For newcomers joining a Japanese company, good listening skills will be the key to your success. Before suggesting changes or critiquing current practices, take time to understand the new work environment and the people who work there. What type of company is it and what are the experiences of your colleagues? Important aspects of the work environment for you to understand are the recommended dress code, the lunch and break schedules and overall acceptable behavior in the office. For example, new staff may find that listening to music, even with headphones, is frowned upon.
Make sure to know your colleagues’ names to facilitate good communication and collaboration when assistance is needed. If someone extends an invitation to lunch, seize the opportunity to build rapport and start a friendship. Based on my experience, Japanese colleagues typically have a reserved character and may not talk too much about themselves during initial meetings. Therefore, it’s important to be patient and allow friendships to evolve gradually.
Be Successful in the Office
Ensure you build a strong reputation in the office that you can take pride in. Make a positive initial impression on your coworkers by demonstrating friendliness, diligence, and reliability. Prioritize productivity and deliver your best work to leave a lasting positive impact. Maintain a positive attitude daily to foster a supportive atmosphere in the office. Instead of striving to exceed expectations, focus on thoroughly understanding your responsibilities in the initial months. Once you are familiar with your role, you can then explore opportunities to contribute new ideas and add value.
Taking notes is essential for new employees, especially given the volume of information you may receive in your first days on the job. Create a habit of jotting down details to help you recall important items like project deadlines or the names of new colleagues. It is also beneficial to clarify with your coworkers the communication tools they use among themselves whether it’s email, chat platforms, or another method. Ensure you are added to group chats and other team communication channels to stay informed and connected.
As you settle into your role, it is important to gauge how much time different tasks require. Initially, allocate extra time to ensure you can complete your work within the required schedule. This proactive approach not only helps you meet deadlines consistently but also contributes to building your reputation within the office. Emphasize meeting every deadline as a top priority during your first few months on the job.
Initially, some of us may hesitate to seek assistance, but the primary goal should always be to complete tasks accurately and on schedule. If you require help to achieve this, it’s advisable to ask questions rather than risk delays or errors. The availability of documentation or training materials is crucial in estimating the time needed to finish your assignment. From my experience, it is better to update your boss at the soonest if something will be delayed. It is easier for your boss to adjust if they have more notice. Informing someone that the work will be late just one day before it is due is typically a trait seen in new staff. The same holds true for mistakes and errors. It is advisable to share mistakes at the earliest opportunity since it is less time consuming and costly to fix errors at the beginning of a process rather than after at the end. No one wants to admit to mistakes; however, a responsible person will share their missteps rather than hiding them and contributing to a large issue later.
Thrive in Your Company
Always make sure you know the priorities for the company and your role within them. Thoroughly understand what your job entails and the dependencies with other teams if there are any. This gives you a better idea of your role’s deliverables and priorities, so that you don’t focus on the wrong things. If your manager or a colleague offers feedback, learn from it, and adjust your approach to your work as needed. Do not take feedback negatively, use the opportunity to improve yourself and be a better person.
One of the most effective things you can do in your office is to earn a reputation as a supportive, collaborative team member. Good team players support their colleagues, enjoy collaboration, inspire others, are friendly, and share credit for work well done. They lend a hand without needing direction and are considerate to other colleagues. Team players are also open, dependable, and accountable for their work. Maybe you are an individual contributor and not part of a team, but the sentiment still applies when dealing with colleagues, managers, or clients.
Valuable Skills
Manage your time well. Being late or missing deadlines impacts others, so understanding this and managing your time can help to keep work flowing smoothly. You don’t need to impress everyone by working late but prioritize tasks which require the most dedication or urgency. For some people, managing deadlines comes easy but for others it doesn’t. If you are a person who tends to run late with assignments recognize this and work a little harder to remain focused. Putting daily tasks into an online calendar is an easy way to get organized. You can even go old-school with paper and pencil to keep your schedule.
Lastly, one good way to succeed at your job is to become a better communicator. The first step to improve communication is to become a great listener and to listen to people you meet. When you actively listen to people you will be able to notice hidden messages. As your listening skills improve this also helps you become a better communicator. With these skills, you will be a better employee, team player and colleague.
The basics of a successful career in Japan are not so different from your home country. To succeed in a Japanese company, it is important to be a responsible and trusted colleague. Keep this simple advice in mind throughout your career journey.
