Managing for Creativity in Japan » experience http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan Talking with Foreign Executives in Japan Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:02:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Risk, Trust, Experience in the West http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/risk-trust-experience-in-the-west/ http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/risk-trust-experience-in-the-west/#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:00:08 +0000 Chris Berthelsen http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/?p=494 I think that people are more willing to take a risk or gamble in other countries than they are here. I think that it is harder to earn trust here. It takes longer. Whatever you have, whatever experience you have in the West doesn’t really matter, it doesn’t translate.

]]> http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/risk-trust-experience-in-the-west/feed/ 1 It’s a Respect (not talent or experience) Thing http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/its-a-respect-not-talent-or-experience-thing/ http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/its-a-respect-not-talent-or-experience-thing/#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:00:44 +0000 Chris Berthelsen http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/?p=474 Maybe I was arrogant in thinking that I could come in and get a top spot straight away even though my work and my background should be enough that I would be able to do that if I was in another country (like Singapore). But here, I guess you have to pay your dues. (C: So at least for foreigners it’s not a talent or even experience based system?) Yeah, it’s a respect thing and you have to show that you are in for the long haul.

]]> http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/its-a-respect-not-talent-or-experience-thing/feed/ 0 On Being Successful http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/on-being-successful/ http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/on-being-successful/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:00:27 +0000 Chris Berthelsen http://a-small-lab.com/managing-for-creativity-in-japan/?p=389 “I think you need to break away from the group. Respect it but try to break away from it. Pick staff who have good experience but who are slightly renegade. I’m talking about local staff here. If you are going to come in and set up a company you need local staff. But, when you start hiring, hardly anyone is going to want to work for a foreign start-up. So in some ways you will need to pick people who are a little bit different out of necessity. Then you have to foster that. Don’t think that it is a bad thing, make it an encouraging, positive thing. Then, you need to draw from what is happening around you. In terms of product quality, Japanese products are 100%. They are beautiful. That is where Western companies can learn from Japan. They can take the quality standards, apply them to their own products, and innovate better.

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This post is part of a series of excerpts from interviews with foreign executives in Japan, focusing on creativity. Excerpts have been edited for confidentiality.
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