A perfect mess (remember? I am not done with this book — yet) is not a quick guide to business etiquettes or, for that matter, mess or anything else. But, it certainly contains a couple of tips just in case you have to deal with — say — the corporate structure of a Japanese company. Like, in Japan,

1. Employees are seated in a room just like the organization chart shows. That is, the organization chart is not only a tool to show you the power, delegation, authority and final sayers, but it’s essentially a map (for navigating around the company physically) in Japan.

2. During a conference, it is quite common that the senior-most person naps, often snorting and snoozing aloud. If you’re in the situation, don’t get alarmed if you’ve been boring him out or what. According to Abrahamson, “In a society that insists on both group consensus and deep respect for the opinions of superiors, how can group decisions be reached at meetings without either excluding the boss or failing to defer to his opinion? Easy: the boss kicks off the meeting, falls asleep, and wakes up when consensus has been reached.” (p. 217)

Excellent observation, and nice explanation, isn’t it?