[Ailist] Appreciative Valuations of Staff

[Terri McNichol]

Dear Kevin,I was struck by your comments about the Chinese related to doing business. I am curious if these observations are a result of having worked in China, with Chinese clients/companies, just so I can get a sense of what they are based on. The reason I ask is that my field is Chinese art history and culture and though I too make generalized statements, I am reminded that China is a huge and immensely diverse country. Having said that, there are enduring philosophical roots (Communism or not) and over time though they may have gone under the surface, they are still part of China’s "DNA," such as Confucianism which was vilified in The Cultural Revolution and now is experiencing a renaissance. There are a lot of paradoxes as well. My observation when I was there in 2000 is that the Chinese are extremely entrepreneurial--its a lot of people that have to make a living and there were very innovative ways in evidence whether it was a storefront, or related to a service industry. And today, there is a rise in wealth and a good number of entrepreneur millionaires. Last week, I heard a report given by an Italian Professor of Management’s project in China and his surprise observing how decentralized management was at the museums in which he was involved. The Chinese have in some way, I think, a systems outlook and the ability to see emerging patterns and relationships over strictly looking at numbers and facts. In a conversation with a native born Chinese recently, we talked how on one hand relationships are patriarchal from the Emperor in ancient times down to the father as head of the family. Yet from its earliest history, a Chinese peasant could organize followers and overthrow a corrupt Emperor and be seen as a legitimate head of state and country. Another interesting point about its culture: throughout China's history invaders over time became sinicized--they talked Chinese, dressed like the Chinese. Its culture--one of the longest continuous existing cultures in the world, if not the longest--has been able to absorb the invading outsiders rather than being overcome by them. Enough history! There are members of the Ai community who have lived and worked in China and it would be great to hear from them!
Terri McNichol

Ren Associates 
707 Alexander Rd., Bldg. 2 Ste. 208 
Princeton, NJ 08540 
Telephone +1.609.371.5354 
Fax +1-609-243-0045 
Cell +1.609.638.5878 
www.renassociates.com 
t.mcnichol.1 at alumni.nyu.edu 

Presentations: 
"Art or Science: OD in China" at the Nineth Annual Sharing Day, May 3, 2007, New Jersey Organizational Development (OD)Network, NJ. Co-presenter Wei Huang, Ph.D. 

"Inverting Western business models: why museum practices are key to a new management paradigm." 2nd International Committee on Management of International Council of Museums (International Council of Museums standing committee on managementINTERCOM/ICOM) Meeting 2006 "New Roles and Missions of Museums" Taipei, Taiwan, November 2-4, 2006. 

"The Art of Leading the Museum." 4th Annual Critical Management Studies Conference, Cambridge, UK, July 4-6, 2005. 

Articles 
"Creative marketing strategies in small museums: up close and innovative," in International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing Volume 10 Issue 4 - November 2005 (199 - 287) Special Issue: Creativity and the Nonprofit Marketing Organization. 

Appreciative Inquiry case study in the forthcoming field book on The Sustainable Enterprise. Greenleaf Publishing, UK, and AMACOM in North America. 
http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/productdetail.kmod?productid=2689