Working virtually with participants from all around the world can be a very exciting experience. It is a fascinating idea that the people you are working with are located thousands of kilometres away from you, whilst we have the impression of virtual closeness: it seems like they are in the same room with you. At Nomadic IBP, we have had the pleasure of welcoming many Chinese participants to our sessions and therefore we would like to share some of our experiences with you. Our Virtual Classroom producer David is doing a masters in Chinese business studies and has listed a few tips for you.
China is a very digitally savvy country. People pay with their phone, use their smartphone as a ticket and rent a car with just one click. Online working seems to become more and more normal for Chinese people, even before the COVID-19 crisis.
How to prepare your virtual classroom
First, when choosing a platform you have to take into consideration that not all online platforms that are used in your country are being used in China. Some of those might not be available for them, therefore it is better to check this before you start.
Secondly, Chinese participants often use their English name. The purpose is not only to make your life as a non-Chinese speaker easier and to prevent you from mispronouncing, but also English names are widely used in China itself as a kind of nickname.
Thirdly, the biggest social media platform in China is WeChat. You should use this to your advantage. You could, for example, use WeChat to send invitations to your session or even consider meeting on WeChat.
Further on, creating interaction is crucial to make your session interesting, keep people’s attention and get the most out of everyone’s time. We have experienced that some Chinese people prefer to use more anonymous ways of interaction such as polls over speaking up. In addition, in Chinese culture relationships are highly valued. Think about how you can make people feel more close to you by for example using the webcam.
Chinese participants highly appreciate cute or funny cartoon figures. Incorporating certain pictures in your presentation can be a good way to make it more fun and create a more relaxed atmosphere. Besides that, you will grab the attention of your participants.
We hope these tips will benefit your future sessions and make online working even more exciting and fun.
About Nomadic International Business Psychology
Nomadic IBP facilitators are available to help you create live online training that fits the cultural background of your audiences.
David is excited about introducing people to the world of online working in his role of producer. He studied in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and is currently doing a Masters in Chinese- European Business & Economics in Berlin and Chengdu. Studying and working with people from all over the world has enabled him to develop his intercultural skills and master several languages including Mandarin. He also has a keen interest in Chinese & northern European fine art.