Podcast

When she was just 22 years old, Laura Kriska became the first American woman to work in the Tokyo headquarters of Honda Motor Company. On her first day, she was asked to trade her cream-colored Liz Claiborne suit for an ugly blue polyester uniform which was the beginning of many ‘us versus them’ rules. Laura quickly learned how to build connections across differences of language, ethnicity, race, and gender to create a WE approach. She then used this approach to permanently change a 50-year-old corporate policy. Her experience working with thousands of middle-aged Japanese men inspired her to write her first book ‘THE ACCIDENTAL OFFICE LADY’ – an insightful, honest, and personal account of a young woman coming of age in corporate Japan. She went on to become a sought after cross-cultural consultant for Fortune 500 companies on four continents, including the 12th largest bank in the world.

Inspired to create a ‘WE building’ revolution, Laura wrote her latest book ‘THE BUSINESS OF WE’ – a new approach to diversity, cultural difference, and inclusion that will increase employee retention and productivity and prevent misunderstandings that lead to lost revenue, lost time and increased legal risk. Her WE-building framework provides practical and actionable insights for creating a more inclusive and productive world. Whether a team is developing a vaccine or increasing the efficiency of an international supply chain, fostering a workplace that is inclusive and respectful of all employees is key to success.