Liu Chijin: The opportunity to start a business is fleeting

Born in the 1960s, Liu Chijin, whose ancestral home is in Shandong, China, is currently the president of the Pan Pacific Management Research Center.

His degrees include BS in Semiconductor Physics (Xiamen University), MS in Quantum Physics (Memphis University, USA) and MBA (Harvard University, USA).

At the end of 2001, Liu resigned as vice president of Nokia (China) Investment Co., Ltd. Before joining Nokia in 1999, he served as Senior Vice President of Ericsson (China) Co., Ltd. and Dean of Ericsson China Academy.

He was recently interviewed by Grace Peng, our senior writing editor.

Can you say that you have changed from professional manager to boss?
Although the process I experienced was starting a business, my itinerary was still a professional manager, no different from the original. Maybe most people think that bosses and professional managers are two opposing sides, but I think these two roles can be unified. For example, Bill Gates is an entrepreneur, a boss, and he is also a successful professional manager.

Are you constantly jumping jobs to eventually start your own business?
My company was established in June 2001 and I am its controlling shareholder. I personally invested about $300,000 for it. The first reason for starting a business was that I saw a bright future in the management training market. Over the years, I have participated in exchanges and discussions among domestic enterprises many times, and found that no matter what problems are encountered by small and medium-sized enterprises or large state-owned enterprises, such as cash flow problems, product brand problems, and talent problems, they are actually management problems. Many domestic enterprises do not lack capital, equipment, talents and other hardware, but they are only rough in terms of integration. Enterprises urgently need standardized management and excellent professional managers.

China's management training market has just been opened up, and the largest market player, China Europe International Management Institute, had a turnover of more than 70 million yuan last year. We've hit over 60 million in a year and are catching up with them right away. As the leaders, the combined turnover of our two companies is less than 1/10 of that of the foreign leaders.

At the same time, I have successively served as senior vice presidents in many multinational companies, especially the Ericsson China Academy founded by Ericsson. I have considerable experience in training professional managers. Over the years, working in a multinational company has accumulated a variety of resources for me, but as a Chinese, it is very difficult to achieve results by mobilizing global resources in a multinational company. I see a lot of managers in multinational corporations taking their place very seriously. Once they lose their seats, they will be very sad. In fact, we must see each day of this work as a learning process. For me, the most important thing is that the opportunity to start a business is fleeting, and now that you see it clearly, you must act quickly.

Which of the habits you have formed over the years as a professional manager do you think is more conducive to entrepreneurship?
First of all, I am a person who often reflects. This kind of thinking allows me to summarize more experiences and lessons, and at the same time, it also constantly allows me to revise my life path, so I am very aware of every step I take. step. However, what I mean by reflection should be an ongoing process, not just cramming when things come to an end. I think that's how you get a good grasp of whatever you're doing.

Secondly, from the perspective of my personal expertise, I am a person who is good at finding joints and knows how to maximize my various advantages. For example, when I came to Ericsson, I did not choose pure market development, but founded Ericsson China Academy. Because I have the scientific foundation of communication major, I have also engaged in high-level consulting management abroad, I am a native Chinese, and I have also studied MBA. Combining these points, I know very well that creating a management in that qualitative environment is the best use of my strengths. As a professional manager, it can be said that it is a very important ability to constantly absorb various beneficial experiences and integrate one's existing advantages.

Based on your own experience, what advice do you have for professional managers in China on how to use "job-hopping" to enhance your own development potential?
First of all, you must accurately understand and grasp what the new company expects from you. This has little to do with corporate culture. Grasping the depth and breadth of what your new company expects from you will do your job well. Some positions may sound the same, all are vice presidents, but the nature of the work may be completely different.

Secondly, you must have an objective evaluation of the corporate culture of the new company, and then do an analysis of the gap between the corporate cultures of the two companies, and then decide what to do based on your own personality characteristics. The formation of a corporate culture does not happen overnight, and it is unwise for a good manager to change the corporate culture. The usual course of action is to find an old employee of the new company to be your mentor. This good mentor should preferably be higher or equal to your position, and must have worked in the company for a long time, but not your immediate boss. In this way, in half a year or a year, you may be completely integrated into the new corporate culture.

Thirdly, there is another principle that is inseparable from the same principle, which is to respond to changes with the same. No matter what kind of company you are in and what kind of corporate culture you face, there are some basic elements of success. Virtues such as respect for people, sincerity, and open-mindedness and studiousness open the door to success in any business.

What is your personal favorite leisure activity?
Music is a very important hobby in my life, I once learned to play the violin for 8 years. Apart from music, most of my leisure time is spent reading books. I read an average of about 50 books a year, and most of them are the latest English books on business management. I like to read practical cases of enterprises.