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Working effectively in Japan - Coggle Diagram
Working effectively in Japan
Experiences
Positives
Detailed
Strong harmony
Tactful
Considerate of others' feelings
Peaceful
Respect rules a lot
Drinking
Patiently listens to all opinions
Thorough
Challenges
Not direct
Hard to get to voice opinion (esp. negative)
Afraid of making mistakes
Hard to draw conclusion in meetings
Tend to leave ambiguous
Inflexibility
Follow rules without questioning whether efficient
Sometimes rules don't make sense
Things move slowly
Communicate in private
Makes it hard to change
Hard to make suggestion to change
Ingroup/Outgroup
Fear of being ostracized
Risk adversity
Risk adversity
Every risk is equal, hard to have a balanced discussion about risks
Difficult to take individual initiatives
Rigid hierarchy
Even if like flexibility afraid to ask for it
Tend to avoid heavy topics
Cultural dimension
Individuals are like "trees", with their "roots" on a scale
Difference should not be perceived as negative
Not constructive to be judgemental
Try to bridge the "gap" on the scale
Give the benefit of the doubt that the other person is trying their best
Japanese culture is 50%-50% on the relationship <-> task spectrum
Difficult to have Japanese teams' individuals take initiatives
Age matters, hierarchy matters
Toyota
Toyota tends to be more hierarchical than the average typical Japanese company
Diversity v.s. Consistency
Little immigration
National media
National education
Tighter bell curve
Individual traits
Relationship-oriented
Task-oriented
Case Studies
Japanese people going silent
Ask if anything had changed since the last time we talked => Makes it easier for the other person to bridge the cultural gap
Other Japanese people get the hint after two emails/phone calls
Sharing opinions
Ask indirect people their "opinion" first, WITHOUT giving your own opinion
Pick on small hints, discuss 1-1 or in a less intimidating setting
Advices
for someone "direct"
Discuss -1-1 in a less intimidating setting
Any negative feedback has to be handled 1-1, carefully, with very careful words
Find someone with whom there is mutual trust, and have that person be the "cultural interpreter"
"
What would be your advice?
"
for someone "indirect"
Start with baby steps, voice simple things
for someone "verbal"
Ask more questions, don't assume
Read in between the lines, e.g. "difficult" = stop / impossible
As your Japanese gets better, Japanese interlocutors will also assume that you can read in between the lines like another Japanese person
Tech
Debating about facts
Agile in Japan
Re-think organizational structure
Less hierarchy
Hokoku Renrakku Soudan