and group dialogues. We want people to be able to speak freely without being subject to the limitations of an office environment. Real change will happen step-by-step and reaches more people every step.
Problems surrounding information sharing may or may not exist in your workplace. In addition, different workplaces and different colleagues will look upon the issue very differently. Like many things we’ve discussed in recent weeks, the first step on the ‘route to resolution’ is getting the problem out in the open.
Do these problems sound familiar? Or do you simply think there is room for improvement in the way your team works? Why not give your team the chance to change as a Lanxess Changzhou team did with a lot of enthusiasm!