[Topic 263] On the 'weight' of the words you say with good intentions

Recently, I received a consultation from a fellow business owner. 'Mr. Kojima, I gave my subordinate advice with the best of intentions, but they gave me a look like I was forcing them to do it...'

When I heard those words, I felt ashamed as my own self from a few years ago came to mind. I wanted to push them forward. Was the hand I reached out with that single desire actually grabbing them by the throat before I knew it? While walking my dog, stepping on the morning dew-covered grass, I was questioning myself about such 'violence of good intentions'.

By the time you finish reading this article, you will be freed from the pressure of 'having to give the right advice' and will have acquired the 'magic of empathy' that allows the other person to take a step forward on their own.

Article Summary

[Summary: Accompanying 'skin health' that begins with empathy] Fancl President Hideki Mitsuhashi has declared in the long-term management vision for 2035 that the company aims to be the 'brand consulted first when skin problems occur.' What is noteworthy is the departure from conventional 'education (instructional)' counseling. Centered on the new 'Skin Patch' service, the company is shifting to a style that first acknowledges the good points of the customer's skin and encourages voluntary improvement through empathy. By leveraging the technical capabilities of anti-aging supplements and other products through synergies with Kirin HD, along with this 'emotional value,' the company aims for growth both domestically and internationally.

Three Points

• Shift from 'education' to 'empathy': Top-down instruction tires out customers. Trust is born from first acknowledging their 'good points.'

• Redefining emotional value: While competitors compete on ingredients, the reason for being chosen in the end lies in the peace of mind that 'this person understands me.'

• Mechanism to encourage spontaneity: Using objective measurement data (Skin Patch) not as a 'diagnosis' but as a tool for 'realization,' allowing the customer to choose for themselves.

The 'customer pain' behind the news

If you think this news is just a 'strategy change by a cosmetics manufacturer,' you are greatly mistaken. Hidden here is a deep pain that modern people carry called'correctness fatigue'.

If you open social media, there is a flood of information saying 'this is the correct answer' or 'you lose if you don't buy this.' In such an environment, our customers (and employees) are already exhausted from having the 'correct answer' forced upon them by someone else.

President Mitsuhashi of Fancl says,'Do not make them feel pressured during counseling'. From my perspective, having worked in the field of complaint handling, this is the ultimate crisis management and the best sales strategy.

Isn't the same thing happening in the workplace of small and medium-sized enterprises? The more you, as the president, hit them with 100-point correct arguments, the more employees and customers close their hearts, thinking 'I am no good,' and as a result, a culture of shifting responsibility—'I'm doing it because I was told to'—is created.

What is needed now is not a teacher standing on a podium, but the perspective of acompanion who sees the same scenery by their side.

Practice: Things you can do immediately in the field starting tomorrow

Stop 'pushing their backs' for once, and commit to being a'mirror'.

Kojima-style: A gritty step, 'positive fact-checking'

Tomorrow, when you talk to employees or customers, if you feel like giving advice, hold back and try these steps.

• 1. First, put what they are doing well into words "The graphs in this document of yours are easy to read, Mr./Ms. XX." "Your skin looks great right here; the texture is very refined." (Instead of starting with a negative, first satisfy the other person's sense of affirmation.)

• 2. Encourage 'realization' through questioning "If you were to make it even better, what part concerns you?" "If you could make one more improvement, what would you want to change?"

• 3. Present options and let the other person make the final decision "In my experience, there are patterns A and B; which one feels right to you?"

Bonus: Flavor-changing idea

Development of 'Mental Checker Toothpaste'

This is a proposal for a new healthcare habit that combines Fancl's approach to 'pre-symptomatic disease' with Kirin's expertise in 'food and health'.

A person's sense of taste changes subtly depending on their stress level. So, why not turn your morning brushing into a time for 'self-diagnosis'? Designed with micro-capsules that react to specific components, it is engineered so that when stress levels are high (due to zinc deficiency or changes in saliva composition), you feel a strong 'bitterness,' and when you are relaxed, you feel a 'refreshing sweetness.'

'Oh, this morning's toothpaste tastes a bit bitter...'

If you can notice that, before you as the president push the accelerator too hard, it becomes a trigger to care for yourself, such as by thinking, 'I'll postpone important decisions until tomorrow' or 'I'll take a walk with my dog this afternoon to refresh.' Turning 'your own senses' into objective indicators. This should become a tool that gives busy executives the 'courage to stop' that they need.

A cheer from the President's Chief of Staff

Finally, I will throw one question to you.

'Whose 'good points' did you put into words and convey today?'

A president's job is to make decisions. However, what drives those decisions is the 'human heart.' Before recommending 'this is good,' tell them 'this part of you is wonderful.' That one word will push them forward more gently and strongly than any elaborate strategy.

It's okay. You are not alone. Let's sweat together in the field again tomorrow.

#Fancl #EmpathyManagement #CustomerExperience #CX #PsychologicalSafety #PresidentChiefOfStaff #OwariIchinomiya #NewBusiness #SMEmanagement #Leadership