How To Guide Your Team In Japan Through Change
Up until these last few years being capable and loyal was enough in Japan. Technology has changed the business landscape completely. Post the 1990 bubble burst, the previous many layers of management in Japanese corporations have been substantially compressed. Globalisation is forcing change within Japan and no one is immune from this trend. Team members in Japan have to deal with change and will have to face even greater changes in the future. As their boss, what are some things you can do to help them manage the transition into the new era?
Mentoring the team is going to be critical. To do that you have to become much better organised than you are now. We are all time poor already, constantly swimming against a floodtide of email and social media posts. The inflight passenger safety information videos always talk about in the case of emergency, grab your oxygen mask for yourself first, then help those around you. This is the same. The boss has to be able to allocate sufficient time to the team to help them through what will begin to look more and more like an emergency for Japan. If the boss can’t do that because of poor time management, we will be needing a new boss who can do so in short order.
Here are some ideas around useful conversations you can have with the team members. Talk about change expectations. With flatter organizations and a demographic wave of boomers coming through together, there may not be the same availability of top positions as in the past. There will also be a push to keep everyone working hard into their 70s. Life expectancy will climb past 100 in Japan, so 75, for example, will seem young.
At age 60, companies are putting “retired” workers on annual contracts, at half the salary they enjoyed previously. People are going to run out of money before they run out of life, so they will have to keep working. The individual’s contribution to their own medical bills will see an increase as the government runs out of the ability to fund the current scheme. Those with money will get no help, because that funding will be allocated to those at the bottom of the income tree. Learning how to manage investments to prepare for a long life, will become more pressing.
Building relationships and networks has always been important in Japan. For the young entering the workforce, they will need to think more broadly about these aspects. The lifetime employment mantra, decades at the same employer construct will go. Just like in the West, the young will move around companies more than in the past. They will need to create bigger networks that their parents who stayed at the one employer. They will be fewer in number than in the past, so developing strong relationships with key people will become more important to get things done. A lot of routine work will be done by AI and robots. There will be a need to develop expertise, but there will be a bigger need to let others know about that expertise. Getting training will become so much more important to stay ahead of the automation canibilisation curve.
The idea of starting at the top and working up from there just won’t happen. Those amongst the young who become company nomads, wandering off in some new direction every two years, will not build the skill sets or the relationships they will need to be successful in the future. Patience will be the deal breaker. Those without it will go nowhere in their careers. The concept of going broad in experience terms will be the first iteration of the new era of youth worker mobility. The long game though is going to be gaining automation proof expertise and this will only come with depth of exposure and wads of experience.
The collision of the demographic crunch and Japan’s immigration allergy will just keep pouring more oil on the fire of female participation in the workforce. This means the male/female power structure has to change. The boss is a lady will be much more prevalent than it is today, so young men of Japan, get used to the idea! Global matrix organizations will see the spread of foreign bosses leading Japanese teams but doing so remotely from distant climes. English will finally need to be understood and mastered in Japan, like everywhere else in the world. There will be technology to help with translation, but the human to human interaction needs direct fluency and no machine is going to replace that.
It is a brave new world for Japan, both for those aging and those entering the workforce. The boss will need to be a mentor to both groups as they are all entering unfamiliar territory. Those who are successful doing so, will not experience any particular issues with recruit and retain strategies, because they will be employers in demand.
Engaged employees are self-motivated. The self-motivated are inspired. Inspired staff grow your business but are you inspiring them? We teach leaders and organisations how to inspire their people. Want to know how we do that? Contact me at greg.story@dalecarnegie.com
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About The Author
Dr. Greg Story: President, Dale Carnegie Training Japan
In the course of his career Dr. Greg Story has moved from the academic world, to consulting, investments, trade representation, international diplomacy, retail banking and people development. Growing up in Brisbane, Australia he never imagined he would have a Ph.D. in Japanese decision-making and become a 30 year veteran of Japan.
A committed lifelong learner, through his published articles in the American, British and European Chamber journals, his videos and podcasts “THE Leadership Japan Series”, "THE Sales Japan series", THE Presentations Japan Series", he is a thought leader in the four critical areas for business people: leadership, communication, sales and presentations. Dr. Story is a popular keynote speaker, executive coach and trainer.
Since 1971, he has been a disciple of traditional Shitoryu Karate and is currently a 6th Dan. Bunbu Ryodo (文武両道-both pen & sword) is his mantra and he applies martial art philosophies and strategies to business.
