Guanxi in DC

Mantras of DC: Networking, "it's all about who you know," work hard and get noticed, and find that perfect reference for grad/law school.

Guanxi is different, and in my humble opinion, it's better. While I realize we are not encouraged to simply meet someone and then take advantage of our new connection, networking feels a bit that way. I would prefer to take Chinese culture's route and foster meaningful relationships that are mutually beneficial, and maintain them unceasingly. Building relationships is an art form that should be nourished and strengthened with attention and care, and those who practice guanxi can appreciate this art.

When Mr. Channell told us the story about China revoking the 20 year lease for McDonald's on Tiananmen Square after 2 years, as an American, I was shocked. We cannot so easily breach a contract without facing serious legal consequences. Their reasoning, however, was their well-established rapport with a Chinese organization that wanted to set up shop on McDonald's location; rather, their guanxi. They had a moral obligation to maintain their relationship because of guanxi, a deeper, more complex and meaningful form of networking. I want to model my networking in this way; building meaningful relationships and not solely focusing on "getting ahead" in my career. On the contrary, it is plausible that building guanxi will be more useful to advancing my career as well as strengthening my personal relationships since everyone likes to be appreciated and engage in reciprocal relationships.

After meeting my mentor last night, I started reflecting on the purpose of our relationship and how I can offer her a fraction of what she can offer me. This is, however, a tough obstacle to tackle considering her level of education and experience versus mine. I'll have to continue pondering this one, but by the end of the quarter, I'm sure we will have built some guanxi.

SHF