Kaori Sasaki "Diversity Opens the Future"

The keyword "women's empowerment" has become increasingly common. We spoke with Kaori Sasaki, President of E-Woman, about economic issues, the role of working women, and diversity.

 

Why Companies Thrive Through Women's Empowerment

When asked about the relationship between "tomorrow's design" and "women's empowerment," I would say it is a very important one. We've entered an era where we hear the term "women's empowerment" frequently again. Prime Minister Abe's frequent use of it has accelerated this trend. The reason "women's empowerment" is being highlighted now differs from about 30 years ago when the Equal Employment Opportunity Law was enacted. Back then, it was addressed as one social issue among others, like gender equality and human rights. But now it's different. It's an economic issue. Discussions now focus on how much Japan's economy could accelerate and how much companies could grow by empowering women. This point is crucial.

There are two economic viewpoints. One is the perspective that, due to the shrinking workforce, we need female workers to participate, or that we need to increase taxpayers, or that more women earning income will stimulate consumption. The other, which I believe is crucial, is the diversity perspective. Post-war Japan was rebuilt, centered on Tokyo, by men who graduated from certain universities. Politics, business, finance, media—all benefited from the "boys' network" of men: friends, acquaintances, seniors, juniors. Being mutually acquainted, raised in the same environment, sharing the same values worked to their advantage. They could rebuild Japan rapidly and decisively. Japan became Number One.

However, in today's global society with advanced IT, making decisions and moving forward based on a single set of values no longer works effectively. Consumers in the market have access to more information, and lifestyles have diversified. This applies equally to shareholders and workers. Whether creating a product or promoting it, we must now incorporate and scrutinize perspectives from diverse viewpoints. We need to craft products and communications that resonate with as many people as possible, while at the very least avoiding causing offense. Consequently, there is a risk in forming teams based solely on shared university backgrounds, family environments, working hours, age, gender, etc., assuming "we understand each other." To consider perspectives from other standpoints and whether people with different sensibilities exist, it's necessary to include individuals with diverse ways of thinking in teams. Especially in Japanese society and companies, which operate in male-dominated environments, the first step is often to include women. The goal is "diversity of thought." What matters is how many different viewpoints contribute to the discussion. However, for many Japanese companies, this first step begins with "let's try adding women to the team."

The Importance of "My Perspective" in Raising the Team's Overall Score

The ultimate goal of diversity is to "increase the team's overall score." It's not about being disjointed, nor is it about everyone asserting their ego. When everyone thinks from diverse perspectives to create products, services, policies, advertising, and communication, it reduces risk and increases the potential for growth. Therefore, what matters is each individual's ability to propose their own perspective. Having your own perspective is the foundation of diversity.

In my case, I have consistently proposed new perspectives and insights visible only to me. For example, in 1995, I conducted Japan's first overseas video conference using a PC CCD camera. In 1996, I launched a bilingual Japanese-English portal site for women and started the " International Women's Business Conference," a pioneer in international conferences for working women.

Scene from the "International Women's Business Conference" (2013). Scheduled again this July in Tokyo.

Today, one of e-woman's core activities involves product development and service evaluation from the perspective of full-time working women. Full-time workers are likely underrepresented among registrants for major online survey companies. Even among readers of this column, few probably register with online survey firms and respond daily. The perspective of full-time working women—those who work daily, earn a living, and manage their households—has been overlooked in traditional marketing. Incorporating their voices into new product/service development and proposing concepts/ideas from scratch is a diversity perspective.

Aiming for a shift in perspective, I want you to broaden your experiences. Once, Professor Yoko Ishikura (Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University) told me, "Ms. Sasaki, you are a pro at connecting the dots." The ability to connect information and view things from diverse perspectives will be even more essential going forward. I recommend both men and women stretch their minds and broaden their experiences more than ever before. For example, I recommend participating in the International Women's Business Conference. Ten hours where proactive women and men from Japan and abroad freely participate. I believe it will spark a shift in thinking.

Above all, try thinking with a different mindset than before and keep adding new experiences. I look forward to all of you developing Japan from a diversity perspective.