March 04, 2014 Working with a Japanese Boss

The second presentation of our Succeeding in a Japanese Company telesummit is Tak Kawasaki talking about Working with a Japanese Boss. The presentation will be posted at 9 am Pacific on March 4th.  To listen, please register at www.JapanInterculturalTelesummit.com.

Tak Kawasaki had a 40-year career at the Tokyo-based multinational glass manufacturer NSG Group, where he held a variety of international posts. He spent 14 years in the U.S., including serving as President of NSG’s manufacturing plant in Kentucky. He also served as head of the company’s Asian business unit. At the company at the time of its purchase of the British company Pilkington, Tak was also involved in post-merger integration activities. He brings an insider’s view of how Japanese companies operate and make decisions. At Japan Intercultural Consulting, he has been focused on providing training for Japanese who are managing non-Japanese staff, and for local hires of Japanese companies particularly in Asia.

An important factor for succeeding in a Japanese company is a good relationship with one’s supervisor, which can be challenging when there is a cultural gap. In this session, Tak will share his insights about the expectations that Japanese managers have of their subordinates, and how non-Japanese working for Japanese firms can develop strong relationships with their supervisors. How to draw out and interpret performance feedback, how to ask for support for career development, and how to handle negotiations concerning salary and working conditions will be covered.

During Tak’s call you will discover…

• The key expectations Japanese managers have of their subordinates
• The best way to develop a good working relationship with a Japanese supervisor
• How to deal with a Japanese manager who persists in “micromanagement”
• What to do when your Japanese manager withholds all feedback and leaves you in the dark
• The Ho-Ren-So technique of communication between manager and subordinate that is taught to new hires in Japan, and that Japanese expect you to automatically know
• Japanese supervisors typically don’t provide career development advice and support – here’s how to get it
• How to ask a Japanese supervisor for better salary or working conditions
• How to immediately work more effectively with a Japanese boss