Moe and Alana discuss how we can leverage both independence and interdependence to mend the rifts in our communities, workplaces, and schools.
Respect Where I Come From
Fifteen minutes into a highly anticipated meeting with a Japanese investor group, I remembered one of the more powerful persuasion lessons that I had learned from a Japanese mentor who always seems to remind me that – ‘silence is a source of great strength.’ I witnessed as the three young men, all in their early twenties, politely introduced themselves, their firm and shared a heartfelt appreciation for the opportunity to explore our potential synergies. After that brief introduction, they then took their seats, and for the next 45 minutes, demonstrated why long-term relationships is the most important of Japanese business pillars.
To the rest of the world, silence can be rather ambiguous, but in Japan it signifies respect, truthfulness, and above all power. The Japanese will move mountains to help you, as long as they see the good in what you do, and it rhymes with their core beliefs and values. I’ve had the great privilege to see first hand why they are exceptional business partners, but as Stanford’s Alana Conner explains in – Clash! 8 Cultural Conflicts That Make Us Who We Are – its wise to approach them from an interdependent frame of mind.