Business in Japan plays by its own distinct set of rules from Western countries and even other Asian nations. For managers going to work in Japan for the first time, the correct manner of providing feedback can cause consternation. So, forget what you’ve learned about how to review employees.

Inventing feedback

Traditionally, the Japanese language had no word for feedback because it just wasn’t something that anybody did, says Sharon Schweitzer, CEO of Protocol and Etiquette Worldwide, and an expert on how managers can assimilate in foreign countries. So they had to make up a word, fīdobakku.

Yet, it’s still simply not something that’s done. “If you don’t hear from your Japanese manager, you’re doing well,” Schweitzer says. “If your manager asks for an update on your project, that means you’re not doing well.”