Episode #278: Motivating Others To Action

Why is motivating others to take action so difficult for leaders in Japanese and global companies (日本企業 Japanese companies / 外資系企業 multinational companies)?

Leaders often assume that clearly explaining what should change is enough. In reality, getting someone to adopt a new behavior is one of the hardest tasks in leadership. People naturally resist change—even small shifts, like wearing a watch on the opposite wrist, feel uncomfortable.
This resistance is emotional, not logical. We act based on emotion and later justify with logic.
Mini-Summary: Motivation requires emotional engagement, not just rational explanation.

Dale Carnegie’s global research (100+ years worldwide, 60+ years in Tokyo) shows that people respond best when the message links emotion → logic → action. The most reliable tool for this is the Magic Formula, a storytelling-based structure that creates internal agreement before the leader even gives a recommendation.
Mini-Summary: The Magic Formula aligns human psychology with leadership communication for maximum impact.

Start by identifying one specific action you want people to take. It must feel simple, concrete, and doable.
If the action sounds complicated or heavy, employees won’t commit—especially busy managers and executives balancing multiple priorities in Tokyo (東京).
Mini-Summary: Choose one action that feels easy to understand and easy to execute.

People decide based on “What’s in it for me?” The benefit of taking action must feel more valuable than staying with current habits.
In leadership, sales (営業研修 / sales training), presentations (プレゼンテーション研修 / presentation training), or DEI initiatives (DEI研修 / DEI training), the perceived payoff must outweigh the effort.
Mini-Summary: A single, powerful benefit is more persuasive than listing many benefits.

If you begin by telling people what to do, resistance rises immediately.
Instead, start with an Incident—a real story that provides context. Describe:

• People

• Place

• Season

• Time

This allows listeners to visualize the scene and reach the same conclusion you reached. When the action finally comes, they already agree internally.
Mini-Summary: Story first, action second—this bypasses resistance and builds natural alignment.

How does the Magic Formula actually work in delivery?

Although you design your message by defining the action and benefit first, you deliver it in this order:

1. Incident (context/story)

2. Action (what to do)

3. Benefit (why it matters)

You spend most of your time on the Incident, keeping the action and benefit short, sharp, and decisive.
Mini-Summary: Reverse the design sequence to match how people emotionally buy into ideas.

What happens when the audience reaches the conclusion before you state it?

That is the “magic.”
Because listeners have already followed the logic of your story, they reach the recommendation on their own. By the time you explain the action, they feel it is their idea—not yours.
This approach dramatically reduces pushback in teams, executive meetings, and cross-functional discussions in both Japanese and multinational environments.
Mini-Summary: The Magic Formula secures agreement before the leader presents the recommendation.

• Motivation requires emotional engagement; logic alone is not enough.

• Define one simple, concrete action—no more.

• Highlight one strong benefit that truly matters to the audience.

• Start with a story (Incident) to reduce resistance and build agreement.

• Reverse the design order when delivering your message for maximum impact.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for more than a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office (est. 1963) continues to empower both Japanese (日本企業 / Japanese companies) and multinational clients (外資系企業 / global companies) across Japan.