Saving Your Office From Itself
Where do Japanese companies rank in the world computer industry? An article in a 1994 issue of Wired referred to Japan as a "third-rate power in networking," and a recent Time article was entitled "Japan: Playing Catch-up in the Cyber Race." In a follow-up to his previous article (June, "Japan's Computer Industry: Detroit Revisited?"), Scott Nash outlines the steps that foreign computer professionals can take to bring their Japan offices into the networking age.by Scott Nash
While it might be satisfying to see the Japanese ,who have repeatedly claimed that foreign products are low quality, become the laughingstock of the information age, those of us who are computer professionals working in Japan must realize that our future depends on Japan's success. No one wants to go into an interview with "Japan" on their resume and be looked at like you have practiced your trade in a third-world nation. Up to this point, a lack of communication with the rest of the world and Japan's general mystique have hidden the country's weaknesses in computers, but as things grow ever-more interconnected, Japan's lack of computer savvy is becoming obvious.
To keep your Japan office from sliding into obsolescence, you're going to have to initiate efforts to introduce wide-ranging changes and make local managers realize that incorporating computers into work processes will lower costs and increase efficiency. The process will be neither quick nor easy, however. You cannot change the factors mentioned in last month's article: the Japanese education system (which places little emphasis on analytical ability), the seniority system (which ensures that only people who are out of the "computing loop" become the computing managers), and the pervasive "command and control" mentality. There are steps that you can take, but you will have to find allies who are willing to challenge traditional ideas.
An excuse often heard for Japan's slow acceptance of computers is that "the Japanese are not used to keyboards." In another country, this might be a valid reason, but Japan is the land of the eager consumer, ready to own the newest and the best. Lack of experience using a VCR (or VTR, to use the local acronym) did not prevent VCRs from becoming ubiquitous in Japan. (And unlike the stereotypical American, most Japanese actually know how to program their recorders.) Seen in this light, the inexperience excuse is flimsy at best.
The real reasons behind Japan's refusal to adapt computers are wholly "political." One was pure greed NEC didn't want to cut into its mainframe business, and its long stranglehold on the personal computer market enabled NEC to keep prices on PCs high. (In the US, IBM had a similar attitude; but unlike NEC, IBM didn't have the power to retard the PC market singlehandedly.) A more important reason, though, is that computers conflict with traditional Japanese business style.
The major benefit of computers is to make business processes more efficient, but they also have the pronounced effect of making inefficient procedures and people stand out. The implementation of computers results in personal conflict ("work better, or else"), requires a re-examination of time-honored methods, and harbors the unthinkable likelihood that younger workers could know more than their seniors each of which directly conflicts with accepted Japanese business processes.
If you had tried to introduce PCs into your office even three years ago, you would have been doomed to failure, but the realities have changed. Japanese managers now complain that they are doing more paperwork than project management, and with magazines screaming "multimedia" and "Internet," even the most stodgy managers are becoming aware that there are devices called computers.
Thus, your fight to modernize your company will not be a technical battle it will be entirely political. You must remember, though, that the only way to change the system in Japan is by working within it. The strategy behind your campaign will rely on the Japanese perception that if the majority thinks something is right, then it must be right. The trick is not in convincing the majority, but in making everyone else think that there actually is a majority. Promote computers until it seems as if everyone in your company is talking about them, and acceptance will follow.
Step 1: Turning Japanese
Rule number one is to remember that the Japanese do not easily take criticism from outsiders. Their defense and quite rightly is that someone who does not know the system cannot offer useful advice. Who of us, after all, would take kindly to a foreigner who doesn't speak our language or understand our culture coming in and broadly criticizing the way we do business?Your Japanese colleagues will easily dismiss your criticism of the Japanese business process using this reasoning, so don't give them that chance. Sharpen your language skills so that you can argue effectively, but politely, in Japanese. (You'll know you're getting good when people stop praising your Japanese and start talking to you normally.) You should also be able to read Japanese computer manuals, which is not as hard as it sounds since they contain abundant katakana.
Once you've developed your language skills, you must prove your technological abilities to the Japanese. Remember the Information Management exam discussed in last month's article? Even though it is outdated, you should still take it. Passing the exam allows you to say, "I am one of you. I have endured the same things you have. We're part of the same team." In your coworkers' eyes, you will be far more credible, because now you do understand Japan.
Finally, maximize your knowledge of Japanese business culture in general, and your company's processes in specific. Fortunately, you don't have to learn these things all by yourself; you'll be able to draw on the people around you, which moves us to the next step.
Step 2: Talking the talk
The second step is critical to your efforts to modernize your company. Contrary to the business books that state how wonderful Japanese corporate harmony is, politics are rampant in Japanese firms. It may not be as overt as the Western style, but you can be sure that the people who made bucho had to slide a few knives into others' backs; they just did it more politely and gracefully than their American counterparts.In the political battles that will inevitably arise, your allies are your strength and your eyes (and one of them will eventually provide the location for your first system installation). Lasting change will not come from one gaijin's work alone it will be the people you influence, one by one, who go on to spread the ideas you began.
In finding allies, start out with your base group usually, the people you work with. If you entered the company in the Japanese manner, this might also include the people who entered along with you. Ally yourself with those who are busiest and know the most about things going on both inside and outside of the company. Your allies don't need to know computers, but they should be quick learners, motivated, and willing to challenge the system to make it better.
Cementing relationships takes time, but you have an advantage in that most Japanese are curious about foreigners and will want to hear what you've got to say. (To contradict my earlier advice, don't be afraid to use your gaijin-ness to help you move throughout the company and gain allies. Being a gaijin can be a sales tool and help you get your foot in the door.) As a gaijin, you can gain valuable contacts by using routes unavailable to your Japanese coworkers. (For example, I occasionally walk into the VP's office and ask him out drinking. Usually, the people you are out with will want to show you off to clients. Get name cards, and write them thank-you notes. Word will spread, and so will your influence.)
Once you have established your basic allies, start talking about problems in the company, and how computers could alleviate them. Keep your criticism focused; criticizing everything will brand you as a complainer, not a doer. A point to keep clearly in mind is that the computer is a tool for making work easier and faster, not for making Japan more like America. You should not say, "if we did it more like they do in the US," but instead, "if we did it with computers...." This mindset will keep partisanship out of your overtures and convince people that you are concerned for the company (and not just in the midst of culture shock).
After you have established strong ties in your base group, begin to move outwards and upwards. Those in your group will usually know the up-and-coming people in other groups. One of the most important benefits of your alliances will be increased knowledge of the culture and politics of your company. This is crucial.
You definitely will want to look into previous attempts to introduce computers what went wrong, why, and what the fallout was. Perhaps because of former failed projects, people will have "buttons" that can be pushed. For some managers, the mere mention of computers may trigger instant anger; learn who these are and stay out of their way. Look for managers who get excited when you mention the potentials of technology.
Step 3: Walking the walk
Once you've established a network of technology-minded supporters, you will be able to locate an open-minded manager who wouldn't mind seeing efficiency gains and who is curious to learn how computers could help. Technical ability is key at this stage not for creating a computer system, but for choosing one that will provide your efforts with maximum visibility while minimizing the risks during development. Know your software and its limits. (Don't propose overhauling the company's mainframe-based, mission-critical inventory tracking system; despite marketing claims, PCs still cannot match mainframes for 24-hour reliability and raw speed.)Biting off too much and failing will be worse than not attempting a project at all, so start out small: perhaps a personnel system for tracking college interviewees. You are looking at this stage to highlight the advantages of PCs quick, flexible development and a graphical user interface.
A well-done system will quickly become your best PR tool and will do your lobbying for you. Those for whom you developed the system will tell others. At this point, you'll be returning to step 2, with more momentum and a larger power base. Use this new base to find a more complex project perhaps a workflow system for tracking purchases or business trips. As people begin to trust your systems, you can take on increasingly complex jobs. This is an iterative process: implement a system, increase your support, then find another opportunity.
Throughout the process, there will be managers opposed to computerization. You are going to have to play the game better than those who would see you fail. With your first success and a satisfied manager singing your praises, avoid the temptation to take on an anti-computer manager for your next project. When politics are involved, just because something is better doesn't mean it will succeed not with a manager's pride on the line. A managers who is against you will have a hundred ways to make sure you fail.
Instead, build the second system with another friendly manager. Your goal is to reach a critical mass: enough managers on your side that everyone will be talking about the productivity and efficiency gains stemming from automation. Soon, even the anti-computer managers will realize that by resisting change they may be damaging their own careers. Little by little, you will transform your company into a techno-savvy organization.
Don't lose the war after winning the battle
You've won, right? Well, not quite. Eventually, the Japanese character will risk all of your well-earned gains. Because the Japanese tend to define themselves in groups, the next logical step is to align themselves with particular vendors, and to stick with these. Microsoft is the software vendor of choice these days companies are setting up Microsoft Universities, Microsoft Business Support sections, and having all of their workers made Microsoft Business Professionals.
The danger is obvious: If you only have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. It is hazardous for your company to stake its future on one major vendor. Imagine that five years ago your company had aligned with Lotus because it had the premier spreadsheet program. You'd have had five long years when Lotus was late bringing 1-2-3 to Windows, then suddenly you might be on top again because everyone is beginning to use the Notes workgroup software. The point is that things are cyclical, and just because Microsoft (or any vendor) is on top now doesn't mean it will still be there in five years.
Information is the key to preventing this blind devotion. Japanese workers are not known for their visionary skills, so you're going to have to supply it. Keep up with PC Week and Computing Japan, and when a promising new technology comes out, let your coworkers know about it and its ramifications. You must convince management to keep track of quick-changing technology, develop a faster method of evaluating it, and to work with an open solution that will communicate with all other systems (instead of just the proprietary ones used in the past). When you spot new trends or software, photocopy the information, highlight the important parts, and send it around your division. When your coworkers know that you're looking out for new directions, they will come to you when they need to know about new technology.
Also, get as many people as possible involved in the Internet and Usenet newsgroups. The control of information is strangling Japan's computer industry in its infancy, and getting these people onto the Internet will introduce them to a most precious commodity unbiased information. Nothing can be more deadly than blind trust when dealing with software companies. (Who really believed Microsoft when they initially said that Windows 95 would be out in December 1994?) Usenet groups deal with real problems and solutions, not the relentless PR of the software companies. Once your coworkers have good information, they can make the decisions they need to stay competitive.
So, you've done it. You've convinced your mainframe-weaned managers to move to a more open environment, and you've taught your coworkers not to blindly trust in one vendor. Congratulations. You're no longer a computer programmer you're a project manager (you didn't want to sit in front of a screen forever, did you?). You can say that you were the driving force behind your firm's reengineering effort. Now that's a resume you can be proud of.
Scott Nash (CAC, Tokyo) can be reached via the Internet as snash@cac.co.jp.
Moving mountains: How to modernize your company.
With magazines screaming "multimedia" and "Internet," even the most stodgy managers are becoming aware that there are devices called computers.
As a gaijin, you can gain valuable contacts by using routes unavailable to your Japanese coworkers.
It is hazardous for your company to stake its future on one major vendor.
The control of information is strangling Japan's computer industry in its infancy.
