94: Jody Ono, Specially Appointed Professor at Hitotsubashi University Business School, School of International Corporate Strategy (ICS)

Professor Jody Ono is a Specially Appointed Professor at
Hitotsubashi University Business School, School of International
Corporate Strategy (ICS) in Tokyo. She teaches courses in
Leadership Development and Leading for Sustainability for MBA
students and business executives. She is a graduate of Princeton
University's School of Public and International Affairs (MPP
'03), New York University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
(MA '93), and American University's School of International
Service (BA '89). Prior to her move to Japan in 2014, she worked
for 7 years in the US, at the George HW Bush School of
Government, Texas A&M University and for 10 years in Sweden,
at the Stockholm School of Economics.


 


When discussing improvements to workplace engagement, Professor
Ono says engagement can be defined as how excited people get
about their work, how engaged they are with their workplace, and
how much they look forward to going to work. She proposes that
engagement has changed from the 20th century: employees today
need continuous stimulation in the workplace through interaction
and exchange of ideas. Younger employees, especially, need to
feel personally seen and valued in the workplace. Professor Ono
says it is really very difficult to change an organization fast,
and typically the largest companies struggle with maintaining
high engagement. While so much is implicit in Japanese culture,
she says, in order for intentional change to happen, decisions
about change must be made explicitly and then communicated often
and via multiple means.


 


Building trust takes time, Professor Ono explains, in part
because individuals trust others at different speeds and levels
depending on their lived experiences and related learning. For
leaders to be viewed as credible, they need to be clear about
standards and expectations for performance. Clarity on these
points makes it much easier to have real conversations that
foster mutual trust in the workplace.


 


Professor Ono cautions against “stylizing your facts” when coming
into Japan. By this she means that individuals should be cautious
to question cliched assumptions about Japan and its people. She
advises newcomers to cultivate a diverse network, with people of
all ages and backgrounds, to construct a holistic view. In
addition, Professor Ono notes that people Japan has different
leadership traditions from many western cultures. Leaders should
display patience, competence, and disciplined thinking in order
to build constituency for the change they desire.