Identifying leader makes for more effective meetings — Cross-Cultural Meetings part 6

This article is part of a series on effective meetings between Japanese and non-Japanese.

In typical Japanese meetings, no leader is designated, and the group discussion proceeds in an organic fashion. This may work well for general discussion meetings, but for meetings with a specific agenda or that aim to produce a decision, it’s preferable to have someone designated as a leader. Having a leader makes a meeting flow more smoothly and efficiently. A meeting leader’s role is to ensure that the discussion stays on track, that everyone participates, and that afterward, the outcome of the meeting is clarified and communicated. In other words, a leader makes sure that not only is the content of the meeting addressed adequately, but also that the meeting process itself is a positive one.

In English, the meeting leader might also be referred to as the facilitator, or the chairperson. Probably the best equivalent in Japanese would be shinkoyaku. In western-style meetings, the leader tends to be the most senior person present, the person who is in charge of the topic being discussed, the person who has the most relevant specialized knowledge, or simply the person who called the meeting. However, it’s always made clear at the start exactly who is leading the meeting. For this reason, typical Japanese meetings with no identified leader tend to be confusing for non-Japanese. This is particularly true when the highest-ranking person present, whom non-Japanese would expect to take the lead role, sits quietly with eyes closed – a frequent posture for senior Japanese executives in meetings, designed to show that they do not intend to dominate the discussion.

One task of the meeting leader is to make the opening statement, which sets the tone for the group. It’s important that this statement be a positive one. For example, starting the meeting with a statement such as “I don’t know where those people from Accounting are, but we need to get going before the whole morning is wasted” does not set the right mood. Something more along the lines of the following is better: “Good morning, thanks everyone for attending. As you know, the purpose of this meeting is to discuss the difficulties we have been experiencing with the quality of product coming in from our suppliers. With so many experienced people here, I’m confident that we can develop some effective countermeasures.” This opening statement feels positive while also confirming the purpose of the meeting and setting the expectation for what will be accomplished. 

The meeting leader should not necessarily dominate the discussion, but rather seek to guide it. Thus, when the discussion gets off track, he or she should gently steer it back to the main topic. And rather than telling the group what decisions to make, the leader should focus on helping to clarify what the group has decided. It’s this kind of non-dominating role that makes it possible to have someone other than the highest ranking person lead a meeting. 

.

For more on how to make your cross-cultural meetings effective, get a copy of our free bilingual ebook here.