{"id":4688,"date":"2018-02-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/when-you-make-a-mistake-the-question-is-what-is-your-next-move\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T14:16:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T05:16:01","slug":"miki-sogi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/miki-sogi\/","title":{"rendered":"When You Make A Mistake, The Question Is"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhat Is Your Next Move?\u201d<\/h3>\n

An Interview With The Senior Marketing Director in Cardiovascular at AstraZeneca, Miki Sogi<\/h4>\n

\u3053\u306e\u30a4\u30f3\u30bf\u30d3\u30e5\u30fc\u3067\u306f\u3001\u30a2\u30b9\u30c8\u30e9\u30bc\u30cd\u30ab\u682a\u5f0f\u4f1a\u793e\u3001\u5faa\u74b0\u5668\u9818\u57df\u30de\u30fc\u30b1\u30c6\u30a3\u30f3\u30b0\u7d71\u62ec\u90e8\u9577\u3001\u66fd\u6728\u7f8e\u5e0c\u3055\u3093\u306e\u30b3\u30df\u30e5\u30cb\u30b1\u30fc\u30b7\u30e7\u30f3\u306b\u304a\u3051\u308b\u6210\u529f\u3068\u30c1\u30e3\u30ec\u30f3\u30b8\u3092\u3054\u7d39\u4ecb\u3057\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\u8a18\u4e8b\u306f\u82f1\u8a9e\u3067\u3059\u3002\u305c\u3072\u3054\u89a7\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044\uff01<\/p>\n

I\u2019m delighted to share with you an interview with Miki Sogi. I\u2019ve known Miki for many years. We used to work with each other at McKinsey, and I was always inspired by her. Now I\u2019m even more inspired by her because Miki is passionate about self-development and communication, and she\u2019s also incredibly caring about her team, their performance, and their personal development.<\/p>\n

And, what\u2019s extra special is that, depending on your preference,\u00a0you can<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0read the writeup below<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0or listen to the audio here<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(\u82f1\u8a9e\u30ea\u30b9\u30cb\u30f3\u30b0\u306e\u7df4\u7fd2\u306b\u304a\u3059\u3059\u3081)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0or watch us on video here<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Enjoy!<\/p>\n

Who are you and what do you do?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

I\u2019m currently the Senior Marketing Director in Cardiovascular at AstraZeneca, which is a British-Swedish pharmaceutical company. I did a science degree and switched to the business side when I joined McKinsey in 2003 and worked with Helen. I then moved on to the pharma business world and worked for three companies, first in the US and then I came back to Japan.<\/p>\n

What sort of communicator\u00a0<\/strong>do you want <\/strong>to <\/strong>be?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

I always try to be an engaged communicator. That\u2019s of course listening as well as expressing. I really want to be connected with others, so that\u2019s why engagement is important for me.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a communication success story that you can share with us?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

I\u2019m thinking of two occasions. And, by the way, success usually comes after a failure, right?<\/p>\n

Knowing yourself and others is critical.<\/p>\n

When I was a consultant, I was working on a project with a Swiss consultant and an American consultant in a team of three. The Swiss consultant was a really intelligent and interesting person, but somehow he was frustrated with me. At one point, he told me I was always pushing back on his ideas. I was really surprised.<\/p>\n

Then the American consultant pulled me aside and told me that based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), I had a strong preference for logic while the Swiss consultant cared more about empathy. As a result, he needed to be accepted and that was sometimes more important than logic. So she advised me to make him feel accepted by saying, \u201cThat\u2019s a great idea. Can you elaborate?\u201d or \u201cCan you tell me more?\u201d so that he feels secure and accepted and is ready to be engaged and be more rational.<\/p>\n

This was an eye-opening experience for me. It worked magically! I was amazed. A small thing changes how you communicate verbally. That was a really striking experience that taught me that it\u2019s so important to know your style and the other person\u2019s in communication.<\/p>\n

The second one is about presentations.<\/p>\n

When I was in the US, I was in a global team and asked to prepare a presentation for my boss. He was supposed to give a presentation to 200 opinion leaders in the Asia-Pacific region. I was preparing it and, at the last minute, he said, \u201cMiki, I have another urgent matter, so could you give the speech instead of me?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a GREAT opportunity, but at the same time it was a LOT of responsibility. The people who were organizing the meeting wondered who I was! I was under such pressure that I had to do a stellar job, so that people would be impressed and feel good about having me instead of my boss.<\/p>\n

This experience taught me the power of practice. I practiced, practiced, practiced. First, I had a long flight, so I practiced during the flight for maybe 14 hours. In the hotel, upon arrival, I practiced in front of the mirror. I\u2019m really proud of the speech I gave.<\/p>\n

Everyone said I gave a great speech. People in the organization said that they\u2019d been worried because my boss cancelled and they didn\u2019t know me, and all the participants were important customers for the region. But they said that they were so glad that I came. They recommended to other people to invite me to speak.<\/p>\n

It taught me how powerful practice can be and it gave me the confidence that \u201cIf I practice, I can do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

How can people practice when they\u2019re incredibly busy?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

When you ask, \u201cHow are you?\u201d the standard answer is \u201cBusy.\u201d Well, that\u2019s a very creative way of answering the question! I always, always, always hear this answer. To be honest, I have to say my corporate job is not that busy \u2013 especially compared to being a consultant. I never felt that I don\u2019t have time. I can always find time. Sometimes, I just shift around the priorities. If that can be done tomorrow, then I\u2019m not going to do it today. I\u2019ll do something else instead. I usually try to have ownership of my priorities. Of course, it\u2019s not only my priorities \u2013 there are other people\u2019s and business priorities as well. But I try not to work unnecessarily and create some time.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a communication failure that you can share with us?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

It\u2019s not necessarily a failure, but a good learning. When I was in the US, I was working with a fantastic boss. He was heading the global business development team, so he was very savvy about negotiating and communication. He always had sensible and eye-opening feedback.<\/p>\n

One time, I ran a meeting with quite senior people. The purpose was to gain alignment on what we were proposing. I prepared the proposal and discussion document, and I led the discussion. I accomplished the goal of the meeting, but his feedback was, \u201cYou know, Miki, you really drove the meeting. And you gave the impression that you were the only person driving the meeting. You were not really giving people room to engage. If you could improve, that was the area where you could have done better.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that was quite eye-opening to me. At that point, I was more driving, driving \u2013 \u201cYes, this is what we want to do. Okay, let\u2019s go.\u201d But it\u2019s true that especially in the corporate world you can\u2019t do that much on your own. You always have to have other people\u2019s engagement, help, support, sponsorship, etc. Without engaging other people, you can\u2019t do anything.<\/p>\n

Making other people feel that they have part of the ownership, that is really important. His advice was really eye-opening to me at that time. And he said that he tends to drive the meeting himself too, but he has a rule \u2013 the three-sentence rule. So even if he hasn\u2019t finished his point, if he speaks three sentences, he stops. That was the wisest advice that I heard. I still admire the wisdom that he shared with me.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your biggest communication challenge right now?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

I\u2019m fairly driven and always have things to say. So my challenge is how I appropriately restrain myself from speaking. I really have to create room for my team members and other folks at the meeting, so that I don\u2019t take too much airtime. That\u2019s a challenge that I\u2019m really trying to work on. Unfortunately, I\u2019m not rigidly following the three-sentence rule, but I have the awareness. That\u2019s a start!<\/p>\n

What communication, tips, resources, or advice can you share?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Three things.<\/p>\n

English communication<\/b> \u2013 I\u2019d like people to know that clarity and confidence are most important in English communication. Sometimes people think that they have a certain accent and so on. But in this global world, so many people speak very different English \u2013 Singapore, Indian, UK, and US. Everybody speaks very different English, so at that point your accent is just a bit of color to the language. You don\u2019t have to worry too much.<\/p>\n

But when I\u2019ve worked in global organizations, regardless of what type of accent you have, if you speak with clarity and confidence and you have content, people do listen and respect you. So I want you to understand that you don\u2019t have to speak the language like a native English speaker.<\/p>\n

Practice<\/b> \u2013 Unfortunately, there\u2019s no magic. You can\u2019t stand in front of people and magically be a great orator. You have to practice.<\/p>\n

Putting yourself in the other person\u2019s shoes<\/b> \u2013 Communication is a dialog with other people. You have to know yourself. At the same time, you have to think about the other person and what kind of situation that person is in. Sometimes you have to imagine if it\u2019s the first time you\u2019re meeting them. Then you can strategize your communication to convince or convey your message properly.<\/p>\n

What advice do you have around making mistakes?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

First, you have to accept it. Know that mistakes are not unique to you. Everybody makes mistakes. If bad things happen, that\u2019s life! When I make mistakes, when I feel ashamed or mortified, I just say, \u201cI\u2019m sure I\u2019m not the only person on earth to make this mistake.\u201d Really, the question is \u201cWhat is your next move?\u201d You always have to think ahead instead of staying with the feeling of mistakes and remorse.<\/p>\n

When I practiced for my speech in Korea, I used a mirror. It\u2019s really uncomfortable. You don\u2019t like to see yourself speaking. I don\u2019t like to hear myself either. But you get used to it. You accept how you are and how you make mistakes. You\u2019re opened up to reality and can accept more mistakes.<\/p>\n

What else would you like to share with us?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

I think a lot of women who are working in the corporate world are reading this. First, I\u2019d like to congratulate you. You\u2019re keen on developing your skills by reading this Sasuga! content. That\u2019s really important. There are so many people who don\u2019t even think about it. You are there already. Congratulations!<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t think too much that this is something extraordinary. Communication is a part of our lives. Some small tips and wisdom, when they add up, they make you a good communicator.<\/p>\n

Having good communication skills is fun! And it\u2019s really rewarding, so I want you to continue your path for better communication, looking forward to more fun and meaningfulness from communicating with other people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhat Is Your Next Move?\u201d An Interview With The Senior Marketing Director in Cardiovascular at AstraZeneca, Miki Sogi \u3053\u306e\u30a4\u30f3\u30bf\u30d3\u30e5\u30fc\u3067\u306f\u3001\u30a2\u30b9\u30c8\u30e9\u30bc\u30cd\u30ab\u682a\u5f0f\u4f1a\u793e\u3001\u5faa\u74b0\u5668\u9818\u57df\u30de\u30fc\u30b1\u30c6\u30a3\u30f3\u30b0\u7d71\u62ec\u90e8\u9577\u3001\u66fd\u6728\u7f8e\u5e0c\u3055\u3093\u306e\u30b3\u30df\u30e5\u30cb\u30b1\u30fc\u30b7\u30e7\u30f3\u306b\u304a\u3051\u308b\u6210\u529f\u3068\u30c1\u30e3\u30ec\u30f3\u30b8\u3092\u3054\u7d39\u4ecb\u3057\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\u8a18\u4e8b\u306f\u82f1\u8a9e\u3067\u3059\u3002\u305c\u3072\u3054\u89a7\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044\uff01 I\u2019m delighted to share with you an interview with Miki Sogi. I\u2019ve known Miki for many years. We used to work with each other at McKinsey, and I was always inspired by her. Now I\u2019m even […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communication","category-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4688"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18461,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4688\/revisions\/18461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}