True Story 1.10
Corporate trainers’ credibility
lost in the first five minutes
The setting for this story
When two American trainers, Brett and Anna, delivered their first corporate training in Tokyo, Yoichi was among the trainees. In the excerpt below, Yoichi recounts to the trainers’ corporate supervisor, Renato, why he quickly realized that the training event was faltering.
A story of misaligned minds11
So Renato, my impression was that Brett and Anna had prepared for their first outing in Japan. Like, they’d learned some Japanese phrases such as arigatō gozaimasu [thank you], and they were bowing slightly when introduced to someone. But, as a trainee, I could tell that they were in trouble during the first five minutes because I overheard the comments of other trainees:
- Is this a program that’s being pilot-tested?
- What are we supposed to learn? Why are we here?
During the coffee break, many of my fellow trainees were agitated. They were saying:
- We didn’t receive the training manual earlier this week. How could we prepare?
- Why were they dressed like they were going to an office party?
- I couldn’t believe that Brett actually sat on the table and asked for our ideas!
- What about those pages in our training manual that Anna simply ignored?
Renato’s question
How did my company manage to fall so short of Japanese expectations for corporate training?
Critique of story 1.10
The Japanese appetite for preparation, thoroughness, and propriety is voracious. Employees expect to receive, several days before they attend a training event, the course manual so they can become familiar with the program. The orderliness and beauty of the manual matters; anything less than perfect gives the impression that the course will be deficient. The trainers’ appearances and personal styles are equally crucial. Formality is key: conservative business attire, careful grooming, erect posture, modulated voice, steady pace. Everything in the manual must be covered by the trainers; this is not considered tedious or redundant. The trainer who presents a casual, just-one-of-the-guys image, sits on a desk or table, or solicits ideas from the trainees will be discounted as a competent source of knowledge.12
Note that what has just been described has nothing to do with the technical or scholarly value of the training program. It’s all about perceptions and impressions, about nonverbal behavior, about personal styles and physical appearances. On these bases, the Japanese make quick judgments about people and situations – just like you and I have learned to do within the boundaries of our own culture.
For thought
Try to put yourself into the shoes of a Japanese trainer facing his or her first training event in the United States. What are some of your preparatory steps and objectives that will ensure your training session will be well received?
Related stories
Stories 1.12, 7.02, and 7.10 similarly concern corporate training events, the effectiveness of which were reduced by cross-cultural complications introduced by the trainers themselves.
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Endnotes:
11 Ramsey et al., 217–24.
12 I have been assured by a consultant and corporate trainer with decades of Japan experience, Dr. John Gillespie, that my critique is valid. He noted, however, that individualistic tendencies are beginning to appear in Japanese corporations.
Full citations are available at misalignedminds.info/References.