Asians Believe in Cherishing and Treasuring Relationships. Here's Why Asia has always been obsessed with chasing the "Great American Dream" or perhaps, even adopting the European way of life might be the fantasy of many! But what is the Asian way of life?
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Asia has always been obsessed with chasing the "Great American Dream" or perhaps, even adopting the European way of life might be the fantasy of many. It doesn't matter how glamorous the Americans or Europeans come across, it is the Asian way of life that is, perhaps, inevitably hard and something in which every sphere of life is given undivided importance and stress.
So why is it that when an Asian wins an award or gets recognition on a global platform, it becomes subject to headlines and news channels, never mind the fact that half of them start with "This Asian…." And then continues with "made it big on so and so platform….."
In this article, Entrepreneur seeks to understand and decide what are the aspects that set apart the Asian definition of work and life balance and how is it different and successful!
Relationships
Asians deeply value relationships, not that Americans or Europeans don't but Asians have boxed the category of relationships into something immensely respectful and of paramount importance. Take the example of the Filipino Entrepreneur Martin Pascual who, while speaking to Entrepreneur, said, "People value relationships more than anything else. While there are positive indicators about the business environment in the Philippines and the growing economy, the most important thing is the relationships that set the tone and foundation for everything else." Pascual left his legal practice in the U.S. to return home to a culture of deep relationships. Musn't have been an easy decision but definitely a rewarding one.
Management
The discussion of work-life balance in Asia is incomplete without giving due space to the topic of motherhood. Executive Director of Singapore-based I Can Read Chan Huang Yee felt that women in Asia have to grapple with a lot of expectations. Fitting into the Asian paradigm of womanhood means giving her best especially in the roles of motherhood, of being a wife, daughter, friend etc. In a chat with Entrepreneur, Chan said women need to manage their time efficiently to cater to the expectations the world has from them. She further highlights that ensuring stability in the family can ensure stability and success in business. "If your family is stable, your business is successful. Feel your gut, follow your heart. I think there is an amount of risk-taking that is involved and don't be afraid to make mistakes when you are young."
Parents
New York Times recently published an article after Sandra Oh's terrific win at the Golden Globe awards. The article talked about how Oh's parents were beaming after her win. For all the Asian glory that seeps into the life of an individual, lies the struggle and sacrifices of the parents. The struggle of the Asian parents is real and it doesn't end even if the child reaches a certain or minimum age of adulthood. This is one major fact and the reason behind why teenage delinquency, suicides, drug menace is not as big and rampant in Asia as much as it is in other parts of the world. It is because of parents and the growing liberalism in Asian homes that is contributing vehemently to the success of the children from this part of the world in various fields.
The bottom line is that Asians stress deep importance into the dynamics of relationships. Different parts of the world have different challenges. But the Asian perception of work-life balance lies in treasuring relationships over and above everything and always making persistent efforts with an all-out spirit in life and work!
