When providing negative feedback to Chinese colleagues or partners, choose private settings. Criticism delivered in front of others causes damage beyond the feedback itself—it becomes an attack on the person’s standing and reputation. The same feedback delivered privately allows honest exchange while protecting the relationship and the recipient’s position with others. Reserve public forums for positive recognition, where being acknowledged before others appropriately elevates standing.
This isn’t about avoiding feedback; it’s about choosing the right setting for different types of evaluation. In private, you can actually be more direct because the consequences are contained. The person can hear what they need to hear, address it, and move forward without carrying public stigma. Many Chinese professionals will be quite frank in private conversations even if they seem guarded in group settings.
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