WORKING WITH JAPAN
When you ask someone to consider a new approach, rework a process or bring in a broader initiative, you are asking them to change. Over the years, my Japanese colleagues and I have developed an approach that weaves together both Western and Japanese 'business sense' so that change can be custom-fit for transformations, initiatives or almost any other business undertaking in Japan, scaled to your needs.
Data speaks
Our Friction Point Analysis research data of the workplace in Japan reveals Japanese feel that non-Japanese tend to ignore downside or risk. That's in their top 3 challenges when working in a global environment. Left unaddressed, this issue can lengthen decision and response time with regard to change
For Japanese, like everyone, change needs to make sense. That said, we all have our own realities, perceptions and assumptions.
The question is how do we align these differences to avoid or, at least, side-step aversion towards change to positivley impact schedules, performance and ultimately adoption?
Change is good, but you go first
Managing change can be difficult in any setting, but especially in an international work environment. The simplest response to change is to continue to say “Not yet. Not now,” delaying the work or decision until it becomes impractical. Not that uncommon in Japan.
It’s generally not a team’s knowledge, experience or skill that inhibits or stalls progress. It's the motivation to back something that, in their current understanding, does not make sense and therefore feels risky for the Japanese market, meaning your customers. This hesitancy is simply human nature at work.
Reducing friction, increasing speed
Rather than go against the flow, what if you made use of a mechanism to slide under surface assumptions, focusing onto the root ‘why’ of the actual obstacles causing friction. Then leverage this to hone your plan and approach so that it just makes sense for your Japanese colleagues to get fully behind it.
Use us to dial into your Japan change challenges and then, with you, craft a plan that aligns mutual outcomes.
That’s what we're offering.
A short call can reveal, if there’s any merit to explore this in more detail. Let's talk.