8 CHINESE WORK ETHICS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND THE LAST ONE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ( 8min read)

1. Intense Punctuality and timing

Take one moment and ask yourself this question (the last time I was very early at an occasion or planned event how did I feel?)

Good right? Well this is one of the various Chinese, and frankly personal ethics you must cultivate to attract opportunities in china, basically anywhere on planet earth.

Being on time 100% makes you feel good about yourself and makes you feel organized. If you come to China for even a day, you’ll see something different— in meetings or classes holding by 8:00 AM, at 8:55AM exactly, or earlier that room is full ( we all know about Africn time right, well you won’t survive here with that mind-set)! This mindset cost me over 30% of scores in my first semester as a student here. They are never late, and if they were, they literally become ninjas ( no pun intended), running so fast to make up time. It is very serious here; if you are late even for a minute, they deduct from your salary, and points if your’re a student. Chinese people care a lot about their money, and scores, so being punctual is a big thing. It also shows a sign of respect to the company and teachers and shows you value other people’s time. In Western countries, if a manager has a talk with you about being late, you might just take it as a warning and move on. In China, that one-on-one talk touches their soul. They feel truly embarrassed, and most wouldn't ever put themselves in that situation in the first place.

2. Fixed minded on results

There is a proverb that says “hard work contributes to a happy life”. If a person does well in their job and their company, no matter how their personal life is, they will never be sad because they have that success. While many westerners focus on making sure their personal life is happy first. Now on another hand in Africa ( mostly Nigeria, this is based on my opinion though ✍️) I believe it’s a mix of both, but job comes first, then personal life, here it’s the other way around; they feel they have everything in life if they have success in their job.

3. Chuku (Eating Bitterness) what Nigerians now call – “YAKUBU MANAGE”

This literally translates to "eating bitterness," and it’s the act of persisting through hardship no matter what you are going through. Whether it’s in your personal life or the company, you persist to get the result. When things get difficult and you still get a good result, that is how you earn respect and a promotion( which is a massive deal in china). These days, especially in this generation, it’s easy to just give up when things get too hard or to try something four times and say "at least I tried." That mindset doesn't really exist so much here. If one way doesn't work, you just have to find other ways to get the best results. We can all learn to keep trying and not give up just because things are hard. Keep in mind that, this is what they teach not necessarily what they all do, at least this generation, rides on the glory of the last, so don’t beat yourself up in comparison, just keep pushing and don’t give up so easily, beautiful things take time.

4. Hard Work over Talent ( as we call it in Nigeria gara-gara)

Success isn’t left to chance. I don't think China even knows the word "talent" (this is fact, based on what I’ve seen) because they just work hard. From the time they are born, they are taught that through hard work, literally anything can be achieved. When kids write a test, they feel they have to get a full score; if they get a 95, they are disappointed in themselves. Many kids don't even have weekends—You begin to wonder how they play right? Well most times the only occasion they see their friends is in class. This all starts small: work hard to get into a good school, then a good university, then a good job, and then a good husband or wife. That is the path to success. Already carved in their minds, frankly to me life holds more to this, but in all I’ve seen it’s admirable, I’ll give them that.

5. Striving for Perfection

No one can be perfect, does not mean no one can try!...

Many companies want an Asian workforce because they are wired to achieve the end goal and nothing will stop them. This striving for perfection starts really early, which can be a bit sad. Seven-year-olds will literally cry if they get a 9 out of 10 on a test. The pressure builds up because they feel they need those full scores and those top schools just to feel good about themselves. Again believe there’s more to life than just forwardness, but you have to hand it to them, this is a culture with great result.

6. No Such Thing as Laziness( or unnecessarily quotes- my people will understand 😂)

The word "laziness" does not exist in this country. Even if there is nothing to do, people will find something to do, yep sounds like my dad. Even if someone hates their job— theys till works as hard as everyone else and even manage sometimes to be number one in the company. You can aspire to be like that; even when you don't like where you are, you don't stay lazy, you work through the hardship.

7. 996 and Working Smart

There is a work ethic called "9-9/6" which means working 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, six days a week. They focus less on the perfect process and more on just getting the best results. They will work again and again to find alternative methods to find the best result. It's about working hard for a few days, working smart, and then having your time off.

8. The Habit of Saving (my own initial issue)

The Chinese have a savings rate of about 45%, with this they are amongst the top 4 countries in the world when it comes to savings. When you ask why they save so much, they tell you it’s for a house, health care, education, and their parents. But it’s also about relationships. To get married, a man is often expected to have a house, and a woman wants a stable job and a good bank balance. For a man to meet a woman who lives paycheck to paycheck, it’s very unattractive. Money should never be the reason a relationship doesn't work out, so they stay responsible.

So with all said and done, the basics of Chinese ethics towards work is not as hard as they say, it’s just good culture, motivation with a mix of pressure 😅.

So to make the best of your opportunities present and to come, work on your own ethics. Before you go, what is that one ethic you think can improve one’s chances in China?