The Japanese Circle of Truth

One of the interesting things about working in Japan, as well as most other Asian cultures, is the concept of "truth" as changeable, malleable concept.

For those of us in the West - at least those not working at CBS - the truth is a digital concept of yes/no, on/off, black/white that can be divided by a hard fast line:



In Japan, however, the concept is a little different. Imagine absolute truth as Westerners understand it as a point. Then draw a circle around that point. This Circle of Truth is the amount you can change facts, data, or any other information you want while still being "truthful":



This concept can be difficult to grasp, and even maddening, to Westerners doing business in Asia. Not only do customers and vendors use this concept, but also any local hires, subcontractors, and subsidiaries you might have working for you. For this reason any hard data you want to present to an overseas client - especially bad news - should be presented by someone flying over from the States. If you give data to one of your local people to present, there is a good chance that the data will be changed by the time your client sees it.

So when doing business in Asia, just keep this concept in mind when being presented with "facts". They are more malleable than you think.

Do You Buckle Up? Is It Because of a Law?

Searching Snopes on another topic today, I ran into the following true story:

Anti-seat belt law advocate is killed in automobile accident

Talk about ironic.

Seatbelt laws were passed in my state while I was in college. The only time before where I wore a seatbelt was in driving school and for the drivers' test. Once I had my coveted license (I can date!) I never buckled up again until the law went into effect (especially since seatbelts interfered with certain aspects of a date, if you get my meaning).

When the law went into effect I felt somewhat like this guy ("Uncle Sam is not here to regulate every facet of life no matter the consequences"). So I grumbled and started buckling up only if I thought a cop was in the area. Then I started buckling up most of the time. Then almost all the time. Then all the time.

Today I feel naked without it. If the seat-belt law were repealed or I moved to a location that didn't have it I would still buckle up.

Being nearly 20 years older and wiser now, I know that the belt is one of the only things keeping me safe on a highway filled with idiots. So although I might agree with the sentiment about government regulation, this is one area where I agree with the nanny state since this regulation gets people into a habit that might save their life.

What Do You "Know" Is Wrong??

1500 years ago, everybody "knew" that the earth was the center of the universe. 500 years ago, everybody "knew" that the earth was flat. And 15 minutes ago, you "knew" that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll "know" tomorrow.

- Tommy Lee Jones as "Kay" in the movie "Men in Black"

Dean's World is stirring up a hornet's nest on what science has told the public about AIDS and areas where science could be wrong. I am not saying I agree with Dean, but there does seem to be gaps in the research.

Looking at the discussion from a larger perspective, it makes me wonder how much we "know" is wrong. I think every generation for the last 100 years feels that "their" science has proven incontrovertible facts, but then developments happen a generation or two later showing that those facts were not only wrong, but absurdly wrong. What do we "know" today that will fall into this category in 100 years?

World's Easiest Quiz

In honor of the discussion in the comment thread of the below post, I am giving everyone the World's Easiest Quiz today. (The original source for this quiz was the The People's Almanac #2):

Scroll down for answers:

1. In which month do the Communists celebrate the October Revolution (this one is a "gimmy" from the below post).

2. How long did the Hundred Years War Last?

3. In which country are Panama Hats made?

4. From which country do we get Peruvian Balsam?

5. Which seabird has the zoological name Puffinus puffinus?

6. From which animal to we get catgut?

7. From which material are mole-skin trousers made?

8. Where do Chinese gooseberries come from?

9. Louis the XVIII (18th) was the last one, but how many previous kings of France were called Louis?

10. What kind of creatures are the Canary Islands named after?

11. What was King George VI's first name?

12. What color is a purple finch?

13. In what season of the year does Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" take place?

14. What is a camel's hair brush made of?

15. How long did the Thirty Years War last?

Answers:

1. As noted below, the stupid commies celebrate the October Revolution in November.

2. 116 years, from 1337 to 1453

3. Ecuador

4. El Salvador. The herb is grown by the Balsam Indians.

5. Common name is Manx Shearwater.

6. Sheep.

7. This one is easy since it is pretty common. Moleskin is made of cotton.

8. New Zealand.

9. Sixteen. Number 17 died in prison never having gotten on the throne.

10. Dogs, from the Latin Canariae Insulae, or Islands of the Dogs.

11. Albert.

12. Red.

13. Spring: April 29 to May 1.

14. Squirrel hair.

15. 30 years. Duh!

How many did you get right without web searching? The first time I took it I think I got four right off the top of my head. And this is an easy quiz!

Advice: Moving from Engineering to Management

From The Director's mail bag:

I'm looking for a job again. I'm really trying to get away from technical stuff and into management, but all my real professional qualifications are for engineering type things. Got any pointers?

This is a tough one. Traditional employers are hesitant to put anyone in a management position who doesn't already have management experience. It's the Catch 22 of employment: you can't get a management position without experience, and you can't get management experience if you don't get the position (actually this is true of just about any position).

For this reason, I think your chances of walking in and getting a managerial position from a random organization is, unfortunately, very small. So my advice is as follows:

1. Move your Goal Out - Accept a job in an engineering position that fits with your resume, but make it clear during the interview and, more critically, once you are in your new role, that your long-term plans are to move into management. Unfortunately, this will probably add three or more years to your career goal of management, but many hiring managers look for engineers they can hire now for an immediate project, but that they can groom for management positions later. The bottom line is that without experience, it is easier to move into a management position in an organization you are already in than to get one coming off the street.

2. Leverage a Contact - One way to get a managerial position without experience is to leverage a contact who knows of your abilities. Friends, former co-workers, fellow students, or even family members know of your ability to manage even if you don't have it on your resume. There may be a chance someone you know is a higher level manager in an organization and can put in a good word in for you.

3. Start Your Own Business - The obvious solution since you don't have to worry about things like hiring managers and resumes. If not on your own, then maybe with a group of like-minded people. In my experience, however, this does not guarantee a "management" role since when there are only six people in a company, no one really "manages" the others.

Any other advice from others out there?