The troubles of being a manager

"There were times when we couldn't get any work for a long time, and I felt frustrated because we were a subcontractor, but I think it all comes down to human issues. I don't have much attachment to money, so I don't think I would have been swayed by it whether I had a lot or not. I'm not a combative person who compares myself to others, so I never felt any pressure from rival managers or other companies. It was difficult when we had to part ways with the founding members. The business itself was going well, but it was a difference in direction. If it had been just the two of us it might have worked out, but at the time there were three of us on an equal footing on the management side, so it was difficult." (Yamamoto)

"There was also an unexpected rebellion from an influential employee within the company. I think the cause wasn't profit or loss, or right or wrong, but "differences." I was reminded once again how important it is for a small team to have a compatible corporate culture and to share the same ideals. I was attacked, but I didn't fight back. To me, that employee was no different to the other employees in that he was one of the employees I had hired with care. But for the company, this was a major blow that will slow down our growth for years to come. Confusion in interpersonal relationships within the company doesn't teach anything and is only a negative thing. This is 100% the responsibility of the management. (Yamamoto)"

I was a little surprised by this episode, because the atmosphere at Reserve Link is so calm that employee rebellion is not even a given. Also, although it is now possible to change positions based on staff members' wishes and enthusiasm, I once again felt that Yamamoto-san and the staff had a lot of conflicts and hardships before this environment was created.

"I thought I was careful and cautious in hiring staff, but there were still many mismatches. When I first opened, neither the company nor I had the resources, so I couldn't transfer staff and continue paying them salaries like a large company can. This put a strain on not only the staff but also the staff I entrusted with training. I had several experiences where I was attacked for being based on the belief that people are fundamentally good when they joined, but evil when they left. Hiring someone means touching their life. We are serious about it, but it's only natural that the other person is serious about it too, as their livelihood and future depend on it." (Yamamoto)

Shortly after Reserve Link was established, Yamamoto saw the company enter a growth phase, and there was a time when he tried to accelerate the company's growth all at once by inviting industry celebrities from outside as advisors and hiring veterans with a proven track record at other companies. However, these measures did not match the company's growth rate or corporate culture, and they ended up causing divisions within the company, so rather than accelerating, growth stagnated and slowed down. From this experience, Yamamoto realized that the company's next-generation leader would be best suited to being chosen by senior members who had grown over time, become familiar with the company, and then become leaders, rather than by inviting outside professionals.

"There was a problem with the contract system from the Bitlink era, which led to information leaks. Before that, we had been scolded by customers for system failures, and we had experienced sales losses due to the time when the product sales site was closed, but we had built a relationship of trust with our customers and it never developed into a big deal. However, in this case, the impact of one malfunction was large, and it became a big deal, with the media covering it.

As an apology, I accepted the proxy work of handling complaints that were not necessary for business, and all the employees who could handle it were dealt with, but I felt really sorry when I saw the employees getting exhausted one after another by the types of complaint calls that they don't usually receive. I was shaken by the possibility that a large amount of damages would be incurred as a company, and I was quite exhausted by the countermeasures. I still don't think I was able to demonstrate solid leadership as a person in charge in such a sudden situation. I saw a side of the employees who took action swiftly on their own behalf, and who spoke to me with consideration, and I really helped them. It was an incident that made me keenly aware of the reliability of the members and my own inadequacy (Yamamoto's words)."

Around the same time that Yamamoto was at the peak of his busy schedule, something happened that made him think about how he would work and live in the future. He would attend a company-wide meeting in Hamamatsu on Monday morning, then travel to Tokyo, work continuously for two weeks from there, and take the last bullet train on Friday back to Hamamatsu. He says that it was only when he stood on the platform at Tokyo Station that he could see the faces of his family. At that time, he had a feeling that "this is not a place I can stay forever. The work is really interesting, but I can't continue like this forever."

In 2014, after finally getting through the busy period, Yamamoto began to think about retiring. Having decided to leave the company, he quickly withdrew from the field, resisted the urge to speak up, and left the management to the next executive candidate, instead focusing on watching from a distance. Even though it was his own decision, he suddenly found himself without a place to belong, and for a while after that he went through such frustrating times that he nearly fell into depression.

There must have been many other failures and hardships like the ones mentioned here, but every time Yamamoto faced such failures and setbacks, he would seriously think, "There's no way this company, with such capable and altruistic members who carefully and carefully create products, and who treat customers with such sincerity and consideration for others, can't go wrong! If this company doesn't go right, what else can go right?" You can see Yamamoto's optimistic positive thinking and confidence in his own company. You