Merging companies is tough, but in #Japan, it’s a cultural labyrinth for foreigners.
Bruno Oehy, a Swiss CFO of Sika Japan, faced the daunting task of uniting five different Japanese companies. Unlike a typical executive, Bruno’s mission required samurai-like adaptability and patience amid the chaos and stress.
Japan’s cultural mergers are uniquely challenging. Deep-rooted traditions like consensus-driven decision-making, complex regulations, and fierce employee loyalty make merging a minefield. Multiply this by five, and the challenge of harmonizing the finances and systems within 18 months becomes monumental.
For Westerners, language and culture barriers and contrasting business styles add another layer of difficulty. Bruno essentially had to conduct an orchestra without knowing how to read the notes, but he discovered that the music of human connection is universal, no matter the language.
How did he do that? He had to #trust, empower, and rely on his bilingual direct reports.
The hardest thing to do is to let go. When things go slower in Japanese time the last thing to do is to stress the system even more. After all, the Japanese work ethics are world-class.
Counterintuitively, Bruno found that his language limitations were an advantage. He fostered a collaborative environment by empowering his team and trusting their local expertise. Balancing Western urgency with Japanese precision, they bridged the cultural gap.
Bruno’s journey highlights the importance of leveraging local talent and building trust. His success in merging five companies is a testament to cultural sensitivity and leadership adaptability.
๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐จ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด – ๐ข๐ป ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ:
The secret weapon in my decades-long loving relationship with my late Hainanese Singaporean in-laws? Blissful ignorance of their language.
Everything was smooth sailing until the Great Orange Juice Incident.
One steamy afternoon, I innocently requested orange juice. What followed was a torrent of rapid-fire Hainanese. After some confusion and raised voices, a delicious glass of OJ miraculously appeared with a smile.
The language barrier turned us into master mimes, communicating through warm smiles, gestures, pats on the arm (they hit you and that means they love you), and a mutual love of good food.
But that’s only half the truth. The real genius is the diplomatic interpreter – the mother of my kids. She skillfully translated my words into what they wanted to hear and filtered back to me only the words that would keep harmony. And guess what? It worked like a charm!
#MergersAndAcquisitions #CrossCulturalLeadership #CultureShock #InterculturalCommunication #TeamEmpowerment #CollaborativeLeadership
