What I have learned while working

What I've learned while working:

I work at my own pace
I don't like repitious work, and will usually dream at finding a way
to automate it
I am good at automating data analysis
I enjoy putting machines together that reduces my work load
I attend about 10 hours of meetings every week
I also don't care for most of the meetings
I don't generally like discussions with too many "what if's"
I also don't like discussions when everyone is shooting off the hip
I am generally slow when it comes to e-mail
I'll get back to people faster if it is important
My work related e-mails (when written in Japanese) tend to be short
I am far more motivated to work when I see an immediate goal (and
somewhat tangible reward)
I make mistakes (lots of them)
I am really forgetful
I tend to think about other things while doing boring work
I have a terrible habit of forgetting everything I've thought about
after getting home
I have not seen many young people contribute or have the opportunity
to contribute radically new ideas / projects

Observations:

Mistakes are a waste of time
If you are credible, people will generally take what you say at face value
Giving good presentations at meetings is 50% of what is required to succeed
The other 50% is doing a good job
The best managers have excellent memories and are very detailed
The best managers are good at identifying the important issues quickly
The worst ones (even though they are nice) hold too many meetings and
progress tends to be slow
Managers generally like definitave answers
If you are good at your job, managers tend to be friendlier
Being 2x more efficient than everyone else will not result in 2x more pay
Given the option to take a chance vs going the safe route, more often
the safe route is chosen
Getting something new approved requires a lot of testing... even for
small changes
Problems can occur even for small changes
Young people are often not in a position of high impact
When mistakes occur, counter measures are usually often discussed
Most counter measures usually slow work down to prevent mistakes
Having too many counter measures is a pain in the ass

A few things about Japan:

Business level customer service in Japan is amazingly good
If you really need something done, they can usually work something out