Episode #534: Dealing With Conflict Within The Team

 
Japan is excellent at being two faced. In the West, this has a pejorative air, but in Japan this is how harmony can be maintained. In contrast to the West, where public and private lives are carefully segregated, confrontation is rarely the means of resolving disputes in Japan. Although this cultural norm deters violent altercations, it presents difficulties, especially when people refuse to collaborate and thereby foster a polarising environment. Collective dispute resolution is an ineffective approach in Japan. As a leader, however, I've discovered that although they seem time-consuming, private, one-on-one talks are more productive. This method fosters open communication and establishes firm limits on behaviour without showing partiality. Finding the correct balance is difficult because too much leniency breeds stagnation while too much strictness encourages resignations.

Knowing when each person will snap is essential, especially in smaller companies where teamwork is critical. The benefit of Japan's dualistic society is seen in the secrecy of disagreements, which helps to avoid confrontations and division. In Japan, the objective is to discreetly resolve issues, avoiding public escalation and external recruitment into factional conflicts, in contrast to Western concentration on expressing individual rights. In spite of underlying conflicts, this subtle strategy seeks to preserve organisational cohesiveness.