Thoughts on Korean Business by Don Southerton

an excerpt from my latest work in progress Korea Perspective  Chapter 1  Connected, Fluid and Conditional Perhaps the most enlightening experiences over my career as a business consultant has been managing Korea-based projects. As a result of years of study, research and coaching I developed a cognitive understanding into the Korean mindset. That said, nothing grounds one in reality as actually dealing with situations first hand.   What stands out from my Korea facing work (cognitive and real life) is the innerconnectiveness of their workplace. Author Richard Nisbett describes the concept well in The Geography of Thought : To the Westerner, it makes sense to speak of a person as having attributes that are independent of circumstances or particular personal relations.  This self— this bounded, impermeable free agent—can move from group to group and setting to setting without significant alteration.  But for the Easterner (and for many other ...

As with the previous post, I highly encourage you to share your comments and feedback. Questions? Comments?  In this commentary which builds upon the previous Process articles, I would like point out that although the Korean model appears to move quickly, potential projects are, in fact, reviewed with a high level of scrutiny.   Prior to the approval of any major initiative a “behind the scenes” dedicated task force (TF) is formed. The TF’s job is to research and benchmark the best practices of similar projects outside Korea. In many cases the team is cross-functional, comprised of staff from across the company—each member representing a department. Quite often the TF operates under a code name and work is kept confidential and private, even from most of their own organizations. Over the course of several months the team will compile a comprehensive report for leadership on which management can base a decision.   TF reports can vary from a PPT presentation to t...

My commentary titled “Process” provided insights into the differences between western and Korean project with a focus on planning stage. To recap, Koreans tend to move fast and make necessary adjustments going forward. In contrast, the western and the Japanese process invests considerable time initially to explore all the potential pitfalls and plan accordingly prior to beginning the implemention. In most cases timelines for Korean projects are considerably truncated— a potentially year-long project might be reduced to 3-4 months.  A follow-up commentary to ‘Process’ is underway; in the meantime I’d like to share some reader comments: Thanks for the discussion.  I loved the topic. These comments are like gold! The conflicts between Western and Korean styles are really quite confronting  (baffling to any new staff), and your comments and explanations are like little rays of sunshine breaking through the black clouds. Please keep them coming. A great pie...

This is the first commentary in a new series on Korean global business. My hope is you respond in an email and share your thoughts and comments.  Like with my previous works, I will edit the series into a new publication (yet to be titled) and incorporate the valued comments and input.  Don Southerton, Author Process: Cut Twice, Measure Once? During a recent workshop I polled participants on the differences they experienced between the Korean and western workplaces.   One attendee ’ s comment centered on how the Korean planning and execution process differed from not only his previous western background but also the Japanese model.   When asked to elaborate, the participant shared that Koreans tend to move fast and make necessary adjustments as needed going forward.   This was in sharp the contrast to his experience with the western and the Japanese process in which time is taken initially to explore all the potential pitfalls and plan ac...