Speaking & seminars

Speaking engagements

These are presentations designed for an audience of over 100 people at formal conferences - but the bigger the audience, the better the effect. Lasting typically around thirty minutes, they are about fun and inspiration, with audience enjoyment being our goal.

Flagship talk: "China and the Human Side of Business"

This talk lasts either thirty minutes or forty-five minutes - depending on your requirement. Original, entertaining and inspirational, it consists of three stories. The first is about China, the second about business, and the third about family. With amazing pictures illuminating 2,500 years of Western and Chinese civilisations, and personal anecdotes full of insight and great sense of humour, it shows why human nature matters and how to master it.

For a glimpse of the type of presentation we make at conferences, you are welcome to download our managing director Wei Wang's highly acclaimed presentation China and the Human Side of Business. (Note: the file's commercial use will require prior permission from us.)

Talk one: "Management and Leadership: From Peter Drucker to Confucius"

What is management, and what is leadership? Few people have failed to come across these two terms in their working lives but not many quite understand what they are. Beginning with personal experiences, this talk will explore the thought and practice of management and leadership, their historical roots in the West and China, and why executives will benefit from both Drucker and Confucius through walking on the two legs of management and leadership.

Talk two: "What Is Strategy? From Michael Porter to Sun Tzu"

The word “strategy” is everywhere, yet what does it mean? This talk introduces key strategy ideas developed in the West. In particular, strategy guru Michael Porter's ideas are explored, with their limitations in the China business environment and in the global age illuminated. Concentration is then given to the introduction of Wei Wang’s strategy ideas that have been developed on the basis of the timeless wisdom of Sun Tzu.

Talk three: "Culture and Management: Why Hofstede May Not Be"

Since Hofstede's book Culture's Consequences was published in 1980, his five-dimension cultural model has dominated international organisational studies. In this talk, Wei Wang explores why the model has become a dogma impeding insightful, practical research in cross cultural management. Through entertaining and illuminating experiences, he shows that from a management perspective, culture is something both to enter and embrace.

Talk four: "Going Global: Lessons and Strategies for Chinese Companies "

Even if much is still taking place in the Chinese market, Chinese companies will have to consider the question of how to go global, i.e. develop their businesses in other parts of the world. Through examples and case studies, this talk explores the strategies that Chinese companies can adopt in their endeavour to go global, with attention also given to the need for Chinese executives to enlarge their mindset in order to succeed on the world stage.

Talk five: "The Art of Global Business: In the Footsteps of Giants"

Today, no business is not global business. Yet lengthy, sophisticated textbooks on the global business environment do not help us grasp the essence of global business. In this inspirational, entertaining talk, Wei Wang draws on the experiences of Li Ka-shing, Victor and William Feng, Zhang Ruimin, Jack Perkoski and Cheung Yan to demonstrate why the essence of global business is about combining abstract ideas and human feelings.

We also design and deliver talks about other aspects of China business or China in general, including the following topics:

Chinese philosophy
Chinese economy
Megatrends China
The overseas Chinese
China and the world

Seminars & workshops

These are less formal, more interactive sessions designed for a group of typically less than 30 people, who can raise questions at time. Lasting between one and two hours, they are primarily aimed at dealing with the particular concerns the participants may have.

For a glimpse of the type of presentation we make at seminars and workshops, you are welcome to download our managing director Wei Wang's presentation Going International, which was made to the 2008 MBA class at Ashcroft International Business School.

For Western staff

Doing business successfully in China requires adaptation and learning on the part of Western business people. To facilitate this process, we have designed a range of training services for Westerners, which can be delivered in the form of either publicly-held seminars or customised workshops.

2W Chinese Philosophy: To operate effectively in contemporary China, it is important to understand the culture and history that have brought China to where it is today. 2W Chinese Philosophy is designed to bring to the surface the different approaches of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Maoism that have all contributed to the complex values and patters
of behaviour of contemporary China for Western business people. An added value
of 2W Chinese Philosophy is to help Westerners recognise the limitations of their native way of thinking and as a consequence broaden and raise it to a new, higher level of thinking.

2W China Orientation: To many Westerners, China is a mystery because looking at it is like “looking through a glass darkly”. This service is designed to introduce the many facets of contemporary China to Westerners, including its geography and history, its culture and reform, its burdens and the forces making its future, as well as its impact on the global balance of wealth and power. But at the heart of this programme is the examination of its personal, organisational, public, political, economic, and social characteristics and, perhaps
above all, the Chinese sense of humour, which will help Westerners find “a handle” on China.

2W China Expatriation: Investing in China requires some Western personnel and often their families to relocate to China. 2W China Expatriation is designed to help them avoid mistakes and unpleasant surprises, give them an idea of what to expect and what to bring with them, reduce the early period of helplessness, and temper the severity of
culture shock. By attending this programme, Western expatriates will feel more confident to go through the often stressful relocation process, because it makes them aware of the powerful tools and resources they can employ throughout the whole process of preparing, moving, settling in and adjusting.

2W China Negotiation: Negotiating is a fascinating undertaking, but it is even more so when it takes place between Westerners and the Chinese. To many Western business people, negotiating with the Chinese is the most difficult task in the world. 2W China Negotiation is designed to examine the cultural causes behind these difficulties and lessen the psychological pressures produced by the general Western ignorance of the Chinese negotiating philosophy. It introduces to the participants an effective art of negotiating with the Chinese, covering personal qualities, organisational preparations, emotional skills, ways of thinking, and social behaviours.

2W China Leadership: Have you ever wondered why the managerial tools that have always worked for you in the West often seem powerless in China? This is because the Chinese criterion for human relationships is fundamentally different from the Western counterpart – indeed, nowhere is leadership more important than in China. 2W China Leadership is designed to examine the contrasting nature of management and leadership, and bring to light the leadership skills that Western executives need to learn and the need to balance them with conventional managerial tools so as to enhance their overall effectiveness in China.

2W China Strategy: When it comes to strategic study, Western executives refer to Michael Porter’s five-force model and three-point competitive advantage. But the above strategy framework is narrow, purely economic, and static, and therefore is of limited use in the complex, dynamic China business environment. 2W China Strategy draws upon ancient Chinese wisdom and examines strategy from a holistic and dynamic point of view, and thus integrates competition and co-operation. Apart from broadening the participants’ horizon of strategic thinking, it also helps them develop a truly unique and effective business strategy for their investment.

For Chinese staff

In their effort to develop local economy and enhance its international competitiveness, the Chinese have to learn to broaden their horizon of thinking and seek to reach international standards. To facilitate this process, we have designed a range of training services for the Chinese, which can be delivered in the form of either publicly-held seminars or customised workshops.

2W Senior C-Suite: This high-level service is specially designed for senior Chinese executives and local government officials. In conjunction with class-room discussions, it aims to open up their way of thinking by giving them real opportunities, such as visiting wonders of the Industrial Revolution, to experience the curious, analytical, and thorough Western mind in the UK, which had led to the Industrial Revolution. The participants will also have the opportunity to examine the nature of management and meet leading Western management thinkers. Although quite expensive, it will be an unforgettable experience for the Chinese.

2W Western Philosophy: This service is designed to help the Chinese recognise the limitations of their native way of thinking and as a consequence broaden and raise it to a new, higher level of thinking through class-room discussions and exercises. It brings to the surface Greek, Roman, Christian and Jewish cultural achievements and values for the Chinese and illuminates the strengths of the Western way of thinking. By attending 2W Western Philosophy, participants will find it easier to understand and more comfortable to embrace Western standards and procedures, and as a result improve their competitiveness and international outlook.

2W Professional Personality: Arguably the most profound weakness of Chinese staff is their lack of professional personality, including sense of responsibility and teamwork capability. 2W Professional Personality is designed to instil these essential ingredients into the Chinese by using training tools, such as real case studies and participative role plays. The programme also covers basics, such as initiative taking, presentation and communication, structured thinking and planning, emphasising demonstrating their meaning and application by illustrations, examples and comparisons with the end to improve their job effectiveness.

2W Marketing Management: To most Chinese, sales and marketing means
guanxi and at most advertising. In fact, marketing as an integrated theory and practice was not known among the Chinese until mid-1990s. 2W Marketing Management is designed to introduce a whole array of modern marketing concepts and tools to Chinese managers in charge of marketing or wishing to change their business orientation from production to market, emphasising their practical application in the China context through the use of case studies. By attending this programme, participants will find their mind opened and their horizon widened.

2W Financial Management: Because of history, truly market-driven finance and accounting standards were not existent in China until mid-1990s. As such, financial management as an integrated theory and practice is unknown to most Chinese. 2W Financial Management is designed to introduce key finance and accounting concepts and tools to Chinese managers in charge of finance and accounting or wishing to develop an understanding of the role of finance and accounting in modern business. By attending this programme, participants will have acquired a financial management framework and a handle on accounting for management decisions.

2W Personnel Management: Because of history, truly market-driven personnel management was not existent in China until very recently. As such, personnel management as an integrated theory and practice is unknown to most Chinese. 2W Personnel Management is designed to introduce key personnel management concepts and tools to Chinese managers in charge of personnel or wishing to develop an understanding of the role of personnel management in modern business. By attending this programme, participants will have also broadened their personnel mentality from personal trust to one based on both personal trust and business merits.