Time: 20:35- 21:00, November 3rd, 2004
Place: Bâtiment Guyenne
Cité Villejean Ouest
Square de Guyenne
Cs 41003
Reporter: Cufe
The VIP interviewed: Zhang Haiqing
Bachelor degree from Beihang University, Beijing, China
5 years professional experience in Wine industry
Former Marketing Supervisor of a French Wine Brand, Branch in Shanghai, China
Student of Master in Science International Negotiation, ESC-xxx
Topic: How do managers motivate the employees to work creatively in the practical organizational management in French company?
Q: Material stimulation seems to be the main instrument to motivate employees to work as creatively as possible, doesn't it?
A: I don't quite agree with you. Now you see, the standard of salary will be raised up neither more than twice in a single year nor by 5% each time. Not only French luxurious Brand companies do so, but also almost any other multinational corporations do the same just a public game rule everybody should be acquiescent with. We could not offer our employee much because our competitors are cutting their cost. Businessmen always behave stupidly and crazily to follow whatever their rivalries are doing. However, we always play tricks to make our employees believe they get bonus deserved for working hard and any creative contribution. For example, we lower the monthly wage standard from ￥5000 to ￥4000, and at the end of fiscal year we give the ￥12000-￥1000 per month multiplied by 12 months-to our employees. They would think they are granted with extra pay of anther 3 months. Any guy will be excited of 15 months salary for 12 month's work, won't he? Simple arithmetic trick which is so-call illusional strategy, cool!
Q: Then do you mean that in the managerial practice, companies are reluctant to resort to the ways which would bring more unnecessary financial cost?
A: Sure. For common positions without advanced specialty or skill needed, there are so many candidates waiting for their opportunity that our subordinate employees feel strong pressure of being kicked out or replaced. They have no choice but to devote themselves to more creative and unique work. There is an exception for the well-trained technicians and managers with an advanced knowledge of your business. Companies are afraid that business secrets and clients would be taken away by those people as soon as they decide job-hopping, in that case the material motivation should be paid attention to. Fortunately, the situation happens not so frequently. In fact, the ultimate task of managers is to make their staff work innovatively, efficiently and regardless of reward. Supposing a manager works extremely leisurely while his assistants and secretaries works 12 hours a day productively without compensative pay, I am sure he is a very very excellent and successful manager! To be a successful manager, he has to learn play a variety of tricks which are so-called motivation, for instance, utilizing the competition not only outside enterprise as I just mentioned but also inside. Create a competitive climate among your staff; make individual cognize others as counterworkers if necessary then the efficiency in your department doubled! I was tricked a lot by my former boss: he arranged a confidential conversation with me, told me that one of my colleagues works awfully industrious and had a much better performance than mine those days. Afterward I worked from 8:00 to 24:00 late at night everyday until the guy boss praised told me the truth that our boss did the same to him and everything is no more than a trick! Our boss wanted both of us to work for him as much as possible with the same pay by inspiring and encouraging our aggressive ambition to be the best.
Q: Any other motivation skills?
A: There is some negative motivation including penalty. For example, it is impossible to layoff people at your will but you can drive the low-efficient employees to lower positions or cut down their wage and bonus. Reversely, position-promotion easily satisfies the self-fulfillment of the employees. In market-driven companies, the sales department has most power; in manufacturing industries, being sent to human resource department from supply chain management is considered to be demotion; if you work for a hi-tech company and you are sent to research & development division, congratulations! You are probably promoted. For innovative purpose, companies offer the maximal individual freedom in the precondition of accomplishing quantities and qualitive target designated. You can work home and be absent for several weeks, you could do anything including rake-off and bribe by fair means or foul to achieve the commercial goal you are imposed to. What's more, you are supposed to take all of legal responsibility and be victimized for your boss as occasion requires. That's why the marketers and accountants are considered really risky.
Q: What kind of personality is needed as an excellent manager to motivate other people's innovation?
A: From my point of view, leadership is more important than other three managerial functions-planning, organizing and controlling. Therefore, a good manager should have some communication and interpersonal skills to wittily deal with complicated relationship of all kinds. Favorable personality such as tolerant, patient, imaginative and speculative is essential. What's more important, learn how to be more innovative at playing tricks before motivating others to be! (Laugh)