Episode #94: Jody Ono, Specially Appointed Professor at Hitotsubashi University Business School, School of International Corporate Strategy (ICS)

Professor Jody Ono is a Specially Appointed Professor at Hitotsubashi University Business School, School of International Corporate Strategy (ICS) in Tokyo. She teaches courses in Leadership Development and Leading for Sustainability for MBA students and business executives. She is a graduate of Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs (MPP '03), New York University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (MA '93), and American University's School of International Service (BA '89). Prior to her move to Japan in 2014, she worked for 7 years in the US, at the George HW Bush School of Government, Texas A&M University and for 10 years in Sweden, at the Stockholm School of Economics.

When discussing improvements to workplace engagement, Professor Ono says engagement can be defined as how excited people get about their work, how engaged they are with their workplace, and how much they look forward to going to work. She proposes that engagement has changed from the 20th century: employees today need continuous stimulation in the workplace through interaction and exchange of ideas. Younger employees, especially, need to feel personally seen and valued in the workplace. Professor Ono says it is really very difficult to change an organization fast, and typically the largest companies struggle with maintaining high engagement. While so much is implicit in Japanese culture, she says, in order for intentional change to happen, decisions about change must be made explicitly and then communicated often and via multiple means.

Building trust takes time, Professor Ono explains, in part because individuals trust others at different speeds and levels depending on their lived experiences and related learning. For leaders to be viewed as credible, they need to be clear about standards and expectations for performance. Clarity on these points makes it much easier to have real conversations that foster mutual trust in the workplace.

Professor Ono cautions against “stylizing your facts” when coming into Japan. By this she means that individuals should be cautious to question cliched assumptions about Japan and its people. She advises newcomers to cultivate a diverse network, with people of all ages and backgrounds, to construct a holistic view. In addition, Professor Ono notes that people Japan has different leadership traditions from many western cultures. Leaders should display patience, competence, and disciplined thinking in order to build constituency for the change they desire.