Tannen invites us to look more closely at indirect communication. Tannen says the power of indirect speech is that it is polite, builds rapport, and doesn't place one person at odds with the other. But difficulties arise when the ritual of indirect communication is not mutually understood. Some people accustomed to direct talk find that indirect talk is evasive or dishonest and reveals insecurity and powerlessness. But such a judgment is hasty.
Indirect communication can serve very specific purposes, just as direct communication does.
Consider Tannen's remarks about Japanese semantics. Young children learn to obey not by directive but by suggestions and rationales. Empathy is very important as a mode of social mediation in Japan, and the training that parents give their children begins to instill this value. In business, ideas are suggested through implicit statements rather than dictated or said explicitly. Tannen reminds those who are skeptical of the power of indirect communication that Japanese business is highly successful.