Q: Why do bosses and team members so often misunderstand each other?

A: The issue is often not personality, but communication preference. People vary in how assertive they are and whether they focus more on people or on tasks. A boss may seem difficult when, in fact, they simply prefer a different way of receiving information and making decisions.

Mini-summary: Many workplace tensions come from style differences, not bad intent.

Q: What are the two key dimensions for reading a boss's communication style?

A: The first dimension is assertion, ranging from low to high. This shows how strongly someone holds and states opinions. The second dimension is orientation, ranging from people focus to task focus. People-focused leaders pay close attention to how others feel. Task-focused leaders concentrate on outcomes, results, KPIs and getting the work done.

Mini-summary: Watch for how strongly they speak and whether they lean toward people or results.

Q: How should you communicate with an assertive, people-oriented boss?

A: This type is often energetic, persuasive and interested in influencing others. They usually respond better to big picture conversations than to gritty detail. If you lead with broad issues and overall direction, you are more likely to keep their attention and gain alignment.

Mini-summary: With this style, lead with the big picture rather than drowning them in detail.

Q: How should you communicate with the other three styles?

A: Detail-focused bosses want proof, data and precision, so micro detail builds trust. Assertive, task-driven bosses value speed and results, so be direct, confident and succinct. Less assertive, people-oriented bosses respond better when you slow down, speak gently and show awareness of how people will feel. By listening carefully to what your boss says and how they say it, you can adjust your style. The boss may not be difficult after all, just different.

Mini-summary: Match detail, speed or sensitivity to the style in front of you.

Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo.

Q: Why is it hard for most people to improve their presentations?

A: Most people don't give formal presentations often enough to improve through repetition alone. If speaking opportunities only come once in a blue moon, progress is slow. Presentation skill needs regular practice, and without enough chances to speak, it is difficult to build confidence, polish delivery, and strengthen impact.

Mini-summary: Infrequent speaking opportunities slow improvement because repetition is the engine of presentation growth.

Q: What should you do instead of waiting for invitations?

A: Don't sit back and wait for someone to ask you to speak. Go out and look for opportunities yourself. Many groups regularly feature speakers, and organisers often have a hard time finding good ones. In Japan, where preparation and credibility matter, taking the initiative helps you become visible before others do.

Mini-summary: Proactive outreach creates speaking opportunities faster than waiting to be discovered.

Q: How do you decide what topics to present on?

A: Focus on the overlap between your experience, expertise, and knowledge and the subjects people already want to hear about. If there is a natural alignment, there will be groups interested in having you speak. A practical way to find this is to compare the themes organisations cover with your own range of strengths and interests.

Mini-summary: The best speaking topics sit where your expertise meets audience demand.

Q: How do organisers know you can actually speak well?

A: They need proof. A simple way to demonstrate your ability is to give speeches on relevant subjects, record them, and post them on YouTube and your website. Once you have spoken to a live audience, record that too. Video gives organisers a direct sense of your speaking ability and helps them decide with more confidence.

Mini-summary: Video evidence makes your presentation ability visible and easier to trust.

Q: What happens when you keep building presentation visibility?

A: You become a known face. As more speaking content circulates, people begin to notice you and contact you. That creates a virtuous cycle where one opportunity leads to another. Over time, repeated visibility strengthens both your personal brand and your company brand.

Mini-summary: Consistent visibility turns presentation practice into brand momentum and future opportunities.

Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo.

Q: Why are objections important in sales?

A: Salespeople often hope buyers will agree immediately and buy without resistance. In reality, if the buyer won't commit on the spot, the next best outcome is an objection. An objection shows they are engaged enough to test the decision. It is a sign they are still considering the offer rather than dismissing it.

Mini-summary: Objections are not a setback. They are evidence the buyer is still in the conversation.

Q: What does it mean when there is no sale and no objection?

A: That is a danger signal. Buyers who have no intention of buying won't spend energy on due diligence. They won't question the offer, probe the details, or raise concerns. They simply drift away. No objection, when there is also no decision, can mean the buyer is not serious enough to invest effort in evaluating the proposal.

Mini-summary: Silence may feel comfortable, but it can be a stronger warning sign than resistance.

Q: What role do questions play in larger or more complex sales?

A: Poor questions are another warning sign. If the sale is expensive or complex, we should expect a lot of quality questions. Serious buyers want to understand risk, value, timing, and fit. Strong objections and strong questions show the offer is being taken seriously and examined properly.

Mini-summary: In bigger sales, good questions are healthy because they show real interest and due diligence.

Q: Why does it matter who is in the meeting?

A: Sometimes the person in front of us is not the real decision-maker. They may simply be collecting data and information to relay to others inside the organisation. In that case, they may not raise many objections because they won't be the end user or the final approver. We need feedback from the real decision-makers so we can address what worries them.

Mini-summary: If the real decision-makers are absent, a lack of objections may tell us very little.

Q: What is the practical lesson for salespeople?

A: After a meeting with a large financial institution, the deal turned out to be ten times bigger than expected, and the investment matched that much larger scope. Walking out, the reaction was that there weren't enough objections. A proposal that much larger should have triggered more concern, more pushback, and more discussion. The lesson is simple: don't fear objections. Work hard to draw them out so you can surface doubts, show value, create urgency, and move the sale forward.

Mini-summary: We need objections if we want to complete the sale, because they help us deal with what really matters.

"Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo."