My eldest recently returned from a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ trip to China with some university pals, during which she spent 10 days between Shanghai and Beijing. As I understand it, it was a fantastic holiday in which many, many dumplings were consumed, many memories were made, and even more laughs were had.

As she came home last weekend to share tales of her travels, she told us how, in both cities, what really struck her was the seamless blending of old and new. Imperial palaces and temples set against the backdrop of skyscrapers; funky cocktail bars nestled among the old town ‘hutongs’; teenagers happily snapping selfies in their beautiful traditional dress. It was a China she had not expected when she first landed in the East, but one that quickly became the defining quality of her trip there.

It’s an interesting mix of tradition and modernity. As polar opposites, it’s one that, in theory, shouldn’t work, and may even be quite jarring to witness. But, as exemplified by a video that my daughter sent from a night time boat ride down the Huangpu River of Shanghai that panned from the vibrant metropolis of the Bund on one side to the magnificent architecture that could have been Whitehall on the other, the contrasts do work perfectly in cohesion with one another.

Shanghai and Beijing are definitely not unique as cities for this combination – indeed, it’s a rule that is by no means reserved for cities and countries. Even in the workplace, the balance of old and new creates a powerful effect: as we follow the values and ethics that have built a business and respect a company’s history to ensure its integrity and credibility, we can also invite innovation and new talent into the same space, a successful business can be both established and progressive at the same time. Meanwhile, founding members of a company can be a vital resource of wisdom and knowledge to the newbies in a team – and vice versa.

Whether you are a longstanding member of your organisation looking to source new talent for your team, or you are looking to be that injection of new life into a new business, ABPM+ are here to help. Find out how by getting in touch today.

 

Rej Abraham, Sarah Torrington, Matt Byrne, Alex Handford