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Choosing to use a language that others present do not understand may be viewed as intentionally being secretive and some of the participants who do not speak Japanese might feel...
What seems like a logical way of explaining things in Japanese may not necessarily seem logical in English. By switching to a more natural English discourse style, Japanese can...
Japanese are often quiet in meetings because they have trouble getting a word in edgewise. When things are moving too quickly, or too much slang or technical jargon is...
Using the Ho Ren So system to keep in close communication with the Japanese may seem time-consuming, but it will increase their trust in your decision-making ability…by not fixing everything...
Digressions happen easily, particularly so in a meeting which is going well, because that’s when people are participating actively and contributing…The trick is how to handle the digression in a...
Brainstorming is improvisational, unplanned, and unstructured, and is designed to maximize the creativity…But if one doesn’t realize that brainstorming is happening, or doesn’t know the unwritten rules, it can be...
Not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in a meeting…And when cultural and language differences are added in, the situation becomes even more complicated....
Meetings can be the site for a variety of nonproductive, dysfunctional behaviors, such as cutting someone off, being argumentative, or making negative comments. If positive action is not taken...
A meeting leader’s role is to ensure that the discussion stays on track, that everyone participates, and that the outcome of the meeting is clarified...