Tedded - Business Book Review

I just came back from the Chinese (Mandarin) class. I used to study once and now, I’m trying to brush it up.

My bet is that everyone of us probably knows someone who can speak Chinese as the second or third language.

I’m wondering about the Chinese (increasing) domination of the world economy. How could that happen or happenning?

I looked back into the history of Thailand, Chinese started migrating to Thailand during the beginning of the 20th century due to high tax and bad economy in China; most Chinese Thai came from Chaozhou district in the Southern China and they used Chaozhou dialect (not Mandarin or Cantonese). You can read the history here.

I’ll get to the point or I’ll be asleep. Anyway, extraordinary things about the Chinese pioneers in Thailand were that they became successful in business really fast and also in politics, to name a few.

Now, Chinese Thais are firmly settled for decades already and top businessmen in Thailand are “mostly” from the Chinese ethnic; Thailand’s 40 Richest - Forbes.com

I’m not a racist here because they are Thai and our society has never been divided ethnically (except a short period during 1930s).

What I want to suggest is that there is a unique capability of Chinese people and they are doing it now to the world like they did in Thailand, and many other countries in the Southeast Asia.

I’m speaking to you from the experience and thoughts from the country that was business-ly invaded by Chinese.

Most of them are “the hardest working people on earth“; not all, but most, stereotype if you like. The poorer, the harder they work. And I strongly believe in this thought.

Modern business and management try to make you a smarter worker instead of a hard worker which is indisputable. But when two people work equally smart, the harder worker wins hands down.

I’d like to read good literatures on “how to work hard”, call me crazy if you want. The closest thing I can think of is that you need to have fun in your work and you’ll work hard. A good example (I like) is by Sir Richard Branson in his book, “Screw It, Let’s Do It - expanded”. He wrote in the beginning of the chapter 2

“HAVE FUN!

Have fun, work hard and money will come

Don’t waste time - grab your chances

Have a positive outlook on life

When it’s not fun, move on”

And the furthest thing from reality of Chinese workers is probably Tim Ferris’s The 4 Hour Work Week. Tell this to old Chinese people and they will either LHAO or hit you in the face.

One reason why they work hard that I can thing of and arguments are welcome is…

“Family”

In the past, Chinese normally have large families; lots of kids for farm work and to have as many boys as possible since many kids died from diseases (a few died and there were still enough if you had plenty). Paradoxically, instead of having more kids to help the farm work, more kids led to insufficient money to support and raise all of them.

They need to work hard in order to “survive” since they were young.

Moreover, Chinese tradition strongly believes that you need to support your parents when they grow old. They hold this belief strongly and spiritually. So, not that they can just earn enough money for their spouse and kids and wait for their retirement, they need to support their parents and other less-fortunate family members. I don’t call it a force, or even a virtue, it was just their way of life.

That’s just my two cents