Aug 8, 2013
Dale Carnegie Training Japan: http://japan.dalecarnegie.com/
"I don’t understand!".
Well in Nippon, particularly, what a pandora’s box or treasure
trove that statement is, depending on your point of view.
Employees who respond in this way may have a number of subterranean
issues bubbling away. As managers, our ability to plumb the
depths of what they are saying is integral for success.
Here are 5 hidden meanings behind that "I don’t understand"
response. Gauging which one applies is the combined IQ and EQ
test for managers. Here are few hints on passing the test and
getting your just reward – keeping your job!
1 – They don’t know what to do
They may genuinely not understand the task content or have
enough experience to execute what you require of them. They
may not want to "fess up" to their lack of ability, because they
fear the consequences.
2 – They don’t know how to do it
Funnily enough common sense is not so common it would appear.
What is obvious to a seasoned, experienced manager may be
"Swahili" to their staff. Logic works in mysterious ways,
especially here in Japan, so the way forward can be
unclear.
3 – Not believing they can do it
This is closely linked to the "Big Black Book of Failure".
This infamous tome is usually squirrelled away in the bowels of the
HR Department and it carefully captures and records everyone’s
errors, mistakes, crimes and disasters. Therefore, a certain
inspired logic informs it is better to do nothing, than to
make a mistake. Fear of falling short of expectations or
performance minimums is re-branded as "I don’t understand".
4 – Not knowing why they should do it
This has two variants. One is why should "I" be doing this? In
other words, in my highly refined and defined world view, my
guidebook of Big Black Book of Failure avoidance says only do
precisely what is in my job description and avoid straying
into exotic areas of interest to my manager. The
second variant is more bold. It is the actual idea that this
task or project has dubious, shallow or irrelevant value, so
why do it at all.
5 – Not wanting to do it
Ah, we have arrived at last. They know what happens to "nails
that stick out" and they know that challenging your whacky
ideas is a path to pain. There is "no way" I am going to do this,
but I will snow you and just say "I don’t understand".
So facing that sea of inscrutable staff faces, all certified
masters of silence and obfuscation, how do we work out what is
the problem.
Some gentle probing will ascertain whether they don’t know
what to do. For example, "Have you ever done this task
before?" will establish whether you are facing blank, terrified
total ignorance or not. This usually covers off Hidden
Responses 1 & 2.
If the answer is "No", the boss penchant for muscling up to
the bar and displaying vast knowledge, capability, and
experience should be avoided, unless you want to be doing their job
as well as your own, with no reduction in headcount and no
increase in your own remuneration.
If the answer is "Yes", we move on to see if Number 3 - self
doubt - is the issue. "Is there anything about this task this
time which you think is going be difficult (code word for
"impossible" when rendered back into Japanese as
"muzukashii"). If the answer comes back as a "No" or lists
concerns that don’t seem insurmountable, then we need to see
if Number 4 - the "why" - is the issue.
Here some background on why you chose them for this task could
be helpful. "I chose you for this task because I know I can
rely on you, even though you are so busy with other work. The
reason why this project is important to me is ….’ A "trial
close" at this point is useful. "Are you happy to do this
task?". If they say "Yes", we are off to the races, if it is a "No"
then we are getting down to it at last.
Their answer about why they are not happy will tell you all
you need to know about why your idea won’t work in Japan.
Always useful to get that type of feedback - just do your best to
not nuke your staff member at this point. A studied pause,
then "Oh, good point. Let’s get a few of the team together and
see if it is possible to work our way through these barriers" works
well.
Good luck!
Dale Carnegie Training has been helping companies manage "I
don’t understand" for the last 100
years.
Related article by Dr. Greg Story: “Understanding 'I don’t understand'”
Related video by Dr. Greg
Story, President of Dale Carnegie Training Japan: THE Leadership Japan
Series #2 - Management Smoke and Mirrors In
Japan