Management philosophy: Face yourself and others

Some people think that work is a place to make money and other things to enjoy life, but Yamamoto himself believes in blending work and private life. He believes that he enjoys life through work and that work is a place to grow and live a life that he is satisfied with. With this way of thinking at the root of his work, he listens to the other person's story from the perspective of their whole life when hiring or interviewing employees.

"For a manager, the company is 100% of their life, but for an employee it is only a part of their life. It's only natural because the levels of responsibility and the purpose of working are different. So first of all, you have to put yourself in the other person's shoes, align your perspective, and ask questions like, What do you think about life? And what about work? If you don't consider the other person's whole life when you talk, there will be mismatches somewhere. For example, do they want to be independent or stay at the same company for the rest of their life? If they're in their 20s, do they want to master one profession or have a variety of experiences? If they're a woman, do they want to pursue a career or start a family someday? I might have asked them things that I shouldn't ask now (laughs) (Yamamoto)."

Normally, a company would imagine the ideal person for a position and then hire the person who best fits the role, but even here, I get the sense that they are taking a more level-minded approach that is sympathetic to the employee's position.

In the past, a woman who was confirmed to give birth and take maternity leave soon after joining the company applied for the job, but Yamamoto was hired because she felt that her honesty, the ability to speak honestly and on an equal footing, matched the company's philosophy. She always says what she needs to say directly, and her approach to work is full of passion and ambition. I wish I could travel back in time to the old Yamamoto who hired her and express my gratitude to her. If it

was a skill-based hire, the employee would change jobs when there was a lack of ability or mismatch, but if the employee matches the company's philosophy and culture, I think that a transfer or job type change can bring the employee back to life. Looking at our employees, there are many who change positions completely, thinking about what they want to do and where they can use their skills, and many who create new roles for themselves.

He made the most of the company environment in this way, and also said, "If there's nothing else you can do or want to do at our company, then it's okay to leave." I think that managers don't want their employees to quit if possible in order to maintain the company, but when I heard this, I felt that Yamamoto's true feelings were that "I want people to make use of the company for their own independence and growth."

This is not the usual, ordinary, orthodox way of doing things, but a philosophy that is like a declaration of determination: "We will do things according to our own values ​​and in a way that we think is good. We will make profits and establish a company in that way. If we don't do things that way, there's no point in making profits." Can such a naive way of doing things work in the harsh world of business, which is based on the assumption that people are evil? It's fine to trust others, but what if you get betrayed? It's easy to give freedom, but can employees grow that way? It sounds good, but if there are no results, it's just an idealistic idea... I can sense Yamamoto's stubbornness in this.

One of the catchphrases we used in our recruitment activities at the time was "We don't aim to go public. A peaceful workplace with honesty, sincerity, and our own pace." This means that we don't use external funds or help, but do things with our own power. We do things our own way. In the first place, we didn't create the company to make it famous or big, but to make work life more enjoyable, so there's no meaning to succeeding with the help of others, and I wouldn't feel a sense of accomplishment. This is a value that still exists clearly within the company today.

I think that running a company on the principle of trusting and entrusting people to others was not very common at the time, but because it was based on this, I think that the president himself was able to encourage employees to work freely at their own discretion, and to tell employees, "Go outside the company as much as you can to suit your interests, strengths, and needs!" Rather than conforming to what is common in society, he came up with the idea of ​​what kind of work style he wanted, and what is a truly efficient way of working. As a result, it is still firmly rooted today, and we are now in an era where free work styles are attracting attention in society.

"There were times when I left tickets to a day trip to a hot spring at the office and told people to use them freely. If I wasn't in the mood, I would leave the office and work at the beach or the library. For example, I think that people who work in jobs that require imagination, like designers, aren't likely to come up with good ideas if they work in front of a computer all day. It's presumptuous for a boss to think that they can optimize the work of their subordinates, and surely the person themselves should know best how to work in a way that produces the most results, right? Managerialism is based on the intentions of the manager, so it seems unnatural to the person being managed.

The more the world and people progress, the more natural it will be, and we were just making that natural way of doing things natural. Instead of using a grand term like "work style revolution," why not just say "work style liberation"? I think that the way companies are run will also move in a more natural direction, one that is based on the assumption that people are good. (Yamamoto)"

A company cannot continue to operate without making a profit, so I think they tend to look at the results rather than the process. Also, when making a choice, they will likely place importance on the degree of risk and whether they can definitely produce a corresponding result. This tendency seems to be especially strong the higher one's position in the company, but Yamamoto's thoughts seem to be a little different.

"For example, in a tennis match, if you play well, you can enjoy it even if you lose, but if you don't play the way you want to, you're not satisfied even if you win. It's the same when playing mahjong with friends. First you have to decide whether you were able to withstand the situations you needed to endure, or whether you were able to attack when you needed to attack. The match with yourself comes first, and then the match with your opponent. That's why I usually lose (laughs). If I lose in a competition, it's of course frustrating because it doesn't increase my sales, but in the process I think about why I lost, and that helps me move on to the next step. I don't think everything is fine just because the result is good. I enjoy the process rather than celebrating the result. I don't know how it is as a manager, but I'm satisfied because I've enjoyed the process over the past 20 years (Yamamoto says)."

Looking at our employees, when something doesn't work out, many of them think, "That was the reason, so let's try this next time!" and try to use that to their advantage in the next challenge. And there's an atmosphere of, "It looks like we can do better next time!" It's true that producing results is important in running a company, but I think it's because they value and enjoy the process that they've fostered an environment where people can continue to take on challenges in a positive manner.

"I like things that build up over time, not flashy and eye-catching but modest and inconspicuous, not a one-off big win but something that continues little by little, and taking share in niche markets without being noticed. (Yamamoto)"

Bitlink's main business was initially creating websites, but it gradually shifted from contract development of web systems to developing and selling its own products (Choice series). Today, the company's business model is entirely based on its own products, but there must be a philosophy behind the decisions it made over the years. We asked them about the event that triggered this shift.

This system was created so that employees could regularly take care of their bodies after sitting down to do intellectual work or working hard. It can be used six times a year, and employees can refresh themselves with chiropractic treatments, massages, the gym, and more. It has a wide range of uses, and some people even use it to go to public baths. It's a great system for IT companies, where desk work tends to be the norm. I make full use of it every year.

Many companies hold regular events such as welcome and farewell parties, year-end and New Year parties, and company trips to promote communication between employees and build the foundation for teamwork, but this company does not hold any regular events. Instead, the company has a generous system where the company pays half the cost of everyday meals and drinking parties between employees, with no limit to the number of times. The company's wish is to make company events more effective rather than just formal, and to use them to create a place where employees can speak honestly.

"If we had regular events that everyone had to participate in, people would show up who didn't want to be there. I wanted to change it to something more meaningful, something that could be held irregularly at any time by volunteers," Yamamoto said.

This is probably the most unusual of the three benefits. It is a system that covers the cost of meals and trips with parents, up to a maximum of 30,000 yen per year. When Yamamoto's parents came from Hamamatsu to see the Tokyo office, they went to Sugamo to eat eel together, and the idea came to him in a taxi.

"Parents are always curious about what kind of company their children work for. This is especially true because ours is not a well-known company. I thought that if I could meet the parents and talk to them directly about the company, using the employee benefits as a topic, it might help reassure the parents," Yamamoto said.

Just like the half-price drinks system, it's an opportunity to communicate with your parents by saying, "We have this system, so let's go out for dinner next time!" I thought that the president's responsibilities were limited to the employees of the company, but it's great that he thinks not only of the employees but also of their families.

I think that the background to these three welfare systems is the idea of ​​being conscious of "yourself in relation to others," that is, yourself, your friends, and your family, not just yourself. The "psychological body" is about finding balance within yourself, while the welfare system is about finding balance within the group of yourself, your friends, and your family. It's clear that balance is always valued.