Empower staff with trust
By Enid Chen
Photos by Yao Fan

在外企升职总是令人向往, 不少人却隐约看见头上的玻璃天花板, 陷入无职可升的境地. 南美船务集团代理(香港)有限公司厦门代表处杜金波经理, 却认为其实人人都有升职的机会, 优越的现状与未知的升职就像鱼和熊掌, 两者不可兼得, 是要鱼还是熊掌关键在于个人的职业规划.


Name: Kelvin Du
Position: Office Manager, CSAV Group Agencies (HK), Xiamen Representative Office
Education: BA, Nankai University

Qualities necessary in a local manager

Q: In a large multinational enterprise, you work closely together with foreign managers. Are there any conflicts in terms of cultural values?

A: Conflicts are inevitable. Even people who come from within the same culture will have to deal with conflicts now and then. However, what really counts is how we seek common ground while resolving differences. We are all working towards the same goal. When conflicts arise, it's crucial that we are able to communicate with different sectors to arrive at an agreement. My company, based in Chile, might not know very much about China's culture or way of business. Being a Chinese office manager, it's easier for us to understand about the local culture and the needs of the local market. In the final analysis, so long as you have constructive proposals for market exploration, headquarters will always give your ideas due consideration.

Q: To be a manager of a foreign enterprise, you need a complete set of managerial skills. In your view, what are the qualifications a manager needs?

A: In my opinion, every company is different. Your managerial skills might make you quite successful in this company, but might not work in another company. However, in general, one's communication skills and professional abilities and proficiency are among the basic requirements. You can polish these skills, and other abilities, when you are given more opportunities for your career development. It's critical that you are able to delegate the work to the staff and empower them. As long as you have trust in your staff, they will have faith in you.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the company?

A: From my point of view, being able to manage growth is the top concern. In order to be successful, we need to firstly capitalize on the favorable world economic situation. Secondly, we need to increase our market penetration by expanding our geographical coverage and deploying new services. We also need to be flexible enough to take advantage of new opportunities in the market. In 2005 we are continuing to improve processes efficiency and to work towards differentiating ourselves from the pack by focusing on significantly improving our customer service.

Another big challenge for CSAV/Norasia is to be more global. In order to accomplish this goal, it is necessary to put in place standardized system throughout the company.

Career planning-to have your cake or eat it?

Q: Could you give us a brief introduction to your work experience and how it began?

A: I graduated in 1994, and entered the shipping industry in 1996. My first job was with Sea-Land, an American carrier, which enabled me to acquire a good knowledge of this industry. In the year 2000, Norasia/CSAV established its representative office in Xiamen, and I joined them straightaway. At the beginning, there were only 5 employees here, and I was the sales manager. One year later, I was appointed to be the office manager.

Q: What is your advice for those who don't see potential for growth in their career?

A: To tell the truth, there is always plenty of scope for growth in one's career. It depends on one's own career planning. For example: you are leading a settled life here, you have established a firm base in your current job, and you have formed a set of positive business relationships here in Xiamen. If you are offered a chance to advance your career elsewhere, in a place you don't know, are you willing to give up what you already have? Most people are inclined to cling to what they already have. It's like you can't have your cake and eat it. Therefore, it's not a matter of potential, but rather a matter of your own will and career planning. Every employee in our company has the opportunity to grow and reinvent himself or herself during their career.

As an international global carrier with a history of more than 125 years, CSAV has developed its own systematic way of doing business. CSAV has set up business in most of the main ports in coastal cities throughout China. In recent years, the company has gone through a period of very rapid and effective growth worldwide, especially in China, where the growth rate is usually above the average. Accordingly, there are many opportunities for the staff to realize their personal potential.

Q: How do you like this city?

A: When I first came to Xiamen I couldn't get used to the food here, and I could not understand the local dialect either, but now I like the city more and more. As long as you like the people here, you will fall in love with this city, and that's been the case with me.



About CSAV

Companía Sudamericana de Vapores (CSAV) is a Chilean publicly traded shipping company, presently the largest in Latin America.

CSAV, one of the oldest shipping companies in the world, was founded in 1872. At first, the company's activities consisted exclusively of a coasting service, but their routes were soon extended along the west coast of South America and up to the Panama Canal, before its opening to regular traffic.

CSAV then extended the sphere of its activities to the United States and later to Europe, the Far East and Japan, South East Asia/Pacific Islands and the east coast of South America. They began large scale trans-Pacific operations when they acquired Norasia Container Lines in 2000. Nowadays CSAV provides a comprehensive service for general cargo, bulk cargo, fresh and frozen products and vehicles, using both owned and chartered vessels. The company has established its position as a global carrier, with a strong presence on the routes between South America and rest of the world.

Vocabulary
proficiency 熟练
polish 提高
empower 授权
scope 空间
inclined 倾向于
cling 墨守(习惯)