[SSG nudge Leadership] Listening Closely to Music, Even Nodding a Finger...

Communicating Through Visual Empathy and Responsive Interaction

"Welcome to today's interview. I will now give you a small task. I will play a piece of music. During the approximately 3 minutes of listening, please relax and feel free to adopt any posture or behavior you like. After the music ends, please write down two impressions each on the sheets provided."

About three years ago, a unique interview method was adopted. This was part of the interview process for selecting trainees to participate in the Global Young Business Manager (GYBM) training program, which involves going to Southeast Asia for one year to study the local language and then securing employment with Korean companies operating there. Also known as the Kim Woo-jung Academy, this program fully supports the 20 million KRW cost of the one-year training, guarantees employment for all graduates immediately upon completion, and offers an annual salary of around 40 million KRW. It is known as one of Korea’s top-tier prestigious programs, having produced over 1,300 graduates in the past decade.

The approximately 2,000 hours of training are conducted over one year in a local dormitory setting to foster character development through organizational life, job training, and local language education. Languages in Southeast Asia such as Vietnamese, Burmese, Indonesian, and Thai are difficult to learn. The emphasis on local language study is because the most important role of the hired company’s middle managers is to teach local employees and demonstrate leadership.

This interview was designed to assess the candidate’s ‘empathy ability’ to accept the other’s culture and their ability to ‘respond physically’ before they even speak meaningful words. Points were awarded based on nodding to the rhythm of the music, tapping fingertips, humming along, or otherwise reacting.

First, music reflects the culture of a region or country and is a part of daily life itself. The way a person from a different culture receives music from a specific region can feel unique. They will be perceived as someone who shares the same cultural DNA or is making an effort to assimilate. When listening to music one likes, seeing others immersed in a similar mood or making similar movements quickly brings people closer. It often develops into direct verbal exchanges and relationships.

Second, language is one communication tool among many. While concrete words and sentences spoken are important, nonverbal elements such as facial expressions, body language, and voice tone operate first. This is known as the ‘Mehrabian’s Law,’ named after a psychologist and UCLA professor. Also, when meeting someone for the first time, the visual information perceived first influences all subsequent impressions, known as the primacy effect. Actively enjoying music favored by local Southeast Asians, dancing to the rhythm, or harmonizing leaves a strong impression that greatly affects subsequent conversations. It also allows early assessment of local language acquisition and potential for growth in daily life.

There is nothing like cultural exchange to win someone’s heart. Recently, many executives and older generations have been making efforts to get closer to Millennials and the MZ generation. Rather than theoretical methods, simply humming along when their favorite song plays, understanding the lyrics and singing together, dancing, and cheering together quickly fosters closeness.

If your children listen to certain music, try casually offering an earphone to share and nodding your head along, or imitate the rapper’s gestures with your hands. This accounts for half the effort to build closeness and has a strong effect. If your subordinates enjoy a computer game, learn it once and play together. LEGO, famous for its brick games, has transformed by breaking games into smaller, more challenging parts rather than making them bigger and easier. This encourages parents and children to solve them together, increasing concentration and a sense of achievement, marking a new heyday in an era dominated by computer and mobile games.

I wanted to analyze the correlation between scores judged by the above method in interviews and work performance 4 to 5 years after employment. However, it was greatly disappointing. Interviewees did not know how to respond, and the interview lacked any discriminative power. I felt sorry for the biased study and lifestyle of our youth. I hope the time will come when such enjoyable interviews can be used to assess human potential.

Park Chang-wook, CEO of Korea Knowledge Leader Association (Secretary General of Daewoo Global Management Research Association)

◆ What is 'Nudge Leadership'?

- 'Nudge Leadership' is not about coercive or directive oppressive methods but about leading organizational or personal change through small, gentle interventions or motivation. It also involves improving human relationships through one’s own small changes, transforming into a person others want to follow. Ultimately, it breathes creativity and passion into organizations or relationships, creating new value and happiness.