by Helen Iwata | Nov 21, 2023 | All, Communication Skills, Managing Conflict, Personal Growth
How do you react when people around you are negative or angry? The other day, during an event for The #LessEffortMoreImpact Movement for Women in Business, the fire alarm at our venue went off. We immediately evacuated the building. While waiting for the alarm to stop...
by Helen Iwata | Nov 7, 2023 | All, Communication Skills, Conference Calls, Effective Facilitation, Other Topics, Personal Growth, Presentation Skills, Productive Meetings
If you’re like many busy business professionals, you’re rushing to finish your presentation slides at the last minute and definitely don’t have time to practice your delivery. Sound familiar? Here’s the problem… Your slides may be logical, comprehensive, and...
by Helen Iwata | Oct 31, 2023 | All, Communication Skills, Personal Growth
What do you do when you’re feeling down? How do you handle your own negative thinking or low energy? I take time to acknowledge how I’m feeling and consider the cause (so that I can do something about it if it’s within my control). Then, here are 9 things I find...
by Helen Iwata | Oct 10, 2023 | Communication Skills, Other Topics, Personal Growth, Productive Meetings
I was on a call to confirm details about an upcoming corporate speaking engagement. Since we were meeting online for the first time, everyone briefly introduced themselves. I was struck by how each of the Japanese women immediately apologized or put themselves down in...
by Helen Iwata | Oct 3, 2023 | All, Communication Skills, Managing Conflict, Other Topics, Personal Growth
Well, this story certainly got a laugh from the audience at our recent event. Around 30 years ago (!!!), I was working as a Coordinator for International Relations at Yokohama City Hall. I’d been asked to show some important foreign visitors around the city. When I...
by Helen Iwata | Sep 26, 2023 | All, Communication Skills, Personal Growth
I lied. I was HORRIFIED because I like to think of myself as an honest person. But the lie just plopped out of my mouth before I could even think. While ordering lunch from a Thai food truck near my office in Ginza, I told the vendor that I’d just got back from...
