What kind of philosophy there is, what kind of management there is
When Koichi Tsukamoto, the founder of Wacoal, a lingerie company in Kyoto, was alive, he used to gather Kyoto's entrepreneur friends for drinks and parties. Mr. Tsukamoto is a round older than me, and he is the same as me, and he loves me very much, like a brother.
At that time, there was a textile company as famous as Wacoal in Kyoto, and the second president of this company often came to the party.
After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he joined Sumitomo Bank, and later succeeded his father as the second-generation president, about three or four years younger than me. He was also very fond of drinking and often got drunk.
Once, he and I had a drink around Mr. Tsukamoto and had a disagreement. Because I have the same way of thinking as the Kyocera Philosophy, I can't help but talk about serious topics even when I drink.
At this time, the second-generation president said, "No, Inamori-kun, I don't think like you." He advocated that life should be easy and happy, and his way of thinking was that life should be chic and fun. Because he has a smart mind and is a famous family, he has never suffered hardships, so he has such an idea.
As we argued, the economy was in recession, and President Tsukamoto was worried about the future economic situation.
During the debate, I said, "It is precisely because of the harsh economic environment that it is necessary to be more serious and prudent in business management. At this time, the second-generation president said, "No, I don't think so. "The argument began.
At this time, President Tsukamoto suddenly shouted, "Hey! Please shut up! "I was taken aback because it was so sudden. Mr. Tsukamoto, who has a cheerful personality and likes to toast with everyone, puts on a straight face and scolds loudly, and everyone around him can't help but be surprised.
Then Mr. Tsukamoto said, "What nonsense are you talking about, do you think you can be compared to Inamori-kun?" You can't be compared with Inamori-kun, what else do you have to compare? ”
Inamori-kun founded the company with his bare hands and made Kyocera such an excellent company. When I founded Wacoal, it can be regarded as the current scale, and even I have to be impressed by Inamori-kun. As for you, you are just a son inheriting your father's business, and the business is running so poorly, do you have the qualifications to debate? ”
Inamori said that what kind of philosophy there is, what kind of management there is. Regarding Inamori-kun's philosophy, do you have the qualifications to stick to your own philosophy? "Tsukamoto's criticism was very harsh.
If you are able to enjoy life in a relaxed and enjoyable way, and run a business in a sloppy and casual manner, and the business performance can surpass that of Kyocera, which is serious and hardworking, then your opinion may be worth mentioning. But what's the point of your shallow philosophy only getting poor results, and you have to go against the management and management philosophy that has achieved high performance? That's what Mr. Tsukamoto said.
At that time, there were more than 10 friends of the Kyoto business owners at the party, and most of the people who were reprimanded by Mr. Tsukamoto, as well as the other business owners present, did not understand the true meaning of Mr. Tsukamoto's words. But at that time, I deeply felt what Mr. Tsukamoto was trying to say. Meaning, the question is "what kind of mountain to climb".
Of course, the management philosophy is different depending on the target target
I have a strict outlook on life to the point of abstinence, and that's because I want to be the best company in the world. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to take such a serious management stance. Because the goal is different, the way of thinking and the specific method, that is, philosophy, are of course different.
Inamori Jun wants to be the world's No. 1 company, so he has a strict and self-disciplined way of thinking, and he works and lives very seriously. And you just want to run a barely reasonable business, and under this goal, your outlook on life is to enjoy life easily and happily, and you do the same.
That is, "what kind of mountain to climb" is different, that is, the goals aimed at each other are different. Mr. Tsukamoto's meaning is very clear, and that's how I understand it.
For example, to climb a nearby hill like a hike, of course, you don't need any training, just travel light. However, if you want to climb a steep mountain, you need to be trained accordingly and you need to be well equipped.
If you want to climb the Japanese Alps in winter, or even conquer the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, you need people with superb climbing skills and rich experience, sufficient food and equipment necessary for long-term camping, and careful preparation. There is little point in arguing about the comparison between an outing to climbing a hill and climbing Mount Everest.
What kind of mountain to climb", this is a very apt metaphor for business management.
In other words, Kyocera has aspired to become the world's No. 1 ceramics company since its time as a small and medium-sized company, and in order to achieve this goal, "it is necessary to have such a way of thinking and such a methodological model," and this "philosophy" is the preparation, equipment, and technology that Kyocera needs to climb the mountains.
Kyocera Philosophy" advocates this serious philosophy. Since the goal of becoming a global company has been revealed, it is necessary to clarify the way of thinking that all members of the company, from the top of the company to the ordinary employees, must be mentally prepared.
What kind of mountain to climb", what kind of enterprise to run, the goals are different, and the philosophy and ideas to be implemented by the enterprise also change. To aim high, you need to think and approach accordingly, so there are many harsh and even harsh entries in my philosophy.
Therefore, whenever Kyocera employees go to a class reunion, they often hear from their friends that they exclaim, "You are still doing such a good job in such a strict company!" In these words, there is both admiration and sneering.
It is precisely because Kyocera aims to be "the best in the world" that it is completely different from the position of the company where these friends work.
Ever since Kyocera was a small and medium-sized company, I've been telling me to be the best in the world, and I've been working as hard as anyone else. As a result, Kyocera has grown into the world's No. 1 ceramics company, and this result proves that my philosophy of thinking and approach is correct.
There is also the second denden, which also started with the "Kyocera philosophy". At that time, there was neither communication technology nor abundant funds, so a small number of young engineers took on the challenge of the huge electricity and electricity commune, and grew into today's KDDI.
I believe that the reason is that the philosophy of the company is correct and excellent.
In order to achieve the goal, it is necessary to ask the state of the heart that depicts the desire
It is often seen that such people are capable, and they have been working hard all the time, but they can't see the fruits of success. Observing such people, there are many people who have a wrong way of thinking about "only their own interests". Their hearts are cloudy.
A person who can succeed must have a beautiful, clear, and pure heart without the slightest distraction while having a "strong desire".
For example, set a goal of "I want to increase sales". However, when we set this goal, we were in a state of mind: "I want to increase sales, but there are many obstacles, and it is actually difficult to achieve it." "In this state of worry, it's really hard to achieve your goals.
There is also a state of mind that "I want to increase sales so that I can increase my entertainment expenses", and it is difficult to achieve the goal out of selfish motives.
It is necessary to inquire about the state of the heart that depicts the desire. If there is "turbidity" and "dirt" that make the soul feel guilty, it will never be possible to achieve the goal.
As a manager, you must clearly set your goals for which mountain you want to climb
There is a company of Mr. D in Kyoto. This Mr. D is also a risky company. Although he is our senior, he said in the newspaper and magazine, "President Kyocera has a somewhat ascetic way of thinking, and he is very himself and his employees, and that way of life is very problematic." ”
Since the establishment of our company, we have taken the pursuit of relaxation and happiness as our social motto. Business has to be easy and happy. Let employees feel that their company is very relaxed, happy, and happy to go to work, otherwise, no one can work in a company for a lifetime. This motto has brought together an outstanding technical team from all over Japan for our company, and their excellent products are sold all over the world, creating an impressive track record. ”
However, nearly 50 years after the founding of Company D, sales of 30 billion yen and profit of only about 1 billion yen have passed. Mr. D compared his own business to my own business and thought that I had a problem, which in itself was wrong.
"We have been working in this industry for 50 years, generating sales of 30 billion yen and profits of more than 1 billion yen. If you want to run a business to such an extent, you can do it even if the company motto is to enjoy it easily. ”
Choosing that way of life is hard for me, and the employees are tired, so I don't like it. However, Mr. Inamori has achieved such a great company in just 34 years with that way of living," said others, who would have been able to understand him. If you don't say that, just say something "too ascetic" and compare things that are completely incomparable, that's the problem.
In other words, there is no right or wrong in understanding and comforting each other. First of all, we must discuss which path we want to take and which destination we want to go. Then, in order to reach that destination, I had to choose such a way of living and follow such steps.
It's the same with mountaineering, climbing the hills around you, and climbing Mt. Fuji – no! It is the Himalayas, and the climbing techniques required vary greatly. Just because you can hike up a hill easily and happily doesn't mean you have the skills to climb to the top. First of all, at the outset, you should discuss which mountain to climb.
In short, if you don't go through the right purpose, but just compare the living methods, some people will say right and some people will say wrong. This is often the case with economic commentators and business management commentators, who compare things that should not be compared together.
As a manager, which mountain do you want to climb? I believe that it is important to set the goal clearly.
Author:Kazuo Inamori, a famous Japanese entrepreneur, is known as Japan's "saint of management".
Moriwa Juku.