このインタビューでは、株式会社チェンジウェーブの代表である佐々木裕子さんのコミュニケーションにおける成功とチャレン
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 had created a childcare space onsite, ran a lively workplace supported by other women, and was working with big companies to help them make meaningful changes.
She’s an amazing role model for working women in Japan, so I was delighted that she agreed to be interviewed. You may want to read this a couple of times to absorb the insightful lessons that Hiroko shares about emotion and storytelling in communication.
1. What sort of communicator do you want to be?
I would like to be an inspiring communicator who can change people’s mindset with a sharp, single word or just a small anecdote. I’m a change agent. In order to make a change, people have to be moved or touched. You have to switch the button that is inside each individual. It’s not logical, strategic things that change people’s mindset or behavior. It happens as a result of an inspiring story. After the person has been touched emotionally, logic can come next.
2. What is one communication success that you can share with us?
Overall, most of my success comes from questioning and storytelling. That’s the pattern that has made people change. For example, I designed a career program for a leadership development program for one client. In the program, the participants are asked, “What would you like to achieve in your life?” Then, I tell my own journey about not having a vision, how I struggled to find it out, and how my life changed after I found it out. That’s an example of how I successfully communicated my vision to myself, but it’s about more than communication. It’s about how you present yourself and how you are. It’s about authenticity.
3. What is one communication failure you can share with us?
One failure that I remember very clearly was at a dinner meeting with one of our major clients at McKinsey. He was the vice president of a major bank. We were dining together, and I was the youngest and newest of everyone there. I was very nervous, and I didn’t want to make any mistakes. I talked to him. I really wanted to share my insight as a clever business consultant. It didn’t work at all. I couldn’t make a real connection with him and I knew that he wouldn’t want to meet me again after the dinner.
When I told that story during a leadership training, the trainer said I couldn’t make a connection because I wanted to make myself look smart in front of him. It’s hard to be inspiring when you’re only thinking about looking smart. Then, one year later, I met with that same vice president. But this time, I wasn’t nervous at all. I was genuinely interested him and asked him questions. We had a very deep connection as a result. This time, he talked for about an hour and told me his management secrets. This taught me that communication is more about the communicator’s mindset.
4. What is most challenging for you in communication right now?
Simplifying what I say in an engaging and inspiring way is challenging for me. Right now, I’m working with designers and creators because they’re very good at finding the main message and the nuances behind what it is you’re trying to say. I’m learning a lot from them.
5. What communication skill, resource, or advice would you offer to our readers?
Focus on mindset and presence first. Then, carefully select killer words.
