The one big takeaway that Japanese Management consultants, Jun Suzuki and Hiroshi Hosoya held out to the participants at the recently held workshop on ‘New Business Planning and Managing’ was that of punctuality. ‘Please be on time’, said Jun adding that delivery time is sacrosanct for Japanese businesses. The workshop that was organised by Petrolearn Consulting and Nippon Kerala Centre had 16 participants from different fields of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Despite the delays and glitches that the two faced on their arrival at the airport, at hotel check-in, in inconsistent Wi-Fi, in the limited food choices, in no close-by spa facilities, in cultural gaps, and social gaffes they were still impressed at the keenness of trainees to learn the Japanese way of business. But what was really appreciated by Jun was the desire he saw in the women here to be active participants in doing business.
“The fact that women are thinking independently, and of new businesses, is a very positive development.” On the flip side Jun felt that a lackadaisical attitude towards time and time management was hurting business in India. “Punctuality should begin with the employee and be reciprocated down the line” he said.
Increasing the sales pitch is another area that managements here need to look at and improve upon, pointed out Jun “The attitude of people is very good but the promotion of a product is tepid,” he said. A lot of Jun and Hiroshi’s observations came after visiting several places like shops, malls, institutions, and resorts in the city. At an Ayurveda outlet Jun felt that the salesman had a very lukewarm approach to the products he was selling.
A typical Japanese working style according to the consultants involves a work culture that goes beyond salary. “We, Japanese, often think 24 hours on how to contribute to the company. It may be a lifetime system,” said Jun and hence Japanese companies often play the role of a family for the worker providing a sound support system.
Hiroshi, 45, enjoyed the hospitality immensely but felt that Indian businesses have a long way to go before they match the standards of the developed world. “It is important for companies to begin doing so.”
K.K. Murleedharan, MD, FRL Rubber Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Vytilla, a participant, was duly impressed by what he learnt. He enrolled himself for the course as he is planning to expand and diversify his chemical business.
He said, “The Japanese are more into emotional management; they motivate the team to lead a better life and set life term goals rather than organisational goals.” The other interesting aspect that Muraleedharan learnt was the degree of micro-analysis that Japanese companies indulge in before launching a product. “Out of every 1,000 ideas they have 33 materialise while in India it is only a 10 per cent success rate.” Transparency in the supply chain is another Japanese business trait that trainees here appreciated. “If a Japanese company feels that a product is over priced then they send a team of experts to help the supplier reduce the price of the component,” says Muraleedharan.
Beena Ravi, one of the five participants representing Kudumbshree, found the training “very useful.” “We are graduates but the five day learning of Japanese work style is like doing an MBA,” said Beena who heads the terrace farming and gardening project, called Gardenshree. Her group presented case studies and PPPs at the event. “The Japanese taught us simple ways to make a project feasible. This is what I found most interesting,” she added.
Muraleedharan too concurred with Beena’s views saying that the Japanese way of business has strengths that neither the western nor our own indigenous ways have. No wonder – Made in Japan - is a mark that guarantees the best.
