May 31, 2017
Tatemae, Honne and the Gaijin Boss
Japanese people are famous for having learnt over many centuries how to get along with others. High density living in the modern era and village communal agricultural activities in the past, have both seeded probably the best example of how to have a complex, but low friction...
May 24, 2017
“Sontaku”: The Secret Sauce For Leaders in Japan
Sontaku is a Japanese word which means to surmise or conjecture about someone else’s feelings or desires. It is often associated with another Japanese word omotenashi or superb levels of hospitality, for which Japan is rightly famous. Sontaku means supplying an...
May 17, 2017
Leaders Need To Skate To Where The Puck Will Be
Wayne Gretzky is famous for this ice hockey quote about anticipating where and when the critical actions have to be taken, rather than just following what is already happening. This metaphor applies even more in business, because the complexities are much higher, the...
May 10, 2017
Productivity Not Immigration
During the “bubble years” of surging economic growth, Japan could not keep up with the supply of workers for the 3K jobs – kitsui, kitanai, kiken or difficult, dirty, dangerous undertakings. The 1985 Plaza Accord released a genie out of the bottle in the form of a very strong yen,...
May 3, 2017
How To Resolve Internal Conflicts
Business is more fast paced that ever before in human history. Technology boasting massive computing and communication power is held in our palm. It accompanies us on life’s journey, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, everywhere we go. We are working in the flattest organisations...