Managing for Creativity in Japan Talking with Foreign Executives in Japan
Being a Foreigner
Marking Territory vs. Teaching a Race
“…Later though you find out that they were thinking “what an asshole”….”
Obstacles Involved with being Non-Japanese
“…you have to speak the language……If you can’t speak Japanese you better be really good at what you do….”
Advantages to being Non-Japanese
“….There would be too many rules and obligations. Being a foreigner means that I can break those rules….”
Advice for New Managers
“You have to be enormously thick skinned….”
Hard to Pinpoint
“….everyone was fascinated with me but not fascinated enough to employ me….”
Bringing Value, Building Trust
“…but here there is a really big difference between being Japanese and non-Japanese…..”
Rewire your Thinking, Learn to Communicate
“…people here are actually really interested in what you are going to say but the issue is working out how to communicate your message…”
Intelligent Consumers
“…Japanese people aren’t stupid. They’re not stupid consumers…”
Country Specific Skills
“…I think that there is a reason why you are being brought in as a foreigner. You’re not brought in because you’re able to fit in….”
Cultural Strength, Lose the Blinkers
“….This is a very closed society and that gives it strength – I see it as a real privilege to be able to be a part of it….”
Mind Opening
“….I am still incredibility impatient but that gives me worth here, I can’t lose that aspect of being a Westerner….”
Put in your Place
“….Maybe that’s how I was when I first came over too and I got put in my place pretty fast…..”
It’s a Respect (not talent or experience) Thing
“….it’s a respect thing and you have to show that you are in for the long haul…..”
Passing Tests
“…It’s definitely a trust issue….”
Be Respectful or Be Shut Out
“….you really have to play the game right otherwise you won’t be able to do business, people will shut you out….”
Be Wary
“…but here there is only a certain amount of jobs going for gaijin and people really want to hold onto what they have got and they get really nasty….”
On Choosing your Successor
“…I would be looking for somebody who can embrace change….”
On Learning Japanese
“…take six-months or a year to study the language first and then come into the job…”
On Being Open
“….there are cultural risks wherever you go but at least in other cases the language is the same…”
Don’t Teach, Learn
“…Because they don’t have a long-term commitment to be here they need to get results quick….”
Slow Moving (2)
“…Creativity doesn’t really work that way, it happens when it happens…”
Contribute, Don’t Preach
“..when I have come across negative things I have had to be very sensitive to the fact that I am not here to teach…”
Pyramids and Funnels
Pyramids and Funnels
Client Relationships
“…The flip side of that is that in the relationships you do need to work much harder….”
Slow Moving
“Well I guess the biggest negative factor is that people don’t in general move as swiftly in the decision making process in Japan when compared to a lot of other places around the world. Even if you look at it from an historical/military perspective for example, in terms of military strategy or political decision making [...]
Important to Have Non-Japanese Managers for Japan
“I think there are many markets where we have an office where a local appointee can do the job just as well as an ex-pat but I think that there is an argument that you need an ex-pat if you are a foreign company in Japan. One reason for that is that you can come [...]
Seeing Both Sides
“It’s really hard to judge yourself but I think that since I’ve lived here coming up nine years in total, I suppose that just innately I’ve absorbed some Japanese culture and perhaps I understand the way they think and what some people’s concerns might be. It’s not something I’m consciously aware of but I think [...]
Advice to Newcomers
“Take it easy. Take a good look around before you change anything. Don’t come in like a tornado – unless of course there is some kind of crisis and you have to do something in an emergency fashion. Go through the process. Make sure that the staff sees that you are trying to learn, you [...]
