The coronavirus COVID-19 has shaken up the way we work. We now know more about Zoom or MS Team applications than we did a few months ago and have all been invited to an “online apero” at this point. As managing director of a company specialized in multi-cultural training to improve business efficiency when working…

During one of my seminars I gave in Japan, I realized the different reactions Japanese and Westerners have towards being told they have made a mistake.   I am talking about the very first, almost instinctive reaction towards someone who is telling you something is wrong in your presentation, in your report or in the…

Non-Japanese participants to JCO’s sessions often express their incredulity when their supposedly polite Japanese colleagues are suddenly answering their phone albeit being in the midst of a conversation with them. “They just left me standing there…” says one German employee in a Japanese company. Another observation that seems to clash with the notion of the…

The 5 secrets for an effective brainstorming session with Japanese. Have you ever tried to brainstorm with Japanese colleagues? If you did, you might have been disappointed by the lack of participation of your colleagues. You might have though “I can’t believe they are top class engineers and they don’t even have any ideas.” When…

We often hear that Japan has a culture of shame (vs. guilt in Europe.) This affects many areas of work and life, as how you are perceived by your neighbors, your colleagues and your clients is extremely important. The focus of this article on Japanese business culture is how this concept of shame for Japanese…