Building Employee Buy-In for Policy Changes | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 方針は、従業員が変化を押しつけられていると感じると、うまくいかなくなりがちです。

   Policies tend to fail when employees feel changes are being imposed on them.

   方針

   policy; approach

   従業員

   employee

   変化

   change

   押しつけられている

   be subjected to; have imposed on one

   感じると

   when one feels

   うまくいかなくなりがち

   tend not to work well

   More detail

   方針 means a policy or course of action. It is the sentence topic with は, so the sentence discusses what tends to happen to a policy. Unlike a specific rule, 方針 can refer to an overall direction or approach. 従業員 means an employee or employees in an organizational setting. Japanese does not normally mark this noun for singular versus plural, so the translation’s plural reading comes from the context rather than a plural ending. 変化 means change, here referring to changes in an organization or its way of working. The same noun can also describe change more generally. For example, 変化に適応する means “adapt to change.” 押しつけられている is the passive-progressive form of 押しつける, “to impose” or “to force on someone.” The passive form presents the employees as the people affected by the imposition; られている indicates that this imposed state is currently experienced or continues to hold. A reusable contrast is 会社が変化を押しつける (“The company imposes change”) versus 従業員が変化を押しつけられる (“Employees have change imposed on them”). 感じると comes from 感じる, “to feel,” followed by と. Here と marks a condition: “when/if [someone] feels …”. The subject of 感じる is understood from the sentence as the employees, while Japanese leaves that repeated subject unspoken. The と clause gives the condition under which the result in the main clause occurs. うまくいかなくなりがち combines うまくいく, “to go well/work out,” with なくなる, “to cease to be,” and がち, “prone to” or “tending to.” Thus うまくいかなくなる means “stop working well” or “start to go badly,” and うまくいかなくなりがち says that this result is a tendency, not an absolute outcome. がち attaches to the stem-like form なり here; another example is 忘れがち (“prone to forget”). Putting the parts together, the topic is 方針 (“policies”), and the result is うまくいかなくなりがちです (“tend to stop working well”). The condition 従業員が変化を押しつけられていると感じると means “when employees feel that changes are being imposed on them.” The complete meaning is: “Policies tend to fail when employees feel changes are being imposed on them.” です gives the sentence a polite ending.

2. その過程で実際に意見を言えると、人は変化に適応しやすくなります。

   People are more likely to adjust when they have a real say in the process.

   その過程で

   in that process

   実際に

   actually; really

   意見

   opinion; view

   言える

   can say; can express

   人

   person; people

   変化

   change

   適応しやすくなります

   becomes easier to adapt

   More detail

   その過程で means “in that process.” その is a demonstrative modifier meaning “that,” and 過程 means “process.” The particle で marks the setting or circumstances in which something happens. A reusable pattern is Nで for an action taking place in or under a particular context. 実際に means “really” or “actually,” emphasizing that the opportunity is real rather than merely theoretical. It is the adverbial form of 実際, “reality” or “actuality.” 意見 means “opinion” or “view.” It is a noun that commonly appears in patterns such as 意見を言う (“express an opinion”) and 意見を聞く (“hear someone’s opinion”). 言える means “can say” or, here, “can express.” It is the potential form of 言う (“say”): 言う → 言える. The potential form presents the ability or possibility of saying something; it does not itself mean that the person actually says it. Here, 意見を言える means “can express an opinion.” 人 means “person” or “people.” In this sentence it is the subject understood generally as people, without identifying particular individuals. The form itself does not mark plural number; context and the translation support the general “people” reading. 変化 means “change.” With the particle に in 変化に適応する, it marks what someone adapts to: “adapt to change.” This is different from 変化を, which would mark change as the direct object of another verb, such as 変化を起こす (“cause a change”). 適応しやすくなります describes becoming easier to adapt. 適応する means “adapt,” and しやすい combines the verb stem 適応し with やすい to mean “easy to adapt.” The く form, しやすく, connects this description to なる (“become”); なります is its polite non-past form. Thus, V-やすくなる is a reusable pattern meaning “become easier to V.” For example, この道具で作業しやすくなります。 means “This tool makes the work easier to do.” The conditional connector と links the condition to its result: 意見を言えると means “when/if they can express an opinion.” In combination, その過程で実際に意見を言えると says that having a real opportunity to express an opinion in that process leads to the result. 人は marks people as the topic, and 変化に適応しやすくなります says that they become more able to adapt to change. The whole utterance means: “People are more likely to adjust when they have a real say in the process.”

3. 計画を最終決定する前に、提案を募ることができます。

   We could invite suggestions before we finalize the plan.

   計画

   plan

   最終決定する

   finalize

   前に

   before

   提案

   suggestions

   募る

   solicit

   ことができます

   can

   More detail

   計画 means “plan” here. It is a noun, and 計画を marks that plan as the direct object of the following action with を. Example: 計画を立てます。 — “I/we make a plan.” 最終決定する means “finalize” or “make a final decision.” The observed form is the dictionary/nonpast form of the compound verb 最終決定する; する is the verb element that makes this a “do/make” expression. In this sentence, it follows 計画を, so the plan is what will be finalized. Example: 日程を最終決定します。 — “We will finalize the schedule.” 前に means “before.” After a verb in its plain nonpast form, V-前に means “before doing V”: 出発する前に means “before departing.” Here, 最終決定する前に sets the time before finalizing the plan. 前 can also be a noun meaning “front” or “earlier,” but the following に and the preceding verb create this time expression. 提案 means “proposal” or “suggestion.” It is a noun and appears as 提案を, the direct object of 募る. Example: 新しい提案を検討します。 — “We will consider new proposals.” 募る means “solicit” or “invite” something from people. In this sentence, it means inviting or soliciting suggestions, not merely making a suggestion. The dictionary/nonpast form 募る can be used before another expression, as here. Example: 参加者を募ります。 — “We will recruit participants.” ことができます expresses that an action is possible or available: a plain-form verb plus ことができる means “can do V.” Here, 募ることができます means “can solicit suggestions.” できます is the polite nonpast form of できる; it is not the form of 募る. Example: オンラインで申し込むことができます。 — “You can apply online.” Together, 計画を最終決定する前に means “before finalizing the plan,” and 提案を募ることができます means “we can solicit suggestions.” The complete utterance therefore means: “We could invite suggestions before we finalize the plan.” In this context, the Japanese possibility expression presents that action as an available option; the English “could” conveys the same proposal-like meaning.

4. そうすれば、私たちの立場からは見えないかもしれない現実的な問題が見えてくるでしょう。

   That would bring up practical issues we might not see from here.

   そうすれば

   if so; in that case

   私たち

   we; us

   立場

   position; standpoint

   からは

   from ...; as viewed from ...

   見えない

   not visible; not seen

   かもしれない

   may; might

   現実的な

   practical; realistic

   問題

   issue; problem

   見えてくる

   come into view; become apparent

   でしょう

   would; is likely to

   More detail

   そうすれば means “if that is done” or “in that case.” そう refers back to an already understood action or situation, and すれば is the conditional form of する (“do”): する → すれば. Together, this creates the condition for the main clause rather than asserting that the condition has already happened. 私たち is the pronoun “we” or “us.” The form itself does not identify a more specific group than the context supports. 私 means “I” or “me,” and たち marks a plural or group-related reading: 私たち = “we/us.” 立場 is a noun meaning “position,” “standpoint,” or “perspective.” In 私たちの立場, の links it to 私たち, giving “our standpoint.” For example, 相手の立場 means “the other person’s standpoint.” からは combines から (“from”) with the topic/contrast marker は. Here it sets the viewpoint: “from our standpoint” or “as viewed from our position.” The は highlights this viewpoint as the frame for what follows; it is not part of the noun 立場. 見えない is the negative nonpast form of 見える, “be visible” or “come within sight.” Thus 見える → 見えない changes the meaning to “is not visible” or “cannot be seen.” In this sentence it describes the issues as not visible from the stated standpoint, rather than expressing a deliberate act of looking. For example, 山が見えない means “The mountain is not visible.” かもしれない expresses possibility: “may” or “might.” It follows the plain form 見えない, so 見えないかもしれない means “might not be visible” or “we might not see [it].” The fixed translation supports the latter perspective here, while the Japanese wording leaves the subject of 見える unspoken. 現実的な is the noun-modifying form of the adjective 現実的だ, meaning “practical” or “realistic.” The な connects this type of adjective to a following noun: 現実的な問題 = “practical issues.” It is 現実的な, not 問題, that carries this descriptive meaning. 問題 is a noun meaning “issue” or “problem.” Here it refers to practical issues that may not be visible from the specified standpoint. A reusable pattern is 大きな問題 (“a major problem”), where 問題 remains the noun and the preceding expression describes it. 見えてくる combines 見える (“become visible/be seen”) with くる, the form of 来る used in a compound to show a change developing toward the present viewpoint. It means “come into view,” “become apparent,” or “start to emerge.” This is different from simply 見える, which states that something is visible. For example, 原因が見えてくる means “the cause starts to become apparent.” でしょう is a sentence-final form expressing a likely conclusion or tentative expectation. In this conditional sentence, it contributes the sense “would” or “is likely to,” rather than marking a definite fact. It follows the whole predicate 見えてくる, so the expected result is that the issues will become apparent. Putting the parts together: そうすれば sets the condition, 私たちの立場からは gives the viewpoint, and 見えないかもしれない describes issues that may not be visible from there. 現実的な問題が見えてくるでしょう says that those practical issues would then become apparent. The whole utterance therefore means: “That would bring up practical issues we might not see from here.”

5. それは、人々が結果をもっと気にかける理由にもなります。

   It also gives people more reason to care about the outcome.

   それは

   as for that; it

   人々

   people

   結果

   outcome

   もっと

   more

   気にかける

   care about

   理由

   reason

   にもなります

   also becomes

   More detail

   それは means “as for that” or “it” here. それ is a demonstrative pronoun, and は marks it as the topic. The fixed translation supports the intended reading “it”; the form itself does not identify a more specific referent. 人々 means “people.” This noun has no overt plural inflection here, so the plural meaning comes from its lexical meaning and context rather than from a special plural ending. 結果 means “outcome” or “result.” It is the object of 気にかける in this sentence. Example: 結果を確認します。 — “I check the result.” もっと means “more,” indicating an increase relative to a contextually understood baseline. It is an adverb, so it modifies the following concern expressed by 気にかける, rather than changing the noun 結果. 気にかける is the dictionary form of a verb phrase meaning “to care about” or “to pay attention to.” In 結果をもっと気にかける, 結果を marks what people care about, and もっと says that they care about it more. Example: 私は安全を気にかけます。 — “I care about safety.” 理由 means “reason.” The clause 人々が結果をもっと気にかける comes before it and modifies it: it is the reason for which people care more about the outcome. Japanese commonly places such modifying clauses before the noun they describe, without an equivalent relative pronoun. にもなります expresses “also becomes” or “also serves as.” なる is the base form of なります, the polite nonpast form. The particle に marks the resulting role or status, while も adds “also.” Thus, 理由にもなります means “also becomes a reason,” not merely “becomes.” Together, それは sets “it” as the topic; 人々が結果をもっと気にかける describes the content of the reason; and 理由にもなります says that it also becomes such a reason. The whole utterance means: “It also gives people more reason to care about the outcome.”

6. 実行可能な計画でも、人々が自分のこととして関わっていると感じる必要があります。

   A workable plan still needs people to feel invested.

   実行可能な

   workable; feasible

   計画

   plan

   でも

   even; even though

   人々

   people

   自分のこととして

   as their own concern

   関わっている

   are involved; are engaged

   感じる

   feel

   必要があります

   is necessary; there is a need

   More detail

   実行可能な describes the following noun as feasible or workable. It is the attributive form of 実行可能だ; な connects this type of na-adjective to a noun. Example: 実行可能な案 — “a feasible proposal.” 計画 means “plan.” Together, 実行可能な計画 means “a workable plan.” The adjective describes feasibility; it does not by itself say that the plan will succeed. でも follows this noun phrase and adds a concessive meaning: “even” or “even though.” Thus 実行可能な計画でも means “even a workable plan.” This is the noun-based でも pattern, not the separate meaning “but” in every context. Example: 簡単な作業でも、確認が必要です。 — “Even a simple task needs checking.” 人々 means “people.” It is a plural expression and does not identify particular individuals by itself. Here it is the people whose feeling is described later; the sentence does not independently assert that they are in fact involved. 自分のこととして presents something as connected with oneself or treated as one’s own concern. 自分 means “oneself,” のこと frames the matter as something concerning that person, and として means “as” or “in the capacity of.” The phrase is useful for expressing personal ownership or identification with an issue. Example: この問題を自分のこととして考える — “to think about this problem as one’s own concern.” 関わっている comes from 関わる, “to be involved with” or “to engage with.” The ている form presents the involvement as an ongoing state here. It does not mean merely that someone is physically near something. Example: 彼らは地域の活動に関わっている。 — “They are involved in local activities.” 感じる means “to feel” or “to sense.” In 関わっていると感じる, the と marks the content of the feeling: “feel that they are involved.” The subject remains 人々, so the sentence says that the people themselves have this feeling; it does not assert a separate person’s opinion about them. 必要があります is the polite pattern 必要がある, “there is a need” or “it is necessary.” In this sentence, it says that the preceding action, 感じる, is necessary: people need to feel that they are involved as their own concern. あります is the polite form of ある; the noun 必要 carries the meaning of necessity. Example: 参加者が内容を理解する必要があります。 — “Participants need to understand the content.” Assembled from left to right, 実行可能な計画でも sets up the concession, “even a workable plan,” while 人々が marks the people whose experience matters. 自分のこととして関わっていると感じる means “feel that they are involved as their own concern,” and 必要があります says that this feeling is necessary. The whole utterance therefore means: “A workable plan still needs people to feel invested.”

7. 難しいのは、話し合いを建設的で具体的なものに保つことです。

   The hard part is keeping the discussion constructive and specific.

   難しい

   difficult

   話し合い

   discussion

   建設的

   constructive

   具体的な

   specific

   もの

   thing; something

   保つ

   keep; maintain

   ことです

   is the act of

   More detail

   難しい means “difficult” here. It is the plain non-past form of the い-adjective 難しい. The same form can describe a noun directly: 難しい問題 means “a difficult problem.” In 難しいのは, の turns the preceding description into a noun-like topic, so the phrase means “as for what is difficult” or, naturally, “the difficult part.” 話し合い is a noun meaning “discussion” or “discussion process.” It comes from the verb 話し合う, “to discuss” or “to talk with one another”; the form 話し合い is used here as a noun. The particle を marks it as the thing affected by 保つ. 建設的 means “constructive.” It is a な-adjective. Before a noun-like element, it takes な: 建設的な意見 means “constructive opinions.” In this sentence, 建設的で connects it to the following description; で is the connective form used with な-adjectives and nouns. 具体的な means “specific” or “concrete.” It is also a な-adjective, and な appears because it modifies もの: 具体的な説明 means “a specific explanation.” Here it is coordinated with 建設的な, so the intended qualities are both constructive and specific. もの literally means “thing,” but it can refer to an abstract thing, quality, or state. In 建設的で具体的なもの, it stands for something that is constructive and specific. The pattern AでBなもの can therefore mean “something that is A and B,” with the appropriate connective form for A and the attributive な form for B. 保つ is a transitive verb meaning “to keep,” “maintain,” or “preserve.” Its base form is 保つ; the form does not show tense by itself. The construction XをYに保つ means “keep X in the state Y.” Thus, 話し合いを建設的で具体的なものに保つ means “keep the discussion constructive and specific,” not merely “keep the discussion.” ことです contains こと, which nominalizes the preceding verb phrase, and です, the polite copula. 保つこと means “keeping” or “the act of keeping.” With 難しいのは at the beginning, 保つことです identifies that act as the difficult part. A reusable pattern is AのはBことです: “What is A is doing B” or, more naturally, “The A part is B-ing.” Taken together, 難しいのは sets up “the difficult part,” and 話し合いを建設的で具体的なものに保つことです identifies that part as keeping the discussion in a constructive and specific state. The whole utterance therefore means “The hard part is keeping the discussion constructive and specific.”

8. それなら、幅広く意見を求めるのではなく、焦点を絞った質問をするべきです。

   Then we should ask focused questions instead of making a broad feedback request.

   それなら

   then; in that case

   幅広く

   broadly; widely

   意見

   opinions; feedback

   求める

   to seek; to request

   のではなく

   instead of doing so

   焦点

   focus

   絞った

   focused; narrowed

   質問

   questions

   するべきです

   should do

   More detail

   それなら means “then” or “in that case.” それ refers to a situation already understood, and なら presents it as the condition for what follows. Here it connects the preceding concern about keeping discussion constructive and specific with the recommended action. 幅広く is the adverbial form of the i-adjective 幅広い (“broad,” “wide-ranging”): 幅広い → 幅広く. It describes how the opinions are sought. For example, 幅広く調べる means “to investigate broadly.” 意見 means “opinion,” “view,” or, in this context, “feedback.” It is a noun and can be used in compounds such as 意見交換 (“exchange of opinions”). Japanese does not mark its number here; the fixed translation presents the intended request as broad feedback. 求める is the verb “to seek” or “to request.” In 意見を求める, the opinions or feedback are the object being sought: “to ask for opinions” or “to solicit feedback.” Its dictionary form is 求める; for example, 助けを求める means “to ask for help.” のではなく follows the clause 幅広く意見を求める and means “instead of doing so” or “rather than doing that.” の turns the preceding action into something that can be contrasted, and ではなく means “not being/not doing, but rather.” The following action supplies the preferred alternative. A reusable pattern is Aのではなく、B — “rather than A, B.” 焦点 means “focus” or “focal point.” In this sentence it is the focus of the questions, not an independently stated participant or action. A useful expression is 焦点を当てる, “to focus on” or literally “to place focus on.” 絞った is the past form of 絞る (“to narrow,” “to tighten,” or “to focus by narrowing”). Before a noun, this past form acts attributively: 焦点を絞った質問 means “questions whose focus has been narrowed,” naturally “focused questions.” The observed form is 絞った, not an adjective derived from 焦点; 絞る is the verb carrying the form. For example, テーマを絞った議論 means “a discussion with a narrowed focus.” 質問 means “question” or “questions.” It is the object of する in 質問をする, a common way to say “ask questions.” Japanese nouns do not themselves show singular versus plural here, so the translation’s plural is supplied by the intended situation rather than by a plural ending. するべきです expresses that the action is advisable or expected: “should do.” する is the dictionary form of “to do,” and べき attaches to a verb’s dictionary form to express what ought to be done; です gives the statement a polite style. In this sentence, 質問をするべきです means “should ask questions.” For example, 確認するべきです means “you should check.” Putting the parts together: それなら (“then/in that case”) sets the consequence; 幅広く意見を求めるのではなく says “instead of broadly seeking opinions”; and 焦点を絞った質問をするべきです says “should ask focused questions.” Thus the whole utterance means: “Then we should ask focused questions instead of making a broad feedback request.”