Cultural differences

Working overseas is always a challenging experience, rewarding most of the time, and sometimes frustrating. Where will you let the frustration go is another question...

Work habits, customs can be very different. Especially in Japan, where the way to conduct business might differ greatly from what one could expect in the US or Europe. The simple fact of introducing yourself in an inappropriate way might be the cause for a long polite embarrassment. Thinking that the person who talks the more is the one in charge may lead to a few surprises... Codes may vary indeed from what you are used to: are you active and have a "can do" attitude?... You may very well be perceived as a slightly immature individual. Do you read what is being implied rather than being said? Are you sure your counterpart is conviced by what you say or is he just trying to be polite? Do you feel the meeting was a success, if so, why no contract was signed? Those are the very questions you may have to ask yourself while working in Japan.

The culture is indeed different, the sum of hundreds of years of experience. From a strict business point of view this may present quite a few challenges.

Being respectful of the customs and habits will certainly get you closer to the objective you wish to reach, but will it be enough? Probably not, and here is the dilemma:

Where lies the line between respecting the country's culture and getting people to do what they are supposed to? Do you blend in and try to move things from "within"? Will you challenge the rules at the risk of alienating the people you are working with?

The question is not trivial, especially for foreign investors who wish to acquire Japanese companies or grow business in Japan.

Numerous foreign companies have tried, some have succeeded and some have failed. While not everything can be put on the account of culture, being aware of the issue will only help.

But the question remains:

"Will you challenge the rules at the risk of alienating the people you are working with? Or will you blend in?"

Here is what I think:
Business environment is constantly changing, new strategies have to be put in place, new products created, new markets developed. Your operations cannot succeed if they are not in tune with the market or reaching opportunities. Growing your business requires change and change tends to create anxiety.

In any country people have a low tolerance for anxiety, and if you want your business to succeed, you will create anxiety. Wherever you are in the world, you will always find, as a manager, staff ready to help and grow your company and staff that is not. In any case, to push your business forward, you will have to reward those employees who support it and signal to those who are breaking it they should reconsider their attitude.

There is no other way. This is your business, and you have to enforce the strategy that you feel is the more appropriate and press your employees to support it.

While the way to convey your message should be appropriate to a Japanese environment, do not compromise on the objectives you are trying to achieve: communicate "Japanese", talk "Japanese", respect the people you are working with but don't ever let yourself be misguided by the cultural "differences". There are (and they are not extremely easy to overcome) but behind, there will always be the do-ers and the breakers.

• This is your business, your business strategy, and your business culture, in a Japanese environment
• Don't let yourself believe 'resistance' is a foreign/japanese cultural issue
• Don't let your staff believe 'change' is a foreign annoyance: it is a business annoyance
• Cultural differences, if well managed, are never the issue