I loved this question in the Sasuga! Community Facebook group (thanks, Helen Lewis!): “I struggle with handling all the different threads that come at me - from friends, from family, from students, not to mention work colleagues. There is never time to be all things...
Looking for the Sasuga! Podcast? After over 4 years and 219 episodes, the podcast is on pause.
The good news is you can still enjoy them here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Below, you’ll find my latest blog posts to help you do brilliant work without sacrificing your personal life – less effort, more impact!
Want to make life easier for yourself? Get inspirational and practical Sasuga! Tips For You delivered to your inbox every week (you can easily unsubscribe any time).
Thanks. You’re A Star!
One of the funniest moments I remember from my ten years with McKinsey was when I sent an internal chat message to a young consultant who’d done something that I appreciated. I can’t remember now what he’d done, but I’ll never forget what happened later that day. The...
Use Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies To Make The Most Of Training
I’m sad when I hear that people spend time and money on training and then don’t put what they’ve learned into practice. What a waste. Mottainai. This applies to me too. I’ve taken courses and not made the most of what I learned. Why do we waste time and money like...
Argue For Your Limitations And, Sure Enough, They’re Yours
Do you give yourself reasons why you can't do something? "I don't have time." "I'm not good enough." "I should give the opportunity to other people." By doing that, you're arguing for your limitations. If you keep doing that, you prevent yourself from going beyond...
5 Hacks In Becoming A Globally-Minded Communicator
An Interview with Emi Takemura, Co-Founder at FutureEdu Tokyo I met Emi Takemura when we were both speaking at TEDx Roppongi in September 2016. I admired Emi's diligence in preparing for her presentation. When I saw her spending many hours over several days in front...
It’s Hard To Inspire Others When You’re Trying To Look Smart
An Interview with Hiroko Sasaki, President & CEO at ChangeWAVE Inc. After working with Hiroko Sasaki during our McKinsey days, I remember being deeply inspired when I visited her ChangeWAVE Inc. office a short while after I set up my own business in 2013. Hiroko...
How To Improve Your Communication In 2017
Can’t see the video player above? Watch it on YouTube. Scroll down for the full video transcript 3 Essentials To Improve Your Communication In 2017 1. Have Courage Step out of the comfort zone! We need to do this to learn something new. And because...
How To Feel Confident On Conference Calls
Can’t see the video player above? Watch it on YouTube. Scroll down for the full video transcript Conference calls are a challenge for multiple reasons: technical problems, time zone difficulties, and confidence issues -- especially if you're speaking in your...
How To Get People To Shut Up In Meetings
Can’t see the video player above? Watch it on YouTube. Scroll down for the full video transcript Considering how much time we spend in business meetings and the cost of each person in each meeting, it’s crucial to make meanings meaningful. If one person keeps talking,...
Treasure Your Imperfection In Communication
An Interview with Tiziana Alamprese, Marketing Director at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Japan I was tickled when I attended Tiziana Alamprese's presentation about pumping more passion into the workplace at an event organized by FEW (For Empowering Women) in Tokyo....
What Is A Good Question?
Can’t see the video player above? Watch it on YouTube. Transcript What is a good question? That is a good question. Why is “What is a good question” a good question? Because it's something that I’m curious about and I'm guessing that you're curious too because why...
When Should I Say No?
Can’t see the video player above? Watch it on YouTube. Transcript Last week, we talked about how to say no to avoid being overloaded, potentially harming relationships, maybe even feeling physically or emotionally unwell. So how to say no is really about communicating...