In today’s hyperconnected global workplace, there’s a critical element that frequently gets overlooked when working with international partners, colleagues, or supervisors:
“Cultivation of Meaningful Relationships and Trust”
Why does this fundamental aspect of business success continue to be neglected? –
The answer lies in our daily reality.
We’re constantly drowning in urgent emails, meeting preparations, looming deadlines, report submissions, customer complaints, sales tracking, and project management tasks.
The relentless pressure and mountain of responsibilities demanding immediate attention consume our mental bandwidth, leaving little room for relationship-building efforts.
By laser-focusing on immediate deliverables, we can certainly tick boxes and move projects forward—even without establishing authentic connections with our international counterparts.
Powering through pressure and witnessing incremental progress provides that seductive dopamine hit of accomplishment, fooling us into believing we’re effectively contributing to organizational goals—all while bypassing the essential foundation of cross-cultural trust.
Confessions of a Former “Efficiency-First” Manager
I was once guilty of clinging to these misconceptions:
“As a Japanese person working internationally, my cultural differences will be automatically accommodated.”
“Since this project is sponsored by a Japanese organization, all local staff and partners should adapt to the Japanese methodologies.”
“My managerial position guarantees team compliance.”
“Team members will naturally understand our challenging circumstances and cooperate accordingly.”
I operated in survival mode, obsessively clearing my daily task list while harboring growing resentment toward my international colleagues’ work approaches and communication styles.
As I observed the work styles and communication behaviors of my local staff and counterparts, I found myself making harsh judgments toward them such as:
“They lack motivation,”
“Their inefficiency is frustrating,”
“They are rude, and don’t respect me,”
“I can’t trust them with important responsibilities.”
Despite these simmering tensions and the absence of genuine connections, work continued – reinforcing my dangerous belief that “as long as deliverables are met, relationship deficits are an acceptable compromise.”
The Reckoning
The consequences of this approach became painfully clear during my assignment in an Asian country.
Within a short timeframe, seven team members under my leadership resigned in succession.
Communication deteriorated despite my increasingly urgent follow-ups.
Critical issues remained unaddressed until they evolved into full-blown crises.
Verbal commitments of “I’ll handle it immediately” consistently failed to materialize into action, significantly impacting operational progress.
By the time reality dawned on me, I was so isolated that rebuilding bridges with local team members had become nearly impossible.
In retrospect, this outcome was entirely predictable. I had been imposing “my way,” “my company’s way,” or the “Japanese way” onto every interaction, completely blind to how my self-centered approach was creating profound discomfort, frustration, stress, and resistance among my international colleagues.
The Illusion of Command-and-Control Leadership
In such environments, it becomes delusional to simply issue calls for:
“Support and cooperation from international partners and local team members”
“Strategic collaboration with long-term vision”
“Collective problem-solving as a unified team”
“Creating an engaging workplace with high retention”
These aspirations remain hollow because they transparently reveal a fundamentally flawed foundation – the desire to create a workplace optimized for your comfort alone, staffed with individuals who unquestioningly execute your directives, operating in an environment that conforms exclusively to your preferences.
Most critically, this approach neglects the essential components of reciprocal relationships and mutual trust.
In such sterile environments, collaboration with you inevitably becomes increasingly burdensome for colleagues:
- Your priorities get deprioritized
- Your requests sink to the bottom of to-do lists
- Motivation to excel on your initiatives naturally evaporates
Breaking the Cycle: The Investment Worth Making
Building authentic relationships and trust across language barriers and cultural differences admittedly requires patience and consistent effort.
Compared to the visibly urgent stack of deliverables demanding attention, relationship-building can appear less pressing and easier to postpone.
However, the truth remains inescapable: to drive sustainable team performance, foster organizational excellence, and achieve lasting business outcomes, meaningful relationships and trust are non-negotiable foundations we must establish.
This is why proactively, incrementally, and intentionally investing in connections with international partners and colleagues from diverse backgrounds isn’t just advisable—it’s imperative for long-term success.
My Ongoing Journey
Having recently relocated to South Africa less than a month ago, I’m navigating unfamiliar territory with humility. My focus has shifted to ensuring:
- Our partners genuinely value their collaboration with me
- Everyone experiences meaningful satisfaction in their work
- To build teams capable of delivering exceptional results
Step by step, day by day, I’m committed to bridging distances, building connections, and creating the foundation for truly productive global partnerships.
