🌸Management Future Notebook - Monday (Issue 96) - Complete Preservation Edition: 'Why do proposals fail even when you make them? = Conditions for getting proposals approved by CEO type'
🌸Management Future Notebook - Monday (Issue 96) - Complete Preservation Edition
'Why do proposals fail even when you make them? = Conditions for getting proposals approved by CEO type'
Author: Akifumi Yasumura / Business Capability Development Co., Ltd.
■ Introduction
Why doesn't it resonate with that CEO?
No matter how much you prepare, no matter how good the proposal is,
there are always 'CEOs who just won't approve it for some reason'.
・It's the same content, but it resonates with CEO A and not with CEO B
・Even if explained logically, for some reason, their heart doesn't move
・It ends with 'Not bad' and no decision is made
Many business people struggle with this.
However, the cause is surprisingly simple.
'You have misread the CEO's personality type'
Just because of this, even multi-million dollar proposals can disappear.
I have made proposals to numerous top executives, from small and medium-sized enterprises to companies with sales ranging from 200 billion to 2 trillion yen.
In doing so, I realized painfully that
whether a proposal is approved depends on whether you understand the CEO's 'decision-making habits'.
Today, I will share that practical framework.
■ Western vs. Japanese Style - Differences in the Meaning of Decision-Making
In the West, 'speed and flexibility' are emphasized, where leaders quickly make Yes/No decisions and modify them while executing.
On the other hand, in Japan, coordination and consensus-building leading up to a decision are valued, and once decided, it is executed precisely and all at once.
In other words,
in the West, 'the decision is the starting line', while in Japan, 'the decision is the finish line'.
Even though I understood this in my head, I made many mistakes.
It was the same when an HR proposal was rejected by the CEO of a company affiliated with an automaker.
The cause was only one thing.
I misread the CEO's personality type.
I presented a plan that was too detailed to a Type 4 CEO,
and took away the 'margin for the CEO to think freely'.
■ CEO Type-Specific 'Decision and Execution' Habits
From here on, I will organize the characteristics of the 5 representative types and the mistakes that proposers tend to fall into.
■ Type 3 (The Achiever)
・Decision axis: Results, speed, ROI
・Characteristics: Quick decisions for proposals where results are visible. Dislikes abstract theories.
Failure example
I passionately talked about the importance of philosophy and organizational improvement, but
it was rejected because I couldn't answer, 'So, when and how much effect will it have?'
Key to success
Show concrete figures and timeframes, such as 'Performance will improve by X% within 3 months'.
▶ 1-line summary: Moves by numbers. Dislikes abstract theories.
■ Type 4 (The Individualist/Artist)
・Decision axis: Uniqueness, aesthetics, storytelling
・Characteristics: Does not move with general theories or other companies' case studies. 'Being myself' is most important.
Failure example
I emphasized 'industry standards' and 'other companies' success stories' too much,
and they closed their heart, saying, 'We don't want to imitate others'.
Key to success
Turn it into a story as a 'unique initiative that only your company can do'.
▶ 1-line summary: Moves by uniqueness. Dislikes general theories.
■ Type 6 (The Loyalist)
・Decision axis: Safety, risk avoidance, support from peers
・Characteristics: Doubts risks and seeks backing. Feels secure with guarantees.
Failure example
It backfired when I said, 'It's okay, it will definitely succeed,' with baseless optimism.
Key to success
Add a 'safety net for emergencies' and 'third-party proof'.
▶ 1-line summary: Moves by safety. Dislikes optimism.
■ Type 8 (The Challenger)
・Decision axis: Power, initiative, challenge spirit
・Characteristics: Likes dignified opponents. Dislikes weakness.
Failure example
I spoke modestly, saying, 'I leave it to your judgment,' and
was looked down upon, with them thinking, 'Do you only have this much confidence?'
Key to success
Assert yourself head-on and confidently, and frame it in a way that 'the CEO can exercise leadership'.
▶ 1-line summary: Moves by power. Dislikes weakness.
■ Type 9 (The Peacemaker)
・Decision axis: Harmony, wholeness, avoidance of friction
・Characteristics: Dislikes decisions where someone is left behind. Resists when rushed.
Failure example
I pushed them, saying, 'There is no other way,' and
they closed their heart, thinking, 'Why am I being rushed?'
Key to success
Present the 'ripple effect on all stakeholders' and a 'form that settles things smoothly', and take time.
▶ 1-line summary: Moves by harmony. Dislikes being rushed.
■ Summary - Conditions for getting proposals approved
・Rather than cultural differences, in reality, the 'CEO's personality type' dictates the decision
・Whether a proposal is approved depends on whether you can grasp 'what that type values most'
・Successful proposers delve into the other party's psychological structure
■ Editor's Postscript
'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.'
I once lost a 300 million yen proposal because I misread the type.
It wasn't the methodology; what the Type 3 CEO wanted was the result in numbers.
The essence of decision-making is to see through 'what the other party values'.
This failure caused a major deviation in that year's sales plan.
■ Today's Question
Are you thoroughly committed to adapting to the other person?
Try to predict the type of boss or executive you will meet next in one minute.
■ Cat's Mutterings
"Cats have personality types, too. Don't humans understand that, meow?"
■ Conclusion
Know the other person's personality type and thoroughly adapt to the communication style that is most natural for that type.
■ Next Issue Preview: April 14th
"Why does the future actually change when you keep looking at the future?"
I will share this with the latest reports from practitioners of the Future Realization Association.
■ Click here for the introductory Management Future Notebook article
https://note.com/quiet_gnu5848/n/n02fd172fe229
■ Appendix
