Creating a Culture of Belonging.

Q&A Shane Tedjarati, Deloitte Consulting's Regional Managing Partner for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, explains the firm's unique knowledge management challenge within its globalization strategy.

* What is your general approach to the use of intellectual capital when serving clients in a particular part of the world?

Our business largely runs on how successful we are at tapping into human knowledge capital. We lose our advantage if we are not able to capitalize on the knowledge learned and systematically share it within the firm. Otherwise, every engagement, every study, every client interaction becomes a fresh experience, and that's not what clients are paying for. They expect that a certain amount of mind-share is deposited within the fabric of the firm.

* What are the specific challenges in creating and sharing knowledge in greater China?

Creating a culture of high-powered knowledge workers is more than uploading data into a repository. It's overcoming barriers, such as the understandable tendency of the Chinese people since the Cultural Revolution not to want to share knowledge. They need to feel that sharing knowledge will propel their worth, not threaten their sense of security and belonging. A knowledge worker must continuously look for ways to share and imbibe knowledge all around.

* How do you instill that sense of sharing?

One way is through employee loyalty. If they feel they belong to a culture that breeds loyalty, knowledge and a sense of belonging - and that they're part of that fabric - they will be much more willing to contribute.

We are trying to build the sense that Deloitte is not just a global firm, but also one that cares about this country and its progress. To demonstrate our loyalty, we do more than 35 percent of our business with state-owned enterprises. It's not as profitable, and it takes much more effort to win and deliver our services in this area, but if we only serve multinationals, we are being hypocritical in the eyes of our people and the market. We need to walk the talk that we are serving the Chinese society in a meaningful way.

* How does that translate into knowledge sharing?

Once you create a culture of belonging, sharing information becomes reasonably automatic. For example, when somebody requests assistance on a proposal, we almost have a cruise-control mechanism in which people chip in, trying to get that job done, because they feel they just cannot let it fail.

How do you address your particular retention issues and worker expectations?

Until recently, they've mainly been the opportunity to learn, to eventually go overseas and to make a lot of money. But as people move up the ladder, they want self-actualization, satisfaction and meaning in their jobs. We pay as well or better than the market. We also provide special training programs for highfliers, such as going abroad for their MBA and then returning to the firm.

However, the firm also needs fundamental strategies and doctrines. People are developing quickly, and not necessarily at the same pace as the country. You need to constantly remind them what you're trying to do in China. You cannot begin to run before you stand up.