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...
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...
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...
Often Japanese sit quietly in the meeting and do not offer their opinions...
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...
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...
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...
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...
In order to make these meetings go smoothly, it’s important to plan for them carefully....
Responding to questions skillfully is important in order to maintain a good image both for yourself and for the content you are presenting. Half the battle is to stay...