Geoffrey James’s “Success Secrets from Silicon Valley – How to make your teams more effective” introduces a new corporate culture for Silicon Valley companies, as compared to the traditional business model. He also mentioned 8 key differences between Silicon Valley and traditional corporate culture:
1 Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield
2 Corporations are communities, not machines
3 Management is service, not control
4 Employees are peers, not children
5 Motivate with vision, not fear
6 Change is growth, not pain
7 Computers are servants, not masters
8 Work is play, not toil.
The former is adopting a pro-humanity approach as employees are different from machines. However, traditional business mindsets are still under the dark crowd of industrial revolution and believe in treating employees like a product, equipment or machine. The traditional corporate culture is very close to Legalism in China. Legalism promotes disciplines, rewards, control, fear and expansion to make a country strong.
Hence, can Chinese wisdom apply to his new corporate culture? How can Chinese wisdom be relevant to modern corporate culture in a practical way?
In the previous discussion, Chinese wisdom and business excellence was discussed. And we use Mengzi and Zhuangzi as representatives of Confucianism and Daoism to represent the yang and yin aspects of Chinese wisdom.
For corporate culture, it contains yin and yang and both are co-exiting in the keys and strategies. For Confucianism and Daoism, Confucius and Laozi respectively will provide inputs to illustrate and explain the new Silicon Valley corporate culture. We cannot divide yin and yang from a culture. The corporate culture should include both yin and yang, i.e. Confucianism and Daoism. However, the proportion of Confucianism and Daoism in each key is not equal, some keys have more yin and less yang, or vice visa.
Key 1 Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield
Strategy 1 Encourage diversity
Strategy 2 Launch new generations
Strategy 3 Build symbiotic relationship
Daoism: The principle of Dao is nature (Chapter 25 道法自然). Daoism always stresses the co-existence of human beings with nature and we should leave things moving naturally without intervention. Daoism in principal is against war. In Laozi Chapter 77, the difference between human way （人道）and heaven way (天道) is heaven way uses the surplus to compensate the deficit. But the human way is doing the opposite.
Confucianism: Thousands of things live and grow in no contrary (万物并育而无相害). Although never mention about nature, Confucianism stresses all living things co-exist and live in harmony. Things do not hurt each other. Again, Confucianism is against war.
This key and its strategies are very Chinese, especially from point views of Daoism and Book of changes. Daoism stresses on no intervention (wu wei) and leave the environment develop itself. This natural movements and changes will reach its optimal level at the end under a non-intervention environment.
Key 2 Corporations are communities, not machines
Strategy 4 Communicate directly
Strategy 5 Create opportunities for social interaction
Strategy 6 Encourage hands-on charity work
Confucianism: Human nature is to stay together, but not with birds and animal (鸟兽不可与同禽，吾非斯人之徒与而谁与？). In his comment about the Daoism no interest in politics and society, Confucius felt that as human beings we should serve the community and get involved in the social movement. The difference between Confucianism and Daoism is one is to engage the society (入世) and the other is to move away from society (出世).
Daoism: Small community is the best (chapter 80, 小国寡民). The ideal society or nation is a small country, uses no machines or technology and moves back to the past and simple life style. Neighbouring countries do not contact each other until dead. Laozi wants to keep the community small and has less influence from outside.
This key and its strategies are more related to Confucianism. In Confucianism, the emphasis is Gentlemen who are honest, straight forward, concerns about the poor and society. Their aim is to serve the people and country even under difficult circumstances.
Key 3 Management is service, not control
Strategy 7 Increase power by dispersing it
Strategy 8 Encourage creative dissent
Strategy 9 Build autonomous teams
Daoism: Do not disturb people’s life and put pressure on their business (chapter 72，无狎其所居，无厌其所生). If there is no pressure, there will have no hate. Rulers understand/know themselves but they will not show off. They value themselves but will never intentionally raise their status. Daoism opposes control, and believe in natural cause.
Confucianism: Extend wishes to others (己欲立而立人，己欲立而立人). If leader wants himself to be successful, he should also extend this to other people. If leader wants to have improvements, he should wish other people having improvement. Leaders should think of others if he wishes to be successful, he should also help others to achieve their goals.
This key and its strategies are more towards Daoism – less is more, thinking out of the box, no intervention. They want to have no control and believe “less” is “more”. On the other hand, Confucianism is more structure and looks for compromise.
Key 4 Employees are peers, not children
Strategy 10 Hire the self-motivated
Strategy 11 Eliminate fancy perks
Strategy 12 Sacrifice the sacred cows
Confucianism: In harmony but keep the difference (和而不同). Confucianism always mentions 2 types of people: gentlemen and ordinary people. Gentlemen always want to live in harmony but still keep individual differences. However, ordinary people are of the same kind but not in harmony.
Daoism: Let it be naturally (chapter 57 我无为而民自化). One of the key concept of Daoism is no intervention (wu wei). Because of no intervention, people will develop themselves. Because of doing nothing, people self create their wealth.
The key and its strategies are more towards Daoism. Because of no intervention, people are self motivated and self developed. Laozi is against wastage and promotes saving and thrifty.
Key 5 Motivate with vision, not fear
Strategy 13 Create climate of trust
Strategy 14 Build a shared vision
Strategy 15 Compensate for missions accomplished
Strategy 16 Ruthlessly prioritize
Confucianism: Generals can be lost but not ambition (三军可夺帅也，匹夫不可夺志也). Confucianism places high priority and emphasis on ambition. A person without ambition will not succeed in life and make contributions to society. This is why during the war you may lose a general but the ambition (to win) must always be there. Once you have no ambition, even a great general will not win the war.
Daoism: “Way” for different people (Chapter 41 上下闻道). There are 3 attitudes toward Way. Talents that learn about Way will try their best to achieve it. Middle level talents only believe half of it. Lower talents just laugh it. Laozi comments that if lower talents are not laughing, then the Way is not the way. Different people have different opinions about vision, only those appreciate and believe it will aim to achieve it.
The key and its strategies have the mindsets of Confucianism or even legalism. To build a strong country, have a vision, award equally and build royalty are things that Confucianism and Legalism want to do.
Key 6 Change is growth, not pain
Strategy 17 Have long-term vision, short-term plans
Strategy 18 Keep jobs fluid and flexible
Strategy 19 Make decisions quickly and broadly
Strategy 20 Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Confucianism: The original character is quite similar when born; however, learning makes the difference (性相近，习相远). Confucianism believes from young, the character of individuals is about the same, but later after education and learning, it makes a person different from others. Hence, Confucianism stress human beings must have ambition to learn and to improve.
Daoism: Not satisfied then replace old with new (chapter 15, 夫唯不盈，故能蔽而新成). Only when things are not full, for example, a cup of water, then there is a possibility to achieve fullness. People who believe in the (right) Way understand that they need to make changes replacing the old with the new thing to get perfection (full).
The Key and its strategies are linked towards Daoism. Daoism notices changes and believes changes in the natural way will produce the best outcome. Due to no intervention, hence, there is no pain. Laozi likes water and sees it as flexible and powerful. However, for vision, Confucianism has a clear mission.
Key 7 Computers (Technology) are servants, not masters
Strategy 21 Use electronic mail to flatten management
Strategy 22 Humanize electronic communications
Strategy 23 Reduce information pollution
Daoism: Simple and humble, reduce selfishness and desires (Chapter 19, 见素抱朴，少私寡欲). Daoism stresses on learning less and not more. They want people to act simple, maintain humble, reduce selfishness and has less desires. This is also in line with the principle of no intervention (wu wei). More information means giving more things for the people to digest. Laozi emphasises on reduction philosophy (减法哲学). He believes the more people know or learn, the more burdens they have.
Confucianism: Knowing one also knowing the other 3 (举一隅不以三隅反，则不复也). In a (square) room, having the knowledge of one corner enables one to know the other 3 corners. A learner should know how to figure and imagine the other 3 corners when he or she already has information of 1 corner. Continuing to depend on more information to find out the image of the room is overwork and that will make information the master.
The key and its strategies are closer to Daoism. Daoism believes in simplicity, back to basic, and no (intervention) control of information. They believe human beings should reduce their knowledge and do not burden by knowledge, i.e. understanding or leaning more by dropping more and more knowledge
Key 8 Work is play, not toil.
Strategy 24 Cultivate constant challenge
Strategy 25 Encourage informality
Strategy 26 Create a sense of balance
Confucianism: Sing together and in harmony. (子与人歌而善，必使反之，而后和之). Confucianism may be the only philosophies in China that emphasises music, arts, protocol in education and politics. Here, Confucius sings along with other people, when he is happy, he invites them to sing again and he himself will sing one more time. Confucius likes singing and only stops singing when he cries on a particular day. Confucianism focuses on the balance of work and life.
Daoism: Like a baby (Chapter 55 含德之厚，比于赤子). Daoism describes the Way is like the mother and the baby is the one understanding the Way. Mother is rich and forgives everything and baby has no desires. Hence, baby has no external demand and only wants to be with the mother (way). However, when baby grows up day by day, he or she has more desires, demands, and become less simple (pure). This means he is moving further and further away from the mother (Way). While working, work like a baby.
The key and its strategies are related to Daoism and Confucianism. Daoism is against formality. Confucianism believes in happy learning and working. Confucianism wants to keep on reminding people to be alert and face challenges.
No comments:
Post a Comment