Blogs and Articles from Third Way Forum Membrs
Oct 6, 2022
Discussion#1 What is professional nowadays? How much is too much personal matter sharing at work?
Blogs from The Third Way Working Group
- One trigger for this topic about sharing personal information was the trend of the "human approach" at work. Employees are not only viewed on their professional performance, but as a human in general. This then quickly leads to the discussion how much private information should be exposed during the work.
In general, oversees cultures are more cautious about sharing private information, or at least have a different view. One reason is that the Japanese working style originates in the Showa-era working style. This style evolved after WWII and considered the company as a sort of family:
- Company members are family members, one enters one company after graduation and stays until retirement
- Personal information and matters like health, (real) family status and situation are shared between members of the company
- The boss appears at weddings with speech, as matchmaker and at funerals of (close real) family members
- If someone misbehaves or even commits a crime in (real) private life, the company is mentioned when reported about the incident, like "Suspect XX of company YY was arrested...". Companies also might receive complaints about some wrongdoings of their employees and companies then apologize even if the issue was not work related. Therefore, companies also watched the private life of their employees. On the other hand, employees are using the company's reputation to raise the personal brand: "I am XX of company YY...".
- Drinking events after work (nomikai, 飲み会) were held to deepen the relationship between employees and also to address topics which cannot discussed at work due to lack of authority etc. Those events were in-particular "men's world" events, female employees were not invited.
Over the years the working style and information sharing changed, but the origins are still visible and used. Still today employees are asked to submit the results of the yearly health check to the company. Ironically, nomikai's used for deepen relationships are getting less favorable, but team building events with the same intention are increasing.
Social media changed the general way of sharing information. Private life became public visible and remote relationships increased in private and work life. Companies became - and had to be - more tolerant regarding the employee's private life. Another push was triggered by the pandemic because face to face relationships moved remote and also nomikai's almost disappeared. Younger generations are used to share more private information than the elder ones. Information sharing can go so far that it is perceived as TMI - too much information.
There is of course a legal framework about data privacy. There is information regarded as private and special private. However, self reported data do not enjoy protection. Furthermore, some private data need to be shared with the company to some extend to get benefits or support. This can apply in cases for taking paid menstrual leave or for jobs which are linked to disabilities.
As for the question why should one share private life at all, it shows trust and authenticity when someone does not only talk about the work. In particular in Japan, business relationships are build on trust. By sharing parts of the private life one deepens the relation to co-workers or business partners. Furthermore, many people do not want to play different roles, a private-self and a separated work-self. They just want to be authentic and not playing a role. In contrast, others intentionally share selected private information for personal branding, which might support the progress of their professional career.
Sensitivity of private information is different in Japan compared to overseas. Metaphorically, if your private information is in a box, and Japanese are opening their box to someone else, everything in the box becomes visible. In Europe for instance you have several levels. Inside the box there are other boxes you keep closed. You open only those for a certain privacy level and keep others closed.
Sharing private information can also be a burden. If someone shares about the private life, it means the person trusts the other and wants to deepen the relationship. It is in return expected that the other does the same. Receiving an open box but not opining the own leads often to disappointment. A western perception like: "Feel free to share what you want, but do not expect I will do the same" will particularly not work in Japan.
In general, oversees cultures are more cautious about sharing private information, or at least have a different view. One reason is that the Japanese working style originates in the Showa-era working style. This style evolved after WWII and considered the company as a sort of family:
- Company members are family members, one enters one company after graduation and stays until retirement
- Personal information and matters like health, (real) family status and situation are shared between members of the company
- The boss appears at weddings with speech, as matchmaker and at funerals of (close real) family members
- If someone misbehaves or even commits a crime in (real) private life, the company is mentioned when reported about the incident, like "Suspect XX of company YY was arrested...". Companies also might receive complaints about some wrongdoings of their employees and companies then apologize even if the issue was not work related. Therefore, companies also watched the private life of their employees. On the other hand, employees are using the company's reputation to raise the personal brand: "I am XX of company YY...".
- Drinking events after work (nomikai, 飲み会) were held to deepen the relationship between employees and also to address topics which cannot discussed at work due to lack of authority etc. Those events were in-particular "men's world" events, female employees were not invited.
Over the years the working style and information sharing changed, but the origins are still visible and used. Still today employees are asked to submit the results of the yearly health check to the company. Ironically, nomikai's used for deepen relationships are getting less favorable, but team building events with the same intention are increasing.
Social media changed the general way of sharing information. Private life became public visible and remote relationships increased in private and work life. Companies became - and had to be - more tolerant regarding the employee's private life. Another push was triggered by the pandemic because face to face relationships moved remote and also nomikai's almost disappeared. Younger generations are used to share more private information than the elder ones. Information sharing can go so far that it is perceived as TMI - too much information.
There is of course a legal framework about data privacy. There is information regarded as private and special private. However, self reported data do not enjoy protection. Furthermore, some private data need to be shared with the company to some extend to get benefits or support. This can apply in cases for taking paid menstrual leave or for jobs which are linked to disabilities.
As for the question why should one share private life at all, it shows trust and authenticity when someone does not only talk about the work. In particular in Japan, business relationships are build on trust. By sharing parts of the private life one deepens the relation to co-workers or business partners. Furthermore, many people do not want to play different roles, a private-self and a separated work-self. They just want to be authentic and not playing a role. In contrast, others intentionally share selected private information for personal branding, which might support the progress of their professional career.
Sensitivity of private information is different in Japan compared to overseas. Metaphorically, if your private information is in a box, and Japanese are opening their box to someone else, everything in the box becomes visible. In Europe for instance you have several levels. Inside the box there are other boxes you keep closed. You open only those for a certain privacy level and keep others closed.
Sharing private information can also be a burden. If someone shares about the private life, it means the person trusts the other and wants to deepen the relationship. It is in return expected that the other does the same. Receiving an open box but not opining the own leads often to disappointment. A western perception like: "Feel free to share what you want, but do not expect I will do the same" will particularly not work in Japan.
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