I recall visiting one of my clients, who had been the President of his firm's U.S. subsidiary and then returned to Japan to a senior executive position at the parent company. As I was about to be ushered into the reception room to meet with him and some of his colleagues, he pulled me aside and asked if I'd like to see his desk. We went to another floor, which was a different world from the hushed wood-paneled reception area. A tremendous number of people were crowded into an open room, with desks that were small and Spartan even by Japanese standards. His desk was shoved up against a pillar and was notably nondescript. "Quite a change from my office in the U.S., huh?" he said,
thinking ruefully back to the days when he had a huge desk in an expansive executive office.