10. Skip the Presentation

Miyamoto:

When you talk about a project, it’s good to keep a certain distance, but when, for example, someone in-house makes a presentation for a new project in a meeting, there are times when I feel a distance like an agency making a presentation to a company.

Itoi:

Oh.

Miyamoto:

They’ve really prepared it, and they spent most of their time on it. When I’m listening, I just want to say, “Cut the introductory remarks, would you?”

Iwata:

(laughs)

Miyamoto:

I do know what they mean. But they’re nervous and prepared, so I figure it can’t be helped.

Itoi:

Our company isn’t that kind of place.

Miyamoto:

Oh, is that so?

Itoi:

Maybe because we have so few people. I think I’ve said it before, but we don’t have the whole concept of presentations at our company. If you’re going to go to all the effort of preparing counter-proposals for a presentation in case it is turned down, it would be much better to just go home and sleep!

Miyamoto:

Uh-huh.

Itoi:

I say this everywhere, but rather than preparing presentations of Plans B and C, you should use your time to polish up Plan A, the one you really think is good. You’re the same way, aren’t you, Miyamoto-san?

Miyamoto:

Yes. I’ve never thought of alternate ideas.

Itoi:

Or, you haven’t ever attended a meeting where you had to pitch your presentation so that it is accepted, have you?

Miyamoto:

No. I was in an environment where I made decisions myself and continually asked myself whether it was truly good or not.

Itoi:

Uh-huh. Only environments like that nurture leadership. If you’re constantly worried about what so-and-so will say, the project or team will never grow.

Iwata:

That’s right.

Itoi:

For example, even if you don’t have a picky boss, you may think, “What will the customers say?” You may worry too much about these customers you can’t see, which shrinks your idea.

Miyamoto:

Oh, that’s true.

Iwata:

Your idea rapidly shrinks back before thoughts like, “If we do this, some people might not like it.”

Itoi:

That’s right. And a narrow focus on marketing and zeroing in on a particular target audience and so forth can also obstruct the freedom of a project. So you mustn’t say, “That can’t be,” too much early on.

Miyamoto:

Uh-huh.

Itoi:

That’s true when either of you develop a plan on your own, isn’t it? You don’t ask so-and-so and so-and-so for instructions or narrow down your target.

Iwata:

Yes, that’s right. When I begin something, I ask Miyamoto-san if anything seems out of place, and then decide. Of course, the persons with whom I consult differ depending on the subject, but it isn’t the case that I can’t do something without first getting someone’s understanding.

Miyamoto:

Yes. That’s right.

Itoi:

And that’s not because you both have positions near the top of the company and have authority.

Iwata:

Right. After all, Miyamoto-san, you’ve been that way ever since before you became senior managing director.

Miyamoto:

Yes, that’s right. But I was like that before I became any sort of manager at all. (laughs)

Itoi:

Ah! (laughs) That’s interesting! It gives me courage!