Let’s face it, we are no longer looking at a world where we can guarantee freedom of travel indefinitely. If you are reading this you are likely in a position, or will be in a position, where you are managing a team you have never met before, thousands of kilometers (or miles) away. Japan is already massively challenging enough for first time expats to the country. Now you are given the seemingly impossible task to manage a remote team and somehow try to make that work. Although it isn’t going to be easy, I’d like to offer up 3 tips that may help you get started on a journey towards a successful (remote) assignment in hopes that it doesn’t fall to pieces before you actually get the opportunity to set foot on the ground here.
Over-communicate but don’t over-manage
Japan is what is known as a high-context communication culture. This means that communication is typically nuanced, layered and very indirect. For example, you would never hear a Japanese person say “I’m leaving now!” to announce they are exiting a meeting. Instead they would use the expression “soro soro...” This means “I’m slowly, or gradually thinking about wrapping things up.” Of course, what it actually means when reading between the lines is “I am leaving now.” It is small, almost unrecognizable cues like this, that if you aren’t listening for you will miss completely. Simply being aware of the indirect nature of high-context communication and listening for it is critical.
There is a good chance you come from a culture that is low-context (certainly in comparison to Japan: the highest context culture in the world!). You don’t have time for nuanced meaning behind what you are actually wanting to express. Unfortunately, you will need to make the time for this. In a country that is 98% homogeneously Japanese, everyone is used to communicating this way completely subconsciously. Approach 9 out of 10 of your communications with your team as a chance to acclimate to their conversation style. Not as an opportunity to delegate and assign responsibility.
This may seem counterintuitive at first, but set as many casual meetings with loose agendas as possible. Mix it up. Have discussions centered around current projects (without setting strict goals or deadlines) on one call. In another, have informal video calls on everyone's hobbies, interests and weekend plans. (Note; be sure to schedule and preface these kinds of meetings in advance however. Japanese typically do not bode well with spontaneity. Even if there is a loose plan, it still needs to be planned in advance.)
Your goal in all this is to listen as much as possible. Throw out open ended questions rather than yes/no questions and allow communication to happen organically. You may notice one or two individuals who speak up more than others. They will likely be the ones with plenty of experience dealing with other cultures. Listen to what they have to say, but call on a few people who are sitting quietly in the background. They will have the most to teach you about high-context communication style.
Persuade like a marathon, execute like a sprint
Japan is a consensus driven culture, and your remote team is no exception to this rule. If you do not want your project to fall flat on its face, you need everyone to be onboard. And when I mean everyone, I mean everyone. This means other departments your team interacts with, and more or less the company as a whole, locally. Driving change without having everyone aligned on a direction in Japan is similar to trying to steer a boat to shore with half the people rowing in one direction while the others are all rowing in the opposite direction. You won’t get very far.
The best way to achieve your goals is to approach persuading your goal or direction like a marathon. You need to factor in how to win everyone over in a series of small milestones. Not try to forcibly pull everyone in your direction. The worst thing you can do for your chances is impose your authority and take an “well I’m the boss” mentality. You will get a lot of polite (albeit high-context) communication and nothing will ever get done.
(Source: Intense minimalism)
The technical term for this is “nemawashi” which means "root binding". It originates from gardening and refers to the act of preparing roots of a plant for transplant so it does not get damaged. In Japan it is the art of getting everyone on the same page. Yes, it may seem tedious and more effort than you are used to. But once you have secured buy-in from all parties, what you feel you have lost getting the project off the ground; you will have more than made up for in execution. When everyone on the ship is paddling in the right direction, and with purpose, you will get there in no time.
Leverage resources on the ground
No amount of online searches can compare to a discussion with a human being who has been in your shoes. Whether it be another colleague in your organization who has been, or currently is on, assignment in Japan. A chamber of commerce representative. Or a cross-cultural communications consultant. Learning directly from those who have experienced what you are going through (or about to face) is the quickest way to avoid making the same mistakes yourself.
Years before the COVID-19 pandemic research was already suggesting the importance of CQ (Cultural Intelligence) “a system consisting of three interactive components - cultural knowledge, cross-cultural skills and cultural metacognition”. You can read a book or search online to gain cultural knowledge. But cross-culture skills and cultural metacognition come from real life experiential learning. These things take time and effort. Especially if it is your first time dealing with a new and unfamiliar culture to you.
Do yourself a favor and reach out to someone before you feel you need to. Even if it is just to confirm a few simple things and have them on speed dial come a time of need (trust me, that time will come). Because if you do wait until it is too late, the damage is typically already done. Especially with a polite, high-context communication culture like Japan. Like in cases of internal organ damage, the signs only show on the surface once the majority of the damage has been done.
Conclusion
Remote management is definitely a challenge. Most of us are confined to a situation of constantly translating culture and meaning through a computer screen. One thing is for certain however: if we continue to strive for improved communication in a remote environment, the moments we can collaborate in the same space physically again will hopefully no longer be taken for granted.
What have been your struggles with managing a multicultural team remotely? How have you been able to cope? If you have any effect strategies or resources please feel free to share them in the comments below.
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