When KANOU Group was founded in 2005, I marked this as the start-up phase. The primary focus was centered on addressing the immediate needs of customers, and survival was the foremost driver of our decision-making processes. By 2012, although the company did not experience a rapid growth from a small company to a large enterprise, however it had progress from a “guerrilla” type of operation to a well-functioning “regular army”. Continuing to operate under the small workshop model would hinder our ability to attract and cultivate exceptional talent, secure contracts with high-quality clients, and sustain our growth. Consequently, we resolved to initiate a process of formalization. It was in this context that the development of corporate culture was first proposed.
The concept of Corporate culture is widely recognized. In my view, it is an abstract and intangible element that significantly influences a company’s sustainability and growth. How should such a crucial aspect be effectively implemented? This question became an utmost priority for our management team to review. Initially, we needed to address the standardization and institutionalization of daily operations, ensuring that both positive and negative practices were documented. This would provide a reference framework for all employees, moving away from reliance solely on verbal communication and the experiences of supervisors and managers. Consequently, the adoption of ISO 9001 marked the initial step in cultivating our corporate culture. A dedicated ISO 9001 Management Committee was formed to oversee this initiative. Concurrently, we encouraged all employees to actively maintain a tidy work environment, thereby enhancing overall work efficiency. To support this effort, a 6S committee was established around the same time, focusing on the principles of – 5s Seiri (sort), Seiton (set in order), Seiso (shine), Seiketsu (standardize), Shitsuke (sustain), and with an added Safety which collectively became known as 6s.
The ISO9001 and 6S committees serve as the foundational elements in the development of KANOU’s corporate culture. However, the nature of these tasks tends to be monotonous. Encouraging colleagues to adhere to established system agreements presents a significant challenge. Throughout the execution of initiatives by these 2 committees, numerous obstacles were encountered. Some employees expressed that their workload is overwhelming and questioned the necessity of prioritizing the initiatives over their primary work and suggesting that hiring a cleaner could alleviate the burden of maintaining cleanliness in the workplace. This situation is apparently caused by a lack of understanding the purpose of the implemented initiatives and the essence of altruism. In that moment of uncertainty, while on a business trip, I discovered “How to Live” and other books by Kazuo Inamori, founder of Kyocera at the airport. I was captivated by his business philosophy which prompted me to buy the books and swiftly read them all. I come to realize that Kazuo Inamori’s business philosophy is the key to solving the challenges faced by our employees.
However, how can these business concepts be put into practice? Ultimately, these are just ideas derived from other people’s experiences. Divine help tends to favor those who want to take positive steps. Fortunately, I met an educator on SNS who was guiding small and medium-sized enterprises to establish corporate culture. Thus, my wife and I decided to pursue this knowledge first, which proved to be immensely beneficial. We then promptly organized a group of colleagues to participate in this course. All participants concurred that the course is extremely useful. This newfound knowledge instilled greater confidence in our ability to cultivate corporate culture and equipped us with effective strategies. As a result, we restructured the company into a more horizontal organization. In essence, we selected colleagues from various departments to form a new virtual team dedicated to fostering the company’s culture. This team focused on collaborative learning, experience sharing, and mutual support. During this period, the three teams also developed a straightforward yet effective performance management system, which significantly unlocked everyone’s potential.
In all our future development endeavors, we always adhere to the business philosophy of ensuring both material and spiritual well-being to all employees, while contributing to the progress and development of mankind and society. We implement systems to guide and encourage all employees to participate in the construction of corporate culture. In terms of family support for the employees, the “Lovely Fund Committee” has been established. And In terms of key strategic business development, we provide customers with better solutions through team building. The evolution of our corporate culture has transition from the initial stage of basic imitation and learning to a more advance stage characterized by our own attributes.
I believe that corporate culture should not only be actively fostered when things are going smoothly, but should also have continuous innovation during times of recession or adversity. This approach enables all employees to confront work-related challenges and collectively thrive in a nurturing and supportive work environment.
