Cultural Differences - Best Teachers of Empathy.

My West meets East discoveries.

I’ve spent 9 years in Asia, mostly in Indonesia and Japan. I led local teams and I was

part of management teams over there. Move to Asia was a culture shock, yes

inevitable it will come. There are my own discoveries:

1/ Asia is more about harmony and progressing together.

Many of you might know about famous Japanese “Wa” (harmony) concept but I

discovered that firstly in Indonesia. Progress makes sense only if we move forward

together. It is all about inclusion and respect to each other. Society or family

happiness before individual.

As you imagine that has incredible implications to the way you work there,

motivate people or advertise. People do not like to stand out as individual and each

step is confronted with the others to seek they approval or to check if that step does

not take the individual too far from the group. Also in that context you might read

about people saying „yes” to the boss all the time. Yes, I got it but you can

experience confrontation if you want.

It will happen only behind the close door and only if they trust you and when they

know disagreement will not have negative consequences for them or it is taken by

you in a cool way. Finally it has a tremendous consequence for the way you set

targets. People will be much more motivated by the group objectives than the

individual.

Eye-level view of a serene park with a winding path

2/ Emotions in Asia play bigger role in business than in the Western world.

When you step out of the airplane in Indonesia you immediately feel cheerful,

outspoken and vibrant society. Showing them your heart is the key way to success

and I mean it. You need to let them know you as a human being - your family,

religion, your house. Best is to cross the line between private and business, which in

Europe we hardly ever do. They really need to like you to follow you.

In Japan it feels opposite at the first glimpse. People are rather withdrawn, calm

and quiet. But careful, Japanese are highly emotional and sensitive. They are

prepared to loose money if they feel offended by you. And that includes high

corporate level relationships.

It is not a practice to introduce to them your family and invite home, but famous

“numikai” - drinking together after work is the only way to create emotional bond that

will pay back at work and help you doing business.

3/ In Asia what you see might not be what you will get.

You talk, you think you did the great job to convince all, things will rock from now

on (Jakarta: people visibly cheering, Tokyo: people quietly accepting). Weeks or

months past by and nothing happens. Projects do not move, things are as they were.

What happened?

Well, in both markets I had to learn my lessons over and over again and not

because people were dishonest. Firstly be sure folks are truly aligned with you. In

Japan I realized body language, eye contact plays a huge role. By nature Japanese

are not risk takers, so game-changing ideas will never be aligned quickly. It is a

lengthy process.

Indonesian are sometimes overoptimistic and after initial enthusiastic yes they

discover it is actually not easy, but nobody dares to tell you so.

I found it easier in Indonesia to get out from that uncomfortable situation. I just

had to closely guide people to help them move forward. In Japan it is much more

complex process to make everybody aligned. Takes time, meetings and tones of

arguments why not, why yes, so all possible risks are outlined.

In all situations, when you collide with a reality other than expected, the most

important thing in Asia is to keep a cool head and visible composure. Any signs of

anger show that we are weak, because it means that we cannot control ourselves.

Besides, people will start to fear us, get stuck and we don't achieve anything

anymore. In Indonesia people might quit their jobs. In Japan, they will stop doing

anything, wait patiently and watch what happens next.

It is also always necessary to remember that as foreigners we are subject to a

different perception of the group and it is necessary to build trust, keeping deep

empathy and respect for our cultural differences.

We are all great human beings, just different!

How all that happened? Well, to be honest before thinking to make any

corporate career in Asia my main motivation was to see and experience the life there.

Back to 2003 I met my first Indonesian folk in the Netherlands where I had my first

international assignment. When I was walking around neat cities being amazed by

the welfare of the Dutch society my friend felt miserable. How is that possible, I

thought? The guy from such a poor country feels so terrible among the rich ones.

There must be something behind. I wanted to experience it.

My dream came thru 7 years later when I arrived to Jakarta and began my first

assignment in Asia. During that time some years later I went on holidays to Japan. I

enjoyed it so much that I joked about accepting junior manager job just to live in

Tokyo, although I was Marketing Director already. Well, this time 2 years later I

arrived to Tokyo, luckly for my household budget I kept my director level and began

next contract.

My favorite anecdote is following. My friend was looking at possible adaptation of

European advertising concept to Indonesia. The product was infant milk. Proper

nutrition from early life is important, so when the kids get older they become stronger

more active etc. To demonstrate that in original version young boy runs at the school

stadium cheered by the proud mom. He overtakes all and wins. Bravo, well done, my son is the best. Got it? Yes, all European moms feel happy, no? Well, Indonesian

moms found that boy terrible. Too focused on his own success. So the final story was

- he runs, he turns back, he sees to be ahead of his friend, he slows down, friend

reaches him and they cross the finish line hand in hand together. Bravo! Wonderful

and well-hearted kid, I am proud of him, he is so considered about the others.