TE Automotive Sun Xiaoguang: Why do I always choose no man’s land?

Sun Xiaoguang delivered a speech at the 2023TE Automobile Division China Annual Ceremony

In 2019, TE Auto, which had been making money in the eyes of outsiders, began to have problems. The changes brought about by the rise of China's new energy market are different from ever before. This wave of innovation initiated by Chinese customers is faster and more flexible, and we must take small steps to catch up. At this time, TE Auto is still continuing its previous model, discussing product roadmaps two years from now and five years from now, while ignoring customers' ideas. I have been so serious and self-righteous for two years, and my market share has continued to decline. At this time, communication problems with the headquarters again occurred, and cost control and layoffs had to be carried out.

39-year-old Sun Xiaoguang became the vice president and general manager of the Automobile Division in China in October 2020. The most difficult thing for him at the time was that the original proud, shining and invincible team no longer believed that it could succeed, and he urgently needed a victory. To restore morale and stop the decline, it seems that my career reserves for the past ten years were just to win this battle.

Bird Zhou still remembers that spring day in 2006, when Sun Xiaoguang stood in the green carriage from Shanghai to Suzhou and ate a box lunch, still as happy as usual. At that time, they had to go to TE Auto's Suzhou factory three or four times a week. Sun Xiaoguang was a person who couldn't hold back his chatterbox. His humor unique to Tieling people would infect everyone around him.

When he was a student, Sun's grades were not top-notch. The most outstanding thing was in literature and art. The only thing that was special was that whenever he was aggressive, his grades would jump to the top, and there would always be a group of classmates surrounding him. In just two years after graduation, he worked for several Taiwanese companies, working as a mold engineer, product designer, and mold salesman. However, every time he came across know-how, mainland employees were prohibited from participating. He was unwilling to study for so many years, but he was doing the work that required the least use of his brain. "Why is my ceiling so low? This time I will only pick what I want, and no longer pick what I want."

He heard someone said that TE Auto would provide space for mainland employees, so he insisted on submitting resumes every week. Although he had a Taiwanese business background and average spoken language, "It's up to you, I can give it a try." After a few months, he finally became TE Automotive Senior Project Engineer. Calculating product costs, a position that others found boring, made him go home and excitedly tell his wife, "This company is great and allows me to touch costs," because costs represent the company's true strength and secrets, which made him feel like he was I really joined a part of the business.

Sun Xiaoguang’s work photo (taken in 2006)

On an ordinary day when Sun Xiaoguang didn't catch the train back to Shanghai, he met Thomas Shen, the sales manager of TE Automobile China, who he could only look up to before, because of the ride. At that time, Thomas didn't pay much attention to this young man. After getting in touch with him later, he noticed that his eyes were particularly flexible, he seemed to have ideas in a flash, and he was very familiar with molds and factory processes. He also likes to ask questions and is not a submissive person, so he is very suitable for pioneering work. In 2008, the sensor business was introduced from scratch, and Sun Xiaoguang volunteered to take over the product line. Thomas's first reaction was: This young man is very good at seizing opportunities.

Since then, the sensor department has caught up with the take-off of the automobile automatic transmission market, established the direction of business development in one and a half years, and captured most of the country's market share. Sun Xiaoguang not only had his own independent space for the first time, but also learned how to work with foreign colleagues.

On a Thursday in 2012, Sun Xiaoguang talked to a colleague. The other person said that in two or three days, he would announce that he would be the sales manager of ICT (Industrial and Commercial Transportation Division, hereinafter referred to as ICT), but he did not have this intention. . Sun Xiaoguang was suddenly moved. This new department that was spun off from the automobile division had completely blank business. Everything from personnel, sales, organizational structure, and engineering capabilities had to be started from scratch. The truly meaningful, challenging, responsible and responsible place he had been looking for since graduation appeared. Obviously, there is more room for ICT.

Thomas was confused by Sun Xiaoguang's volunteering again and refused directly because he felt that the sensor was only half completed and there was still a lot of room. It wasn't until Saturday on the basketball court that he suddenly figured out that the person in charge of ICT needs to have strong survivability, and this has been fully verified by Sun in the sensor department. At the same time, the business of ICT is much larger than that of sensors, and there are opportunities for personal development. Definitely bigger. So Thomas let him go after saying, "In troubled times, heroes emerge." He also said to Sun Xiaoguang, "You have to come back when I need you in the future!"

Sun Xiaoguang and his Bole Automotive Division Asia Pacific Senior Vice President and General Manager Thomas Shen

Many people are trying to persuade Sun Xiaoguang, saying that he made the wrong choice. But he has his own ideas. From his previous work experience, he realized that no matter whether a person or an organization, from supply chain, product design, process, cost to future application trends, potential customer needs, etc., the longer the chain of resources that can be called upon, the longer the chain of resources that can be mobilized. The strength will be stronger. From this perspective, ICT has more room for development.

Therefore, at the Yangcheng Lake Sales Conference that year, Sun Xiaoguang announced to all employees of the automotive and ICT divisions, "The automotive division is ten thousand acres of fertile land, and I have my own saline-alkali land." But soon, the great pride in my heart was slapped in the face by reality. After getting angry and having a toothache, my face became swollen.

What is more terrible than the shortage of major generals is the low morale. ICT is branched off from TE Automotive, which gives the impression that its future is uncertain. Sun Xiaoguang's own team only has five salesmen, and one of them told him bluntly, "I borrowed the car, and you have to return it after one year." The other two have already received offers, but Want to see if it's worth staying here again. The house was leaking and it was raining continuously. When Sun Xiaoguang confidently told the first person he recruited from outside that his business is expected to increase by at least 30% this year, he received a message from the other party early the next morning, "Hello, Mr. Sun, I think you Just like my last company, I just like the Great Leap Forward and shouting slogans, so I don’t want to work here.” 

Sun Xiaoguang, who was the Propaganda Minister in college, cares most about morale. He believes that morale is to allow those who follow you to see the future. He set his sights on the company's annual meeting, so in 2015, the ICT team, which had run away after drawing prizes in previous years, blew up the audience with "Once ICT loves HEMs" (When ICT fell in love with new energy), which received ten times more votes than the second place. The ICT team became famous instantly. This program integrates entertainment, business, team spirit and innovation, and is personally directed by Sun Xiaoguang, who comes from the hometown of sketches. For him, who toured the county with a three-and-a-half-sentence program when he was in junior high school, the stage was used to show off and let the outside world know that "the ICT team is the best". From then on, he identified this place where he could compete legally and reasonably. A place to boost team morale.