Submission to Authority Can Achieve Great Things

This is something I learned from the Japanese: submission to authority or one with senior position than you are can save time and do great things.

Convincing and Unified

I was a researcher then in a government project with counterpart funding from Japan. For foreign-funded projects local researchers have their counterpart Japanese experts as in any other foreign-funded project in the country. There were problems encountered at times during project implementation. At these times, the Filipino managers and supervisors will meet together with the Japanese counterparts to discuss things and resolve management issues.

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During these meetings, I noticed that most of the initiatives or propositions that achieved consensus, well-thought ideas or decisions come from the Japanese group. They were downright convincing and unified in their stand. Also, most of the Japanese experts who were there just listen to their spokesperson, who usually are their superiors. Whatever this person says, they just nod, affirming the stand. And I could not remember that somebody contradicted whatever that person says.

It was later that I learned that before attending such meetings, the Japanese counterparts have already deliberated issues among themselves and came up with definite stands on those agenda we tackle. This is something that we locals have not done, as we tend to contradict each other’s statements and could not agree on what positions to take. Each one seems to have a better idea than the other and wouldn’t give up on his/her own position.

Meetings and Agenda

This idea sunk in as I go through the intricacies of government bureaucracy and the way meetings are done. Lots of time can be saved during meetings with large attendance if only those involved already thought out some ideas before attending meetings. And this is where the agenda of meetings matter. If agenda were spelled out clearly in the notice of meetings, then everyone will be guided on what to prepare and share during the meeting.

But this is not only a matter of agenda because if all participants are made to speak their minds, it will be very difficult to come up with a consensus on those that require decisions. Discussion in small groups of 4 or 5 people can easily be concluded, and whatever that came out of it should represent everyone’s concerns. When this is done, a respected member of the group can serve as the small group’s voice while others attend to support the representative’s position.

Submission to Authority

This may be one the major reasons why Japan even as a small country was able to advance and make itself known in the world. In my opinion, respect to authority or to those with senior positions has been a central element that brought all efforts to fruitful endeavors. One leads, the others follow without question and get things done. Submission to authority can achieve great things.