Motivating Japanese Subordinates
By Rochelle Kopp (From PHP)
An American expatriate is transferred to Japan, and attempts to use the same motivational techniques that worked for him in the U.S. One member of his staff has done particularly good work, so in the next staff meeting he decides to single him out for praise. “Tanakasan has really made an excellent contribution to this project. Everyone, let’s give Tanaka-san a hand.”
In the U.S., the employee put in this situation would be beaming, pleased that their efforts were being recognized in a public way. However, the hapless Tanaka-san would be absolutely cringing. Being singled out is extremely uncomfortable for Japanese. This kind of attention to one individual tends to cause rifts in Japanese teams, upsettin their delicate balance. The attempt to motivate becomes demotivating, because it does not fit in well with the culture.
Even within the same culture, individuals vary as to what they find
motivating. It’s always important to understand the motivators that work for each individual. And it’s also necessary to grasp the culturally- determined aspects of motivation. This article will look at some techniques that are helpful for motivating Japanese employees.
Private recognition
While Japanese don’t like public recognition, they do like private recognition. So, find one-on-one ways to let your Japanese staff know that they are doing a good job. Be careful, however, about laying the praise on thick the way you might do in the U.S. In Japanese culture, little verbal positive feedback is given, so many Japanese feel that it sounds phony when they do hear it. What praise you do give should be sincere, and phrased in an understated way (no “fabulous!” or “fantastic!”). Taking the time to coach Japanese on areas for improvement can also be a way of showing that you take an interest in their development and want to help them. Invitations to join important meetings or work on highprofile
projects, or assignments of more interesting or challenging work, can also be ways of indicating that you are pleased with someone’s work. An invitation to share a meal together can also be a meaningful reward. The key is to show that you notice what the employee has been doing.
Being part of a team
With their strong group orientation, Japanese are highly motivated by feeling included in a group. The more that you can structure work as team projects, and reward teams for their accomplishments, the better. Things that promote group solidarity, such as group social outings, team meetings, and even touches such as group t-shirts, can be very effective in building motivation.
Being on the winning team
In addition to being part of a group, Japanese want to feel that the group they belong to is a prestigious one. Any efforts to raise the public profile of your company in Japanese
society will pay off in increased motivation. It very much matters to Japanese whether friends and family members will recognize the name of their employer–indeed many Japanese seem to choose their employers with this as a primary consideration. Advertising efforts, or special projects that will be recognized in the community, are helpful.
Inspiring corporate missions
Japanese employees also care about the perceived social value of their work. They feel more motivated if they believe that their company is doing something useful for society,
rather than just maximizing profits and shareholder value. Make sure that employees are aware of the corporate mission, and that the mission is something they view as
meaningful and relevant to their work. If the answer is no for either of these, efforts should be made to revise the mission so that it can be supported by employees, and to make sure that awareness of it within the company is high.
Stability
Japanese place a high value on stability in their work. This is in contrast to many American profes…
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