How to treat the "Crusher Boss"(2)

This time, I would like to discuss why the Crusher Boss occurs. I think there are several reasons.

Let me start with the thing which you might think is off the topic. Having decided to translate my article into English in every article, I also had translated my last article and found out that it was most difficult to translate into English below wording.

"Because the appearance of the opinion of the Crusher Boss seems to be very logical and based on their personal work experience, it will be very difficult for their subordinate to object to his or her argument.”

 ( Reference: クラッシャー上司 - Wikipedia(Japanese))

I can assume that the native speaker of English will ask “Why the subordinate cannot object to the Crusher Boss's opinion? If the subordinate cannot object to it, don't you think that the subordinate is not right?"

Therefore, I would like to first discuss this situation. The situation will be like as follows;

(In the sales division in Japanese Company・・・)

Crusher Boss:" Hey you, have you provided the proposal document to client A?"

Subordinate:"Uh, I am sorry. I had no chance since I need to respond to client B's claim.

Crusher Boss: "Do you realize the existence of our sales division!? We don't have any meaning if we don't sale anything. Responding claim doesn’t help selling or our evaluation, you have to do as I have told you! First and foremost・・・"

This kind of conversation takes place in the office with the Crusher Boss.

If the subordinate has no time since he or she needs to respond to the claim of client B, it is the role of boss to arrange it. Why the Crusher Boss will blame to the subordinate? I think the reason for this will explain how the Crusher Boss will occur.

1.　The high ability of the Crusher Boss

I think when the Crusher Boss needed to face to such situation (such as the customer's claim or the trouble) above as a player; he will handle it correctly and achieve the goal since the Crusher Boss has the high ability to work. As it has been pointed out a lot, it is not always the case where the subordinate has the same ability of the Crusher Boss. The Crusher Boss needed to know it before the Crusher Boss work as a boss but it happened not.

2. The desire to be recognized

I think the Crusher Boss wants to be recognized his high ability. We can assume that by blaming their subordinate, the Crusher Boss can confirm “I have definite ability". Thinking the purpose of business, you don't have to blame someone for that purpose, since you just only explain such thing to their subordinates. But considering the blame or the long period of blame, I think that there is a high possibility that such desire of recognition exits.

3. The Crusher Boss cannot accept the constructive objection 

For example, after above conversation, what will happen to Crusher Boss when the subordinate pointed out that treating claims from customer properly will contribute to company's profit as a whole, eagerly studying the new management strategy? Although such suggestion is partially correct, the Crusher Boss will not accept such thought. Why the Crusher Boss cannot accept that? These have also several reasons.

 (1)The Crusher Boss recognizes such discussion as a fight which will result the winner and loser with respect to the view of the Crusher Boss.

With respect to the side of the subordinate, he or she thinks that someone has to respond to such claim or trouble, it is reasonable to think such opinion is constructive but the Crusher Boss will think he is loser when he accept his subordinate's opinion and think of new solution.

There is a possibility that the Crusher Boss is not aware of this because in the surface, some smart boss seeks for the open discussion.

When discussion, it will be a fight so some subordinate give up for such discussion or some subordinate who hates to lose will chose to fight but it might turned out be exhaustion to and "crush" to such subordinate.

(2) Japanese Education System

In Japan, for entering the society, the measurement of the students is limited. The person who has graduated the superior collage in Japan is the person who had success to complete studying only the subjects. Without the measuring the possibility to contribution to the society or personality, he or she can graduate such superior collage (although recently there is AO examination (*1)).

Generally speaking, by studying subjects through this Japanese education system, the students will struggle to learn lots of thing other than just learning such subject. For example, difficult math, difficult Japanese language(*2) will cause the students to suffer or skip studying which will be scolded by their parents.....Through such experience, the students will grow with a wide view.

But this is not the kind of thing which is written down clearly. So there are exceptional cases where some students who have high ability will not struggle to learn such subjects. Such students will enter into society without breakdown and with inflation of their ability. Therefore, there is a risk that some students who entire into a society are not grown up.

In my opinion such person with high abilities acquired through Japanese education system can be promoted in a conservative company in which the business model has almost no diversity.

No Japanese will tell the Crusher Boss's success was caused from luck. The Crusher Boss misunderstands his or her achieivment was caused from only his or her ability. 

 Although such opinion might be constructive, to accept other opinions  is very difficult for a person who thinks he or she is always right and believes his or her ability.

There are other reasons than above such as the work of Japanese is affected by the gropu in which such person belongs to or Japanese is a collectivism people. I would like to discuss other reasons further in the near future.

In summary for this time, I wrote the reasons of the occurrence of the Crusher Boss. They are lucky since, although they don't know or try to know other people's feelings especially who are not highly skilled, they are promoted for their limited range of skill. If you found out the reasons, you will know how to treat them. I would like to discuss this next time.

 (*1) AO stands for Admission Office.  The is the examination method for college in which the college will look into the characteristic of the student. It is different from the normal examination in Japan.

(*2) Japanese subject is difficult for lots of Japanese student since they need to acquire high skill to analyze the Japanese reading.