Feeling Stuck in a Japanese MNC: How to Handle Office Politics and Language Barriers?

Dear Seniors, I recently joined a Japanese MNC, and I am not satisfied with the working culture and office politics. Actually, one interpreter is working in our group as a PPC manager. He is very cunning, and management trusts him. You could say he is the ear, mouth, and mind of the Japanese staff.

He doesn't know much about HR and all other technical aspects; despite that, he interprets everything, whether relevant to him or not. The biggest problem is the language barrier since our Japanese staff only knows Japanese.

Seeking Advice on Workplace Dilemma

What should I do - stay in the same group or consider a change? I want to teach a lesson to that interpreter and find out if all Japanese groups are facing the same problem created by the interpreter.

Regards.

It will be advisable to stay in that group and make him understand that HR is not everybody's cup of tea. Let him do whatever he can, but you keep the key areas within your control. If possible, try to get another Indian member or a new interpreter to serve the purpose.

Without touching upon your first query, let me caution you on going ahead with your planned response—'I want to teach a lesson to that stupid interpreter and just want to know all Japanese group...'.

To the extent I know about Japanese & Koreans in my limited interaction with them, they take time to trust people & once they begin to trust, they trust for life. So, I suggest not wasting your time 'trying to teach' the interpreter a lesson. The Japanese won't believe you, and you also stand to lose your job (the worst-case scenario). Try to figure out other ways to handle the problem.

All the best.

Regards, TS

Thanks, Akshmika. Very well said—HR is not everybody's cup of tea. We cannot change the interpreter, as I already mentioned that the Japanese staff trusts him.

I am still confused about what I should do. One more reason is that there is nothing to do. You just come to the office, sit idle/free, have lunch, and go home. It is a Japanese MNC, but still, there is no work to do. Everyone sits free here. Maybe that's the main reason for the boost in internal politics. The tendency of the work culture here is that you have to show off that you have lots of work to do, whether you have it or not.

Regards.

Probably you have not understood what is expected of you. If an organization is running in profit and doing well, all your arguments that the PPC Manager is misleading the Japanese people will not be correct. Your language also needs some refinement. In a forum like this, using words like "stupid" and "I want to teach a lesson" have no place. Look inside yourself first before blaming someone.

Best wishes