When you decide and act matters as much as what you decide. Chinese decision-making is highly sensitive to timing—reading circumstances to identify opportune moments, waiting for favorable conditions, and acting decisively when the time is right.
This means reading developing situations: Which way is momentum moving? When will conditions favor action? When would acting prematurely create problems?
The pattern has two sides: patience before conditions favor action, and decisiveness when they do. Acting too early wastes preparation; acting too late misses opportunity. Timing considerations also affect how decisions are announced and implemented—major decisions may be timed to auspicious moments or favorable circumstances.
When Chinese counterparts seem to be waiting, they may be reading timing. When they move suddenly, they’ve recognized an opportune moment. Develop your own timing sensitivity rather than pushing for artificial deadlines.
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