One of Our Assignments
One of the world’s leading global electronics companies headquartered in Japan wanted some of its managers trained to communicate with the news media in a crisis. These managers would be given assignments in the U.S., and the company recognized that some of the customary practices in Japan (e.g., business men crying publicly after a crisis to show remorse) were not appropriate in America. It did not want those practices used.
Our team traveled to Tokyo to train these managers. The training was delivered in English with Japanese translation. In addition to introducing the participants to how interviews, press briefings and news conferences are typically conducted in the United States, we provided coaching on some of the differences in communication styles between western and eastern cultures – such things as eye contact, energy, and formal vs. informal expression. During the session, we incorporated examples from recent crises that several Japanese companies had experienced, and showed videos of company spokespersons communicating during a crisis.