[: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]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]Fear Misplaced[:ja]見当違いの恐怖心[:]

[:en]Risk and risk perception are rarely equivalent, but if you lead an organization, yours must be one and the same. I write this as worldwide cases of coronavirus surpass 10,000, most of which are in China, and are certain to rise. While a frightening pathogen to be sure, the fears that coronavirus has provoked in […]
[:en]Ownership Trumps Buy-In[:ja]責任を持たせること vs. 同意を得ること[:]

[:en]New methods can appear threatening to some managers who have never had to change in order to be successful.
[:en]Into the Fray in Hanoi[:ja]変革に立ち向かうこと:ハノイでの学び[:]

[:en]There is no percentage in tentativeness. Success in strategic change belongs only to those who step into the fray. My recent visit to Hanoi reminded me of this, and below I explain why.
[:en]Chauvinism in Disguise[:ja]「排他主義」に隠された別の問題点[:]

[:en]Once when I made an offer on buying a house in Japan, the owner initially accepted, and then immediately rejected my offer after learning I was not Japanese. For me, such experiences are by far the exception and not the norm. Nonetheless chauvinism, racism, and xenophobia exist in Japan just as anywhere else, and while […]
[:en]No Settlement for Augmented Reality[:ja]拡張現実に甘んじるべきではない[:]

[:en]A machine is no ersatz for real, human engagement. A virtual reality is never better than the real thing. A recent visit to Paris reminded me of these truths.
[:en]Labor Shortage? No Such Thing! [:ja]労働力不足など存在しない[:]

[:en]There is no such thing as a labor shortage. There are more excellent people out there right now than you can possibly hire, and you can have them—if you do things right! Last week, I discussed what to let go in order to grow your business in the midst of a labor shortage. This week, […]