[:en]The Senior-Level Salesman Who Won’t Change[:ja]変革を拒むシニアレベルの営業スタッフ[:]
[:en] For many companies in Japan, markets and strategic priorities have changed faster than the way senior sales staff do things. The target customers, industries, ways of selling and delivering value must change if the company is to thrive. Yet so many CEOs of companies in Japan lament about senior salespeople who cling to the […]
[:en]Don’t Push Back, Push Forward[:ja]拒否の代わりに推し進める方向で[:]
[:en] A CEO client of mine asked for advice on pressure he was receiving from the head office for a dramatic increase in sales targets for the coming year. He has successfully grown business consistently every year at a faster rate than any other country’s operation within the group. His managers now want more — […]
[:en]Why doesn’t my leadership team bring new ideas to me? The “wa” of Confrontation[:ja]対立においての和[:]
[:en] CEOs often ask me this question, as most would like their team to propose ideas and alternatives to them.In Japanese culture, proposing an idea can be viewed as suggesting you know better than your boss, and that you disagree with his or her point of view. At best this can be interpreted as impertinence, […]
[:en]Stop focusing on the yen exchange rate! Your best hedge is innovation![:ja]為替ばかり気にするのはやめ、イノベーションによるリスク回避に努めましょう[:]
[:en] Many business executives are fretting about the weakening, and a lot of them were present at a yen forecast briefing I attended yesterday. Lots of charts and graphs, elaborate assumptions, and caveats. In the end, it boils down to the yen could up, or then again it could go down.
[:en]Takeaways from lunch with Jim Thompson, Billion Dollar Entrepreneur[:ja]ビリオネア起業家、ジム・トンプソン氏との昼食会で学んだこと[:]
[:en] On February 5th, I organized a lunch with Jim Thompson, CEO and founder of Crown Worldwide. The lunch, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, was fully booked with twenty people in attendance. You may not have heard of Crown Worldwide, but they are one of the largest logistics, international relocation and […]
[:en]If you had a magic third arrow, what would you use it on?[:ja]あなたなら、魔法の第三の矢を何に使いますか？[:]
[:en] I ask that question to CEOs I meet. All have clear targets, from relaxing of import regulations to freeing up the labor market–a full quiver. Abe’s problem is not a lack of third arrows, but a lack of a third bow to launch them. Expectations may be low, but what if Mr. Abe succeeds? […]
[:en]More Thinking Driven Processes, Less Process-Driven Thinking[:ja]プロセス主導の考え方から、考えることを大切とするプロセスへ[:]
[:en] Too many companies in Japan are dominated by processes-driven thinking when what is really needed is thinking-driven processes. Process-driven thinking is all about adherence—following a process meticulously and consistently—something that the Japanese are particularly good at. Thinking-driven processes, on the other hand, are all about contingence—what you do is contingent upon the situation, and […]
[:en]The Middle-Aged Mid-Level Japanese Male Manager: The Bane of Business Leaders[:ja]日本の中年中間層男性マネージャー達：ビジネスリーダーの衰退[:]
[:en] No creativity or innovative ideas. Overly risk-averse. Fearful of change or anything new. Just going through the motions of their jobs, often working late, but more often just working slow. They’re not hungry! They are not assertive! They’re indecisive!. They’re afraid to speak up—afraid to say something with which others might disagree. Abominable at […]
[:en]Four Characteristics of a Great Employee[:ja]優秀な社員の4つの特徴[:]
[:en] I am often asked what separates great employees from the merely good and mediocre. My answer frequently surprises. Below are four characteristics of a great employee.
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