293: Silence Is Golden In Business In Japan

<p>Tension is a good thing in business, because this is how we get things done.  There is an issue which needs solving and either we fix it ourselves or we outsource the specifics to someone else.  There is a tension between scaling up and preserving oxygen, otherwise known as, “cash flow”.  I have this issue all of the time.  I want to grow my company, but I don’t want outside investors, so bootstrapping is required.  That means the process is going to be slower than getting the cash in the door and diluting the ownership.  There is tension between time, cost and quality.  These three inputs cannibalise each other constantly.  If we go for the higher quality, there will be cost and time to market considerations.  If we reduce the cost, then the quality threshold may not satisfy our buyers.  If we go for speed, we may need to pay more for production machinery or overtime and that impacts the cost equation.  Given tension is a constant in business, you would think we would all be masters of dealing with it.</p> <p> </p> <p>This element of tension though, when it arises when dealing with Japan, can seem a mystery.  Western culture favours the quick, the agile business “backflip with pike” manoeuvre to maximise the market opportunity.  We like the snappy rejoinder, the quick wit, the sharp off the cuff comment.  We view these attributes as indicators of intelligence and articulation.  We are constantly hustling, making things happen, pushing the envelope, forcing the issue.  Japan is not particularly keen on any of these things.</p> <p> </p> <p>While we in the West are fixated on the correct answers, Japan is considering what is the right question?  Being the market follower is preferred here because that is the safer option, that is why precedent and track record are so highly valued.  You might get fired for being too slow in your decision-making in the West, but the chances of that happening in Japan would be rare. </p> <p> </p> <p>You really notice the temporal dynamic in meetings between foreigners and Japanese