Gijutsu wo nusumu – Japanese workers “stealing knowledge” to get ahead
It’s the job of the company to provide the employee with all skills and explanations and information that they need to do their jobs well. So why should anyone...
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Genin tsuikyu – Japanese business gets to the root of the matter
Looking at the root causes of a problem is a typical Japanese approach to business. However, in other cultures the work environment may not necessarily be conducive to open...
“Hear one understand ten” sums up Japanese communication style
This style difference between Americans and Japanese often causes Americans to have difficulty determining what Japanese want to say…The Japanese assume that there is shared background information that put both...
Over worked and underpaid Japanese employees feel the burden of sabisu zangyo
All I heard from my Japanese friends were tales of long hours. An officemate so overwhelmed by long hours that she had to get medication for depression…it just seemed...
Stating your opinion clearly — Cross-Cultural Meetings part 23
Often Japanese sit quietly in the meeting and do not offer their opinions...
When you want them to do nemawashi — Cross-Cultural Meetings part 22
As each part of the organization is listened to and its needs addressed through one-on-one discussions and small meetings, decisions are made by group consensus…it’s difficult to get something accepted...
Evaluating your options — Cross-Cultural Meetings part 21
At some point, the group has to narrow down its options. The suspension of judgment that prevailed during brainstorming is now over, and it’s necessary to start weeding out...
Encouraging meeting attendance – Cross-Cultural Meetings part 20
There’s not much point to having a meeting if nobody shows up. How can you make sure that people choose to come to your meeting? Today, people have...
Wrapping up the meeting — Cross-Cultural Meetings part 19
It’s necessary to make sure that all the meeting participants are in agreement on what exactly has been decided or accomplished and that everyone knows what they need to do...
Telephone and videoconferences – Cross-Cultural Meetings part 18
In order to make these meetings go smoothly, it’s important to plan for them carefully....