In Korea, 'bali, bali' isn't a reference to a tropical island so good they named it twice – it's a much used expression meaning 'quickly, quickly'. On first impressions, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the whole country runs on that basis. The pace of life in Seoul is frantic, meals are eaten in about ten minutes flat, anything you buy is delivered either that day or the next and, just as you've got used to a particular shop or restaurant being in a particular spot, the next time you pass it will have changed owner, closed, been made over and reopened as a completely different business. It's not called 'Dynamic Korea' for nothing.
SLOWER THAN IT SEEMS
But after a while you begin to realise that for all the surface buzz there's a slower, more considered, pace that underpins business here. One that I believe will protect the country from the worst of the global downturn. One that, when recovery comes, will take Korea further ahead of many other economies. When I arrived here and, on the odd occasion, voiced my frustration with what I saw as an overly cautious approach, I was quietly advised to be patient. In time, frustration turned into admiration as I realised that I was experiencing the reverse of the short-termism that I'd long complained of in British business. Sure, quarterly results are reported and avidly scrutinised but businesses (and brands) are simply not run in order to impress analysts four times a year.
During the current downturn, company managements here have shown a cool determination, sangfroid and an upper lip that would out-stiff the stiffest British model. For Koreans this is a bad year in the middle of a lot of good ones and, just as they came through the Asian financial crisis of 1997, there is an absolute assumption and confidence that they will come through this one – and end up in a better place. The famous Asian long game is alive and well in this, the world's 13th largest economy.
Thirteen might be a lucky number for Korea but ten is luckier and represents the country's position on the list of exporting economies. 'Export or die' was the cry long before 1997 and the national current account continues to achieve record surpluses albeit through a reduction in imports – but if you're going to have a problem, it's not a bad one to have. How this dirt-poor country rose from the ashes of a devastating war to become one of the richest countries in Asia has been well documented but it's only by living here that one can begin to appreciate the collective drive to improve, to succeed and to take on the rest of the world on its own terms.
HIGH HOPES
Seoul used to be considered a hardship post for ex-pats. It was mono-cultural and difficult to work in without learning the fiendishly difficult language. Not any more. This is a capital that has real ambitions to be a world city. Fantastic new architecture is appearing everywhere. The arts scene is still riding the Korean Wave. Seoul is now preparing to be World Design Capital in 2010 and Zaha Hadid has designed a $100,000,000 new Design Park bang in the middle of downtown. The English language is seen everywhere, from shop fronts to road signs, and the drive to learn the language is palpable. Every child, regardless of background, grows up with the knowledge drummed into him or her that without a working knowledge of the language there will be no bright future. The school system here may lack the creative freedom of the West but it's turning out brilliant mathematicians, engineers and designers. Education, education, education is the mantra throughout the early years, only to be replaced with training, training, training once in the work-place.
Commitment to continuous training and development is total. No manager or client complains when a member of the team goes off on a residential (meaning no access to the outside world) training course. It is expected, accepted and budgeted for.
During our executive committee discussions on cutting costs due to the current crisis, not once has trimming the training budget even been mentioned.
WELL-TRAINED EXPERTS
A key indicator of how serious a Korean company takes training is our agency's Global Expert Program – I apologise for the American spelling but that's how it is and you can't have everything. Here's how it works. Since 1992, we have sent bright young people to countries where we might, one day, be interested in establishing an office.
In essence, it works like a very well funded gap year. Managers are trained for two weeks before departure on the destination country's etiquette, followed by a three-month intensive language course – he or she will already be fluent in English.
During the year abroad, managers will travel widely, live as part of the local community, establish a local network and devote time to a research study of his or her choosing.
On returning to Korea, a report is delivered to HQ management and the manager assigned to new duties within the agency.
The point here is that well before we had offices in Brazil, Russia, India or China – before the term 'BRIC' was even coined – we, like other Korean companies, were sending out our brightest in preparation for the day when a presence would be needed in those and other markets and, when the moment came, a knowledgeable manager was available to be dispatched. And because the investment made in that manager was repaid by loyalty to the company, the manager was still with us to be dispatched. Pretty simple, very effective.
I was hired to bring so-called global best practice to a very Korean company and I hope that in the year I've been here I've managed to do a little of that. In return I've learnt that 'global' – for which read 'western' – may have more than a little to learn from Korea. A twospeed system takes a little getting used to but, after careful reflection, I rather recommend it.
Now, let's get out of this downturn, bali, bali!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bruce Haines is Global Chief Operating Officer of Cheil Worldwide