TimeZone Journal

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

You have been discussing a project with a South Korean customer for several weeks. Progress has seemed steady, perhaps even a little slow. Questions have gone backwards and forwards. You are waiting for decisions or confirmation on a few important points. Then suddenly everything changes. Can you revise the quotation today? Can you confirm delivery by tomorrow? Can you provide the additional technical information immediately? Something that appeared to have no particular urge

If you've worked with South Korean companies, the situation may sound familiar. The meeting goes well. Questions are answered, ideas are discussed openly, and there is every indication that the proposal has been received positively. Nobody raises any major objections, everyone thanks each other for their time, and you leave believing a decision is only days away. Then... nothing. A follow-up email receives a polite acknowledgement but no commitment. Another week passes before

The UK-India trade agreement has created fresh opportunities for businesses looking to expand into one of the world's fastest-growing major economies. Reduced trade barriers and improved market access are likely to encourage many organisations to explore India for the first time, while others will look to strengthen existing partnerships. But trade agreements don't build business relationships. One comment from a discussion this week stayed with me. The point being made was s

"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

A few years ago, I found myself in Hamburg meeting with a major global company. A head office-sanctioned project. We were partners who had worked with operating countries worldwide. Everyone knew we were coming. I had a colleague with me, Alison. Fluent German. They didn't know that. We sat down with Klaus and Klaus, yes, real names, and got started. First question: We can't share that information. Second question: No, we can't tell you that. Third question: That's confiden

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