Finding harmony in an international meeting
Even though we study about the differences of culture when doing global business, I am often surprised at difficulties that come up in International meetings. It’s almost as though the idea of knowing about cultural differences in business is enough and people are not taking the steps to work together to achieve more fruitful communication.
For instance, we are based in Japan and the typical character of a meeting would be shocking to someone from overseas. Communication is tightly controlled with the facilitator or lead manager doing most of the talking and other members mostly taking notes or speaking when called upon. This is part of the Japanese business culture because management and seniority are greatly respected, meaning people have to know when it is appropriate to speak.
Now, let’s say a German car company and a Japanese one decide to enter into a collaborative partnership and enter into meetings. According to businessculture.org, German business is also hierarchical but they are quite aggressive and hard-lined negotiators. Germans will argue strongly against divergent opinions which could be shocking and off putting for the Japanese members. You see, in Japan and the idea of Face are important and is always expected. While many aspects of business culture align, this tendency can be a spur in communications between the two countries.
The best approach is to not only be aware of the differences in the way business is conducted, but to also take action. Dedicate some time in the first meeting or have a separate meeting ahead of time to address how communication should be done and make it clear where communication issues may crop up. Meet halfway. Maybe the German side should learn to be more careful about speaking, but the Japanese side should learn to understand when it happens and maybe find a slightly more direct way of speaking.
This sort of communication compromise can take time to land on and could be helped with some coaching or lessons centered around discussion and role-plays. With our over twenty years of experience working in Japan, coupled with a more Western sense, we are equipped to help with this.
