6th work with German
This is a story from decades ago, but I’d like to share an experience I had working with German.
While I was working at a certain company, I was headhunted to join a company in Tokyo. Things were going well as I built my career there. Later, an issue arose with a product from Company B that was delivered to a certain well-known individual. I was involved in a series of exchanges with Company B regarding the issue, and I believe the representative of Company B came to see my company as one that handled matters properly.
The company I worked for had a policy: “Sell at a slightly higher price than competitors, but provide proper support.” Thanks to that policy, we were introduced to a large-scale delivery project for a German organization, which is how I came to know the German.
For this story, let me refer to the German organization as DS. I learned a lot from DS and am truly grateful for the experience. When it came to selling to DS, there were specific conditions: the person in charge had to speak English, possess in-depth knowledge of the industry, and provide after-sales support.
Given that these aligned with my company’s policy, I decided to take on the project. For the next three years, we maintained a business relationship. The challenging part was conducting all communication in English and serving as the interpreter between my company, Japanese manufacturers, and the client.
The deliveries went smoothly, and we conducted several test checks. However, one day, an issue emerged. It became evident that the wireless signals might not transmit and receive properly. The cause? There were too many people and obstacles around the wireless devices. The fundamental rule for wireless systems is to place the transmitter and receiver as close as possible. However, the DS team, being inexperienced, argued, “The manual states that transmission is possible up to 100 meters.”
I explained that the 100 meters mentioned in the manual applies only in ideal conditions with no obstacles, but they didn’t seem entirely convinced. This was where I felt the differences in culture and mindset became evident.
From a Western perspective, what’s written in the manual is absolute, and any deviation is unacceptable. On the other hand, in Japanese thinking, while the manual may have its shortcomings, there is a certain level of tolerance or flexibility in interpreting it.
Ultimately, to resolve the issue, two representatives from the Japanese distributor of the wireless devices joined me on-site to conduct signal reception checks. Together, we confirmed that the devices were not defective, and the DS team was finally satisfied.
Another observation I made was the frequent use of phrases like:
“That is not my job…”
“I don’t have such a responsibility.”
“I have no authorization…”
The German organization seemed to be highly specialized and compartmentalized, with clear distinctions about who was responsible for what.