TheLighterSideofChina:BusinessMeetings中国人轻松的一面：商业洽谈“Payattentiontotheweather.Thisservesastheicebreakerinanybusinessdiscussion!”EarlyinmyChinacareer,thiswasthefriendlytipgiventomebyalong-timeChinahand.Myfrienddidn’telaborate;hejustsmiledandofferedthisadvice.Well,Isoonfoundoutwhathemeant.InalmosteverymeetingIattendedwithgovernmentofficials,theproceedingsbeganwithadiscussionoftheweather.It’sasif“weathericebreakingchit-chat”wereaprerequisiteskillthatcadresareexpectedtoperfect.“It’sbeenaveryhotsummer,”they’llsay.Or:“Wehavenothadenoughrainthisyear.”Or:“Theweatherisbeautifulwhereyoucomefrom.”TheChineseareveryhumbleindiscussingsuchtopics,sorarelywillthediscussionoftheirlocalweatherbetoopositive.Thereisalwaysanelementof“Wemustdobetterat…”Onoccasion,theairpollutionisdiscussed,thoughthisdependsonthetypeofmeeting.Weathermaybeapoliticalbutpollutionlevelsarenot.SothereIwasinearly1996,preparingformyfirstgovernmentmeeting.Weapproacharoominwhichverycomfortablesofa-likechairswereorganizedinaUshape.IambriefedbymyChinesecolleagueinourtalkingpoints(noneofwhichincludetheweather).Weareescortedin,seatedandaskedtowaitforourgovernmentcounterparttoarrive.Momentslater,theofficialshowsusandisseatednexttomeatthetopoftheU.MycolleaguesarelineduponmysideoftheU,hisassistantsonhisside.We’retheretotalkaboutapartnershipinhelpingChinesecompanieswiththeirbrandingefforts.Hesits,looksforward,thenturnstomeandproclaims,“It’sbeenacoldwinter.HowlonghaveyoubeeninChina?”Ianswer,“IhavebeenheresevenmonthsnoIamfromMichigan,sothisisonlymoderatelycoldforme.”TheofficialgoesontoexplainwhichyearsinChinahadbeenreallycold,andwhatyearshadbeenwarm.Thisfillsupthefirstseveralminutesofthemeeting.Idon’treallyhavearesponseforallofthis,butIdofinallyunderstandwhatmyfriendmeantbyan“icebreaker.”Thediscussionoftheweathersubsides,andtheofficialasksmeaboutourcompany.Idescribewhatwedoandforwhomwedothis,andthenquicklycuttothepoint:“WewouldliketoworkwithyoutoofferthistoChinesecompaniesunderyourleadership.”Theofficialreflectsonmycomments,saysthatthecompaniesunderhisleadershipneedtoimprove,lookstohiscolleaguetotherightandsays,“LaoHe,pleasefollowuptomakesurethishappens.”Wewere45minutesintotheconversationandwehadfinallyheard---本文于网络，仅供参考，勿照抄，如有侵权请联系删除---thecrucialcommentthatflaggedwhatwouldcomenext.Italsomarkedthe“winddown”point.“Thankyouforcomingandforsuggestingsuchapartnership,”theofficialconcluded.Andthenadded,“Andpleasedokeepwarmthiswinter.”MyofficialtrainingforconductingmeetingsinChinahadnotpreparedmefordiscussionsofmeteorology.Ontheotherhand,thefailedweathermenandwomenouttheremaywanttoconsiderabusinesscareerinChina.IrealizedthatChinesebusinessmeetingswouldbeunlikethoseIhadexperiencedbeforeandthatIneededtobeflexible.Forexample,whenmybossfellasleeponmerepeatedlyduringmypresentations,ItoldmyselfImustnottakethispersonally.CertainlyIneededtomakemypresentationsmorelively,butIsawhimdozeoffwhenotherspresentedaswell–itwasn’tjustme.Infact,oneday,afterwatchinghimgetveryinvolvedinthedetailsofacolleague’splan,Irealizedthathisrelaxationduringmydiscussionwasagift.Hiscomfortlevelservedasareassurancethathewascomfortablewithmyplan.NowIhavebecomefixatedonlullinghimintoatranceduringmeetings.Ibeginmypresentationsverysoft-spoken,justlikeIdidwithmykidswhentheywerev...