When my husband started working in China, he spent a lot of time speaking with his new senior team to get to know them, and better understand how he should manage them. He quickly concluded that he would respect his Chinese staff members' culture, but would also introduce some New York-style management to his team. One key area was "face," or honor, which is very different in China than in the Big Apple.

In China, "face" is extremely important, and any slights or criticisms that offend someone's honor are taken personally. When Chinese people say someone has a "thin face," it means that this person is easily offended by criticism. Accordingly, Bryan found it difficult to have staff meetings with his team because his staff would not openly discuss their opinions or challenge other people's ideas. People would speak openly during private conversations but not in group discussions. While this was respectful for people's feelings, Bryan found that it made management change very difficult.

So Bryan told his team about "face" in New York, saying, "In New York City, you have to be able to take criticism, challenges and suggestions without letting it get to you, and to keep smiling. We call this having 'Thick skin!'" Now Bryan's team is able to have open discussions about company strategy and sensitive issues, combining their respect for each other with a bit of "thick skin."

(selected from 101 Stories for Foreigners to Understand Chinese People by Yi S. Ellis and Bryan D. Ellis, published by China International Press in 2012)