I just got back from the second night of drinking with my coworkers. That's extremely common, and more business gets done after 8:00 p.m. at the bars than just about any other time. Last night about 15 of us gathered with some very senior visiting IBM managers to congratulate a top sales award winner. There's a lot of laughing and backslapping at one of these events. A word of advice: make sure you pour drinks for the people next to you, and do not pour for yourself.
I had a productive day at the office on balance, although the last meeting was a little tense. We identified potential customers for some new offerings, and I feel hopeful that we will actually be able to help these customers.
Then tonight we had a party to celebrate the promotion of a senior manager here in Japan. This event does not happen every day, so I was fortunate to be a new member of the organization to watch it happen. While all the workers knew about the promotion, the manager only found out at the surprise party this evening. (That's exactly the reverse of IBM practice in the United States. I think I prefer the Japanese approach — this manager was genuinely moved by the event.) Again, lots of laughs, conversation, and this manager even took the karoke microphone to sing.
These drinking events can drain the wallet quickly. One of the visiting managers settled last night's bill, but tonight each IBMer paid 8000 yen to join the celebration.
Tonight the team surprised me with news that a potential brand new customer has approached IBM to inquire about our capabilities. This news will keep me occupied probably for the duration of my assignment. Did I mention that more business gets done after 8:00 p.m. in Tokyo than during "regular" work hours?
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