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Have you ever wondered how other managers cope when facing the same challenges that you face in your day-to-day business in Japan? Do you feel that you and others could benefit from sharing experiences of doing business in this unique and challenging market? Then the NCCJ is pleased to invite you to Lotgenoten on March 14, 2013. This is the first Lotgenoten organized in the evening, followed by informal networking at a nearby restaurant. This event is kindly sponsored by ASML Japan.

If you are not Dutch, you may wonder what is LOTGENOTEN? The official translation mentions “fellow sufferers” or “partners in misfortune”, albeit with a smile; we prefer to talk about “Partners in Circumstance”. Everybody faces challenges in Japan. It would seem to make sense to learn from each others’ successes as well as failures and hopefully speed up the learning curve. That is what LOTGENOTEN is all about.

For this Lotgenoten session the main theme will be “Japanese & Dutch Working Culture: How to read each other’s behavior at work.” Behavior at work may be difficult to understand due to different cultural values and perceptions.

A Dutch person once asked me: “Why do Japanese people laugh all the time when it is serious business?” And one of my Japanese friends wonders: “Why do Dutch people keep asking everyone’s opinion, but don’t really listen?”

In this session we will discuss how to appreciate and value behavior to optimize the working relationship and atmosphere at the office. The moderator for this session is Monique Tanaka, Head of Human Resources/General Affairs at Rabobank Nederland, Tokyo Branch. She is Dutch but has been living in Tokyo for many years. She started her career in the hospitality industry, changing to the financial world 15 years ago.

This event is open to NCCJ members, employees of member companies and prospective members only. Attendance is limited to 20 people to encourage maximum participation among participants.
Everything discussed is strictly OFF THE RECORD.