My Thoughts on Communication Styles
I recently watched a documentary on Netflix about Carlos Ghosn, the former CEO of Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Following his successful careers at Michelin and Renault, he was appointed president of the new Renault-Nissan Alliance. It is well known that he carried out strict cost-cutting to help the company’s recovery and brought it into profitability at surprising speed. He worked very hard from early in the morning to midnight, so he earned the nickname “7-11,” meaning that he works from 7AM to 11PM. He was also hailed as one of the most powerful businesspeople in the world at that time. Now, he has fled to Lebanon and is currently wanted in both Japan and France. He made a statement regarding his escape: “I did not escape justice. I fled injustice and political persecution.”
This is my impression of him based on the information I have gotten from the media since the 90s and is my opinion after watching the documentary: I suspect he is charismatic and excellent at management and adjustments based on numbers and analyses. His confidence is manifested in his sharp eyes and fast-paced speaking manner, which are intimidating rather than convincing. Mr. Ghosn and his subordinates could not build the kind of relationship where different opinions are welcomed and questions are raised. In Japan, there is a strange communication culture that requires people to read the atmosphere (meaning that people need to develop the ability to synchronize opinions with others and read other people’s minds) and agree with the majority (which might require modifying your own behavior or attitude to harmonize with your surroundings and the atmosphere at hand). In general, it is difficult to communicate with someone if they do not share a common understanding, including a cultural one. So, I assume that Mr. Ghosn’s one-man operation was convenient for avoiding communication errors and good for moving Nissan forward. I don’t know the details of the criminal case, but the truth will be revealed eventually.
Let me change the subject. This October, I participated in the Craft + Design Exhibition organized by the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Virginia. The event was held in a beautiful building—Amtrak’s historic Main Street Station. The organizer arranged lodgings for participating artists, and I was fortunate to be able to stay in the guest room of Ms. Frankie Slaughter. Upon arriving, I was stunned with the incredible beauty of the house. From the fence at the entrance to the doors and rooms, there were many paintings, lighting fixtures, and lamps, and the furniture, such as tables and sofas, was remarkable as well. The backyard outside the windows was also amazing. Bedrooms for Barbara, who assisted me at the event, and me were on the second floor. As we went up the stairs, we were again astounded by the rooms with beautiful beds and decorations. I had never seen such a dazzling place, and I exclaimed, “Barbara, do we have the correct address?” Well, you opened two doors with keys, and we could successfully go upstairs—this may not have been a mistake. :) Then the owner, Frankie, came home. I was so happy to find out it wasn’t a mistake.
Frankie is a contemporary artist who works with a variety of materials including encaustic, fabric, paper, and porcelain. “My work is not about closure or tidy packages; rather, it braves the unrefined chaos, the spinning fans of the pinwheel, where the only language is this one; a visual expression that urges you, too, the viewer, to stay with me, to invest again and again in the imperfect but beautiful moment.”
Frankie is one of the committee members of the Visual Arts Center, and she, along with her husband, attended the preview of the exhibition and the welcome dinner for the participating artists. She was friendly to everyone and affable. She showed her interest in the people she spoke with while keeping a comfortable distance. Even though she did not talk much about herself, people were charmed by her existence. She inspired me a lot.
Just like her personality, her works spoke for themselves, naturally appealing to people around them. Also, the art in her house, regardless of whether it was created by Frankie or other artists, seemed to willingly make conversations, happily resonate, and laugh together. The sunlight coming through the windows in the morning, daytime, and evening illuminated numerous artistic lamps inside and spoke to the art as well. Frankie’s “imperfect but beautiful moment” repeatedly communicates every day in this house, I believe.
This month’s scarf is about Frankie’s house.
I hope you like it.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Yuh Okano
11/24/2022
