When performing organizational reform, the most important thing is getting employees to be independent. I used to think I should be involved in job sites as a manager, but now I consider the perspective of the person working at the job site to be very important, because we are a manufacturer.
In reality, we leave important jobs such as management and recruitment to employees, even if they are young, as long as they are motivated. Our employees have become more independent while having a perspective specific to each job site by taking over work that I once performed from the perspective of the manager in a variety of departments. The employees naturally wanted to change the organization and increase sales proactively.
Many companies make decisions using a top-down approach when reforming an organization. However, even if a manager tells employees to increase sales, they will not become responsible or independent, because they are simply doing as they are told.
The employees make a company. Therefore, a company will not grow unless the employees do. If they become responsible and independent, they will be further motivated.
Implement a fair evaluation as a part of the important organizational reforms without simply leaving responsibilities alone.
For example, we classified working attitudes into 103 items, measured them and calculated the score of deviation for motivation so that managers could learn about employees. Surprisingly, the score of deviation was as low as 41 in the past. Now, however, motivation has improved even in the method of scoring. The numerical values for motivation are said to be in proportion to sales results. We expect future improvements.
In January 2019, we had a large-scale pay raise. The company did not pay a perfect attendance allowance to those who took all paid annual holidays—it was completely wrong. We abolished the perfect attendance allowance and increased salaries instead.
The company abandoned the dated system and successfully renewed the corporate culture. It helped me to look at the outside of the company. Recently, I go on business trips more often because I can delegate authority within the company without anxiety. This means that our organization was reformed successfully.
These days, we are focused on overseas marketing. We will start to take part in a trade fair in New Delhi, India, in 2019. We are also planning to participate in a fair in Mumbai next year.
India is a rapidly developing country, boasting a GDP growth rate of 7%. However, there are still some slum areas around the exhibition venue. I think there is sufficient room for our business. We are engaged in manufacturing medical stainless tubes and the users are not limited within Japan. Therefore, we should have a global perspective and concentrate on global business development.
However, there are many cultural differences between Japan and other countries. The methodology that we have cultivated to adapt to Western markets does not always work in other areas. Thus, it is necessary to customize our business model according to the country or culture in the marketing process.
Currently, I am leading overseas sales and marketing, but I think I will leave such global activities to employees in the future. Initially, we would like to activate the industry and make manufacturing, the organization, and the industry better and stronger by effectively utilizing their achievements.
As a corporate manager, it is my greatest pleasure when employees achieve, instead of myself. Now, my responsibility is converting the organization into one that allows me to leave duties to employees, although I used to think I should play the role of a manager for a manufacturer. I would like to make our organization more robust to increase its ability to transmit information to the world, which Japanese small- and middle-scale companies lack.
