Hello again everyone! This post is a little different...actually it's alot different! I normally don't show much that is work related and I won't this time except one thing...
Each year, like most businesses, we have an annual business meeting where we share with employees our results from the previous year and our plans and objectives for the coming year. Our plant, even though it is new, is no different in that regard.
This process here in Shenyang is very different than any I have ever experienced...anywhere in the Michelin world...and I've lived and worked on 3 continents now! For the Business plan, each team not only does some powerpoint slide shows of numbers and graphs, but also each team prepares a 5 min video of the story we want to tell for last year and the year to come...complete with music, captions, translations etc. It represents quite a workload (we make it internally, not an outside contracted final product)..all just to make sure people are not only informed as well as entertained. Gotta say, I think it works!
After all of the business is presented, then there is a talent show. This talent show is the highlight of the day for most people! They may not remember anything from the business plan, but they all know who was in the talent show! Each year, employees get together form groups, do magic tricks, sing, dance, whatever talent they care to share and then rehearse on their own time, rent costumes with their own money to be able to perform in front of their peers and wish them all a happy Chinese new year. Just about every business here in China I know does this..the hotel where we live does it, my company does it..it's a Cultural thing I have never experienced elsewhere in the world.
Back in early December, someone asked me if I would dance with a group of ladies and gentlemen..I made the mistake of saying that I could not dance (which is true!), but I could sing (which is also true, but not something I normally made public)...well..that opened up Pandora's box, and before I knew it I had agreed to sing in the talent show and with our vacation time and a trip to France, I only had 1 night to rehearse with the dancers who would be dancing to my singing. (not good planning on my part!). I had almost learned 1 song in Chinese, so I took a recording of it with me on vacation on my ipod and listened to it and memorized the words so that I could sing it to the music and to my great pleasure, it worked out well! I have to admit when I came on stage and started singing in Chinese, there was a great response. No one was expecting me, the boss and the white woman to sing, much less sing in Chinese...a big surprise for everyone! People asked how I learned it...I told them the words could have just as easily been italian or greek...you just make the words sound like the recording and get some coaching along and voila...there you have it!
If I can get the video to load (it's big, more than 3 minutes) , you'll see it and hear it, if I don't...well, I guess, you just had to be there! (looks like the video is not uploading...I'll try again later)
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| Annual Business Plan 2014 talent show |
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| Sarah singing at the Annual Business 2014 talent show with the Phoenix dancers |
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| Another shot of Sarah and the Phoenix dancers! |
Next stop...bringing in the Chinese New year..the year of the Horse!
Until then, Happy February!
Sarah & Rod
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