Thoughts on Korean Business by Don Southerton

Korea Perspective By Donald G. Southerton Publication Date: tentative January 2015 Overview Korea Perspective is based on daily consultancy interactions in the support of the Korean automotive, golf, land development, Green sustainability technologies and retail sectors. Western overseas teams, as well Korean leadership and teams, have openly shared their challenges and pressing concerns along with the inner workings of their companies in the interest of improving communication. In turn, I have worked to provide a framework, strategy, and solutions. About the new book This book builds considerably upon topics shared in my two previous and well-received publications: Korea Facing: Secrets for Success in Korean Global Business and Hyundai Way: Hyundai Speed. In particular, the new book explores more deeply into issues many working for Korean based companies may experience. The target audience and focus is the ever- growing number of Westerners employed by Korean-b...

Chapter 6 Pieces to a puzzle… A Western client recently explained that a huge challenge within their company was engaging the Koreans teams in the U.S. in discussions about complex situations and long-term planning.   Specifically, there was little joint discourse related to potential trade-offs and risks in projects assigned to the local subsidiary. The Western team was consulted only to validate pre-conceived ideas or to implement directives from Korea. In most Korean companies leadership determines direction and the paths to resolving major issues. In turn, the working team's role is to focus on producing immediate results. Contemplating this challenge, particularly within a narrow and myopic workplace approach, one can draw an analogy to jigsaw puzzle building.   The pieces to a puzzle have many sides but only some are visible. What is required is to look diligently at all possible options. As a Korean colleague once pointed out, their society beginning with...

This week we continue to look at negotiation styles. Impasses, Bottlenecks and Deadlocks In his classic When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures British linguist Richard D. Lewis illustrated well how different cultures communicate. [1]   Lewis’ work included crafting diagrams looking at a number of countries. Below are the German, American, and Korean perspectives—no one perspective is right or wrong—just different. In the diagrams below, you can see how groups may hit an impasse.   Frankly, my role over the years has been to recognize when one side hits a bottleneck or deadlock and then to move the talks past that point. An example comes to mind.   Over time negotiations in what had been a very promising partnership lapsed from an agreement to be executed by year end to a rather long dragged out ordeal.   Specifically, a bottleneck developed each time revisions in content...