112: Hans Werner Burg, Representative Director, Leschaco KK, Japan

Hans Werner Burg is currently the Representative Director for
Leschaco KK in Tokyo Japan. Originally from Germany, Mr. Werner
Burg describes himself as a working-class kid raised in Western
Germany close to the French border. He went to university to
study Business Administration and that was when he had the
opportunity to do an internship at a subsidiary of a car parts
manufacturing firm in Hokkaido.


 


Mr. Werner Burg explains his leadership style and the way it
evolved over the years. He claims that in the beginning he was
trying to get his team to improve by finding faults in everything
they did, and this did not work well. He says he did not like
that approach himself. So, he slowly changed overtime. He
mentions that in Japan, an apology can be seen as a cultural way
to admit that you may have caused the client inconvenience and
will rectify for the next time. In comparison to Germany, an
apology may be seen as an admission of guilt. As apologies are
typically made for larger mistakes in Germany, the company may be
taken to court for that admission.


 


Mr. Werner Burg says he tries to encourage engagement by keeping
an open-door policy and trying to speak with people in smaller
groups for around 40 of his staff in Tokyo and Osaka. He
understands that people in Japan are less forthcoming with ideas
and engagement than in the West, and it takes more for them to
open up and share their thoughts and ideas. He says he tries his
best to be approachable and is calm by nature and doesn’t get
upset with anyone who disagrees with him. Once they have good
engagement with his team, Mr. Werner Burg encourages innovation
and good ideas from his staff. In the past he has tried to have a
limited agenda at meetings to keep it open for ideas. Mr. Werner
Burg notes, engagement and sharing of ideas have become harder as
most people are still working from home due to COVID-19.


 


Mr. Werner Burg explains that Japan is a country where trust is
very important. He emphasizes the importance of being authentic
and transparent to earn the trust of his staff. Additionally, Mr.
Werner Burg says that he shares credit with his team. For
example, if Head Office congratulates him on a target that was
achieved well, Mr. Werner Burg will make sure his staff members
who were involved in the project are acknowledged as well. On the
contrary, if there is a problem, he tries to tackle the problem
together with his staff, by admitting the mistake to clients as
needed and taking responsibility for the company.


 


Mr. Werner Burg says that knowing the Japanese language can be
helpful, as it is a useful tool, though he has seen people
succeed without it.