Work Collaboration Review

Two guests joined us today from SCHOLAR.

One is Mrs. T, formerly Ms. N, who visited ISOWA for the first time in three years.

The other is Mr. T, another Mr. T.

The purpose of them visiting us was to give us the result of Work Collaboration Review that indicates the state of teamwork which ISOWA cooperated at the begging of April.

The name “ISOWA” is widely recognized at Scholar, so it has been drawing the attention, but it turned out to be below expectations.

I don’t think our teamwork is bad, compared with other companies.
I think that’s because we are all aiming for higher standard.

In fact, I was surprised at difficulty of the questionnaire. 

Mr. T, who started WCR, said
“I heard a lot about ISOWA and thought it must be a good company.
When I got a result, it was surprising. But visiting your office today made me realize I was right. I have visited all kinds of companies because of my business, and my intuition really can tell if it’s a good one or not.”

He also told me about Ms. H who showed him around the office.

“I could see how much she loved ISOWA.”

What I’m trying to say is that this test measures our teamwork by our own standard, it’s the absolute value, not relative value. The important thing is how we are going to bring up this absolute value.


You only can share the goal with other people when you get to know what they are thinking and what they value at work.

Generally speaking, goal sharing is not an easy thing. But just sharing goals is not good enough.
How could you share them with someone not knowing their thought?

What we have been doing is just sharing what they call “goal” or “belief” or “value”.

I’ve been thinking that we have to take that up to higher levels.


That doesn’t mean things worsened.
It means that our corporate cultural reform developed so far that now we are all starting to think that we have to move on to the next stage.

However, while some are trying to step up on the next stage like me, others are still on the former stage complaining and passing the blame.
What I want to emphasize is that these two are at the completely different level.
But their answers to the questions may coincide, and this WCR results were just an add-up of them.

The common goal can’t be achieved without mutual understanding.
This is what I learned today. We also discussed how to improve it. 
It was a fruitful discussion.

Mr. N said,
“It was really eye-opening. I noticed what I was thinking might be wrong.”

As for me, I'll work hard and make some actions in "verbalizing meeting", in which our managements literally try to verbalize our cooperate philosophy or our strategies so that every ISOWA member heads for the same goal.

The results will be available soon to all involved.

Thank you very much, Mr. T and Mr.N.

Eighth New Member

I’d like to introduce the one of the 8 students who’s going to start working with us next year.

This is my son, Hikaru Isowa from Waseda University.

To work for a company except ISOWA before joining ISOWA, or to start his career: that is a question. Both options have merits and demerits. But we had to make a decision.

It is common in Japan that a son who graduates from the university starts working for the different company from his father’s for several years like me. However we decided not to follow it. 

That’s because we are aiming toward having the best corporate culture in the world.

If we will be a company with the best corporate culture in the world, we should be able to educate new graduates better than anyone else. There should be fair and disinterested people who are very strict to my son and won’t spoil him.

Speaking of not spoiling, pumpkin was on the today’s lunch menu.

That’s the only thing that he can’t eat and he says he gets nauseous only by seeing it.

What a coincidence!

I’m sure he realized there would be many challenges waiting ahead of him. 

He’s working as a bus boy at the Japanese restaurant in Tokyo, where he was recently told that he looks similar to Bruce Lee.

Although he didn’t know who Bruce Lee was and what Bruce Lee looked like, he apparently found some resemblance seeing his pictures on the internet.

More people say my son is starting to look like me in recent years.

Does that mean I am like Bruce Lee?

When I sat in front of the Buddhist altar tonight, I found his business card given to him earlier today there. It’s a wonderful thing to respect and report to our ancesters.

I’m looking forward to working together toward bringing our dream into reality.

Congratulations!

This is also the end of recruiting activity this year. Eight students will join us next year.

I’d like to say thank all students who got interested in us and applied, and all who were involved.

Our recruiting activity has been greatly improved over the last two years.

That is all because of the devotion of the new members. 

Let’s make it even better next year!