Japanese business culture – Being included
It is hard to overestimate this aspect of Japanese culture, particularly since it differs so completely from the experience of most Westerners. For a great many generations, the Japanese have...
Cross-cultural communication
Are Americans bad at organizing data?
Japanese executives often complain that their American colleagues are “bad at organizing data.” According to one Japanese manager who is a key decision-maker in his company’s operations in Japan,...
Are Japanese secretive? Why American employees think they are
Although Japanese seldom intentionally try to hide things from American colleagues, they often inadvertently create that impression through various habits and communication style differences. By adopting practices and techniques...
Japanese and English – Bridging the language barrier
There is a tremendous linguistic gap between the Japanese language and English....
“Magic Phrases” when dealing with Japanese
Non-Japanese are often frustrated by Japanese colleagues who do not give sufficient direction or opinions. It can feel like pulling teeth to try to get clear guidance…...
Writing reports the Japanese want to read
In any business setting, reports are a crucial tool. When writing reports for your Japanese colleagues, using a few key strategies can decrease frustrations and help you meet your...
Phrases the Japanese love to hate
How you respond to inquiries that are not necessarily in your main area of expertise or responsibility will make a big impact on how you are perceived by Japanese colleagues....
Lost in translation
American clients visiting Japan on business, feel the translations they get are only a fraction of what they know was really said, and it feels like the most important parts...
Japanese executive communication skills
Japanese executives tend to just sit at their desks in their offices. They don’t make the effort to walk around and talk to people. They don’t do anything...
Persuading Japanese
There are certain things that Japanese tend to respond to and other things that they tend not to respond to. Knowing some of the dos and don’ts will help...