I have spent a long time working in corporate America, and learned alot. I am still learning.
One thing that was a harder lesson is the difference between Loyalty and Integrity at work.
Loyalty of course I mean staying true to the company you work for. That is easy for Japanese people in my opinion. Japanese do loyalty really good. However people have a tendency to do whatever the boss says without thinking. Sometimes bosses want employees to do exactly that. "Do what your told and don't think about it, just do it." That is where loyalty goes too far, and begins to hurt the company instead of helping it.
Remember the point of loyalty to the company; to help the company survive and grow. Otherwise, why be loyal? The company in Japan will take care of you if you are loyal. But if you are too loyal, then you become an unthinking machine, doing what the boss says without ever thinking about it.
This is where Integrity comes into play. Integrity is hard to master at work. But what is integrity at work? The dictionary for integrity says, "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness." That by itself does not reveal the point though.
To me the important part of that definition is, "the quality of being honest". This is where the difference between a thinking human being and a non-thinking machine can make a big difference for any company. It means that when you are given an order to do something by your boss, you should also be willing to raise your voice if following the order would result in something bad, or in less efficiency. An example of this:
A boss tells a worker to hang a picture on the wall using a particular nail.
You realize that the nail will not hold-up the picture. The picture might fall and break if you use the nail that your boss told you to use. This is where your Integrity comes into play. Your willingness to speak-up and suggest an alternative approach is important. Saying that the nail might not hold up the painting and that you are concerned that the painting might be damaged if it falls is important to the company. Not saying something may cost the company money if the nail fails. So how to say it without making the boss mad?
The key is to do it in a respectful way. Be polite, humble, and helpful in your manner when you point out to your boss that the nail might not hold the painting up. Especially important is to say it in a way that is Not Against what your boss said, but rather that the order is good, but that you thought of an Alternative way that the boss can then choose from.
Example: Boss: "Please hang up this painting on the wall in my office using this nail".
Bad Response:
You: "No that will not work, the nail is too weak and the painting will fall and break."
Better ways to respond:
You: "Yes sir right away, but I am concerned that the nail might not hold the painting up securely. Do you think I should find a bigger nail, or will this one work?"
or perhaps:
You: "Yes sir right away. May I suggest using a larger nail? It would be more secure and prevent the painting from falling in an earthquake."
In the bad example, it is bad because you are saying that the bosses idea is bad. Never do this. Never make the boss look bad. It is not helpful to make the boss look bad, and will actually make you look bad for saying it that way. So when you respond, avoid saying it in a way that makes the idea sound bad. Instead you want to focus on agreeing with the boss, but then offering the boss something even better.
In the first good response example you are responding with respect (by saying you will do it) but also expressing concern for the company by worrying that the nail might not hold the weight. This shows that you are being loyal and respectful (by agreeing to do it), and also that you have Integrity because you were willing to express concern that doing it with the small nail might present a problem. Your not saying, "don't do this", which the boss would take offense to. Your instead saying, "Okay lets do this, but are you worried about..." and thus allowing your boss to think about the concern and change their order if they agree.
In the second good example you are responding with respect (by saying you will do it), and suggesting an alternative course of action (using a bigger nail) instead of saying something negative that would make it sound like the bosses idea was bad. By agreeing to do it (and with it), and then suggesting a slight deviation to make the idea better, you are showing respect and loyalty but also Integrity (that your willing to be honest to help the company).
Either way, you show loyalty. By also showing Integrity in a respectful way, you become a much more valuable employee to any company.
Food for thought.
Long live Japan, and have a Great day!
Kris
