This columnist just got back from a nine-day business trip to Japan...As it was my first business trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, I'd like to share a few observations about the biz scene there:
- In Japanese culture, respect, deference and politeness are highly important...none of the Japanese participants questioned or challenged the statements of other participants in the program...
-- Another way that respect showed itself in the session was that every Japanese manager demonstrated total focus on learning. No one brought out a cell phone or a Blackberry...
-- Several of the managers I worked with and some of the waiters in the restaurants apologized for their lack of absolute command of the English language. But as I told all of them, "Your English is far better than my Japanese." Most members of the next generation of business people there are bilingual...more...
