Teacher ShelleTanaka-san the Salaryman
 After years of dedication, hard work, detailed study and not breaking the rules, Tanaka-san graduated from Tokyo University on March 31, 1990. In the previous October he had competed strongly at the career fair organized by the university and had proudly accepted an offer from a major Japanese company. On April 1, 1990, the very day after he graduated, Tanaka-san proudly joined the mass of daily commuters in his new blue suit and white shirt - he was now a freshman salaryman. When Tanaka-san first entered the company, he had no idea (and neither had the company) what position he would eventually occupy. Together with the other new employees, he entered the 3 month induction course and upon completion was assigned to a junior position in one of the company's offices. During the next 3 years, Tanaka-san was rotated through 4 or 5 different departments - 6 months in accounts, 6 months in patents and intellectual property, 6 months in production, 6 months in purchasing etc., until eventually he was assigned to a longer-term opening in the IT division.Even at just 25 years old, Tanaka-san has already begun to build a strong web of intra-company relationships - a network which will be important to him as he ascends the corporate ladder. When Tanaka-san was graduating from Tokyo University, his professor (who even now Tanaka-san refers to when making certain business decisions), told him of the importance of adhering to corporate policies, of being patient and of waiting for the right opportunities. Even as a young salaryman, Tanaka-san recognized that if he was not promoted to junior manager by age 28 he probably never would be. He saw from the experience of others that if he did not make departmental manager by 35 - 40 he probably never would. He is glad that he has always followed the safe path, glad that he has always followed the strict procedures laid down by the company. All over Japan, in Japanese companies large and small, you will meet salarymen like Tanaka-san. Most of Japan's salarymen exhibit a similar set of qualities that will affect the way you do business with them: they are loyal and dedicated to their company, if faced with a conflict between company duty and family duty, 99% will do their company duty first they are consistent, they never criticize their company, coworkers or managers, they are reliable, they are obsessed with detail, they evaluate all options, they are conservative, they make their decisions in committees ('ringi'), if necessary and for the good of their company, they will move mountains to help you, they conform http://www.venturejapan.com |