Strategy on Your Own Terms
The best military strategists always choose the terrain on which they will do battle, rather than allowing the enemy to choose for them. So, in business, why would you possibly allow others to define the topography of your business environment instead of choosing the topography yourself? Yet, that is often precisely what business people do.
[:en]There is No Japanese Mindset[:ja]日本人特有の考え方などというものはない[:]
[:en]Nationality and national culture are not granular enough to explain behavior. There is no “Japanese mindset.” I have traveled to more than twenty countries, and lived outside my native United States for almost my entire adult life. I speak Japanese and French fluently, and just enough Italian, German, and Mandarin Chinese to get myself into […]
[:en]No Pain Points, No Problems[:ja]問題を抱えない顧客へのアプローチ[:]
[:en]What if your prospects and clients have no pain points and no problems? Presumption of damage is never a good way to start a relationship with anyone, whether in business or otherwise. Not long ago, I was working with a sales team to help improve their capability to ask questions when meeting with prospects. Without fail, […]
[:en]Empathy Trumps Projection[:ja]投影ではなく共感をすること[:]
[:en]Projection and empathy are not the same thing, but they are often confused. Empathy is the ability to understand how someone is thinking, whereas projection is presuming a person thinks like you. Be careful not to project when it is empathy that you intend.
[:en]When Risk Aversion is Personal[:ja]個人的な理由からのリスク回避[:]
[:en] There is nothing wrong with risk aversion. It is only aversion to reasonable business risk that is a problem. When a business leader complains of excessive risk aversion in his staff, the underlying concerns are frequently personal.
[:en]No Pain Points, No Problems[:ja]問題を抱えない顧客へのアプローチ[:]
[:en]What if your prospects and clients have no pain points and no problems? Presumption of damage is never a good way to start a relationship with anyone, whether in business or otherwise. Not long ago, I was working with a sales team helping improve their capability to ask questions when meeting with prospects. Without fail, during […]
[:en]Make Your Own ‘New Normal'[:ja]「ニュー・ノーマル」は自分で創り出せ[:]
[:en] The so-called ‘new normal’ is something you make, not something you predict, and if you lead a business, you should be deciding what should be your ‘new normal.’ Let me tell you three aspect of ‘normal’ that I think should become yours.
[:en]Monsters Under the Bed[:ja]ベッドの下のお化け[:]
[:en]Tentativeness is rarely out of fear of consequences, but rather fear of unknown consequences, and there is a distinction. A Japanese government ministry official in charge of supporting small to medium size businesses said a recent event in Tokyo said that a shocking number of profitable privately-owned small to medium sized companies with perfectly viable […]
[:en]Labor Shortage Success Manifesto[:ja]人材不足の中で採用に成功するには[:]
[:en]Every CEO with whom I speak bemoans unfilled positions, many of them critical to the business and complain about the dearth of competent candidates. How do you successfully secure great talent in a tight labor market? Below are the most effective tactics I advise.
[:en]Proffer Value, Don’t Presuppose[:ja]推定ではなく、価値を提案すること[:]
[:en]Japan Rail Shinkasen’s first class is called the “Green Car.” It is the most comfortable first class of any high-speed train I have ridden, whether it’s France’s TGV or Amtrak’s Acela. Japan Rail has outdone even itself introducing a class higher than the Green Car called “GranClass” on some lines. Yet, GranClass has got to […]