TimeZone Journal

I've seen this scenario many times in international meetings. Three or four people do most of the talking, a few others contribute occasionally, and several say almost nothing. In the end, it's easy to decide who was engaged, who understood the issue, and who had the most to contribute. It is also very easy to be wrong. Over the years, I became increasingly cautious about interpreting silence in international business. Sometimes silence is cultural or hierarchical. Sometimes

If you've spent time working with Japanese colleagues or clients, you've probably heard the word interesting. You present a new proposal and someone replies, "That's interesting." You introduce a different approach and hear, "Very interesting." You finish your presentation and are thanked before being told it was "interesting." For many Western professionals, these responses sound encouraging. They suggest curiosity, engagement and perhaps the beginning of a positive discussi

If you have worked with Japanese clients, customers or colleagues for any length of time, you will probably recognise this situation. I certainly do. You send a proposal, answer a list of questions and think you are finally close to a decision. Then another email arrives. “Thank you. We have a few additional questions…” The questions are not difficult. In fact, most are perfectly reasonable. They simply keep coming. More detail. More clarification. More supporting information

"I feel like they just want to make us happy. I understand that....but can't they actually do what they said 'yes' to"? A participant made this comment during a recent USA-Japan training session. The team had reached a point where every conversation seemed positive. Meetings went well. Nobody appeared unhappy. Requests were rarely challenged. Yet progress often felt uncertain. The question being asked was simple. If everyone agrees, why does it sometimes feel as though nobody

You have done everything right. The meetings have gone well, the proposal is solid, and there is genuine interest on their side. But weeks have passed, and there is still no decision. This is not unusual. It is nemawashi. The word comes from gardening; it refers to carefully preparing a tree's roots before transplanting it. In Japanese business culture, it describes the process of quietly building consensus behind the scenes before any formal decision is made. Every key stake