Cybozu's Aono and Okajima, author of "The Day I Became President at 40," discuss "The New Relationship Between Companies and Individuals."

This series is titled "Quit, Conform, or Change." Previously, in collaboration with "ONE JAPAN," a practical community gathering corporate volunteer groups centered on young and mid-career employees from large corporations, we explored new "possibilities for large corporations" through events and interviews related to corporate transformation.

ONE JAPAN: A practical community gathering corporate volunteer groups centered around young and mid-career employees at large corporations

This time, we examine how young and mid-career employees working in large corporations should proceed, drawing from a session held at the "ONE JAPAN CONFERENCE 2020" organized by ONE JAPAN on October 11.

The session's theme was "ONE JAPAN: The 'New Corporate Model' Envisioned by 1,600 Young and Mid-Career Employees from Large Corporations."

Guests included Cybozu President Yoshihisa Aono and Pronova President Etsuko Okajima, known for her book "The Day I Became President at 40." From ONE JAPAN, Vice-Representatives Kazumitsu Kanbara (NHK) and Masahide Yoshida (Dentsu Inc.) participated, with Nana Suzue (Nippon TV) serving as moderator.

The discussion was based on a work-style awareness survey conducted by ONE JAPAN in August 2020, targeting approximately 50 member companies and 1,600 employees.

The True Nature of Corporate Bureaucracy Plaguing Many Companies

What challenges do employees at the approximately 50 surveyed companies perceive within their own organizations? According to Ms. Okajima, large corporations face five major issues:

・Inward focus, internal supremacy
・Silo mentality, departmentalism
・Lack of challenge and hypothesis testing
・Lack of speed
・Homogeneity and lack of renewal

In this survey, responses indicating that their company faces these challenges exceeded 60% for all five issues.

Mr. Okajima analyzed the background, stating, "While many people like their company, there were likely already quite a few who felt 'this is something that bothers me.' Remote work brought this to the surface, increasing the percentage."

Among these five items, "lack of speed" was the most widely recognized challenge. Mr. Kambara, who conducted the survey, pointed out, "While organizations recognize this as an issue, it became clear that few people are actively working towards a solution." Mr. Aono reiterated that delegating authority is key to increasing a company's sense of speed.

Aono: To increase speed, I believe delegating authority is essential. Because too few employees hold decision-making power, groundwork takes too much time. It's a fact that without delegating authority, decision-making speed won't improve. However, addressing this issue might require action from the management level.

Okajima: It's true that work styles are decided by the company. That said, employees can still raise their voices from the bottom up. The crucial factor is whether the company culture encourages such voices and concrete proposals to surface. In fact, companies that have successfully accelerated new work styles like remote work and paperless operations this year tend to have a culture where young employees propose ideas and specific solutions, and where those proposals are accepted.

From another perspective, Mr. Aono also pointed out that "speed isn't necessarily a good thing."

Aono: Focusing solely on speed in decision-making can become problematic, so at Cybozu, we deliberately avoid prioritizing speed in decision-making. For example, spending time on internal discussions slows down the decision itself, but doing this leads to faster progress afterward. Conversely, top-down decision-making without dialogue can lead to significant backtracking from the field during implementation.

ONE JAPAN Member Organizations Practice: "Techniques to Overcome Corporate Bureaucracy"

As concrete measures to overcome this corporate bureaucracy, Mr. Yoshida introduced two "techniques" suggested by survey respondents.

Yoshida: Young and mid-level employees participating in ONE JAPAN excel at building horizontal connections—across departments, with external partners and clients, and with the broader public. However, they sometimes struggle with vertical collaboration. How to connect with and engage higher-ranking individuals? Inability to do this effectively can also be a factor in the lack of speed mentioned earlier.

One specific technique for vertical collaboration is "top-down demonstration sales." There are companies where junior employees without titles directly negotiate with top management, creating momentum for top-down project promotion within the company.

Yoshida: Another technique is "leveraging meddlesome auntie connections." Identify key individuals within the company who can act as "connect hubs," such as senior employees who joined at the same time as the management. Get them on your side and have them discreetly relay messages to the management. ONE JAPAN is currently compiling a list of techniques like these to transform large corporations.

Okajima: While top executives often tell young employees, "Come talk to me directly," a certain number of middle managers will say, "I haven't heard anything." That said, since middle management looks up to the top, if it's clear the top has given the green light, things often move smoothly. When passing the ball up to management, it's key to request that the top executive also "talk to your superiors" and pass the message down. Also, charging in alone and getting rebuffed isn't ideal, so it's better to gather colleagues and present the proposal together.

Aono: Cybozu has about 700 employees in Japan and roughly 1,000 globally, but we rigorously enforce open discussion. We use internal groupware for everything, and even when talking to superiors or their superiors, we deliberately keep conversations open to prevent "I wasn't informed" situations. This also makes conversations that bypass superiors visible. The idea is to keep information flow flat while preserving the functional hierarchy of the chain of command.

Engagement with Companies

Next, survey results regarding the awareness of junior and mid-level employees were presented from the perspective of their relationship with the company.

While many internal factors were highlighted, Mr. Aono commented, "Although this item may not be immediately apparent, management must recognize that each individual holds entirely different perspectives."

Aono: What people find rewarding varies, and so does the salary level that satisfies them. That's precisely why, when working, I want people to ask themselves more clearly what they truly seek. How much do you want by what age, and why? It's crucial to think this through thoroughly. Having that clarity makes negotiation and career planning easier, but I suspect most people lack it.

Aono also offered sharp insights into the ambiguity surrounding the concept of "the relationship between the company and the individual."

Aono: We often use the phrase "relationship with the company," but if you think about it, the company is really just a conceptual entity. If you want to work in your ideal department, what you actually need to build is a relationship with the person who has the authority to decide placements, not with the company itself. If you can't break it down to this level, nothing will change. You need to understand who holds the decision-making power regarding what you want and go talk to that person.

Okajima: Actually, companies are also looking for people who take initiative. Open-call projects are one excellent opportunity to make your presence known. My recommendation is to volunteer for a project that isn't getting much attention, gain visibility from executives, and then secure your desired position.

Furthermore, Mr. Aono and Mr. Okajima also touched on how to play the "card" of changing jobs.

Aono: The simplest option is to leave the company. Even if you dislike your current organization, you chose it yourself. If you still want to stay, you should resolve yourself to it; if not, leaving is also an option.

Okajima: That said, what you can't do on your home turf, you likely won't be able to do on someone else's either. Before changing jobs, it's crucial to ask yourself if you've truly exhausted your options in your current environment. If you're determined to leave anyway, take the plunge with the mindset that "I'm willing to risk getting marked down by the company" and act on what you believe is right. You might be surprised by what changes.

The Reality and Ideal of Remote Work

When the discussion turned to work styles, we talked about remote work—which many large companies began adopting following the government's state of emergency declaration—and the accompanying changes in work practices and evaluation systems.

Okajima: Even at board meetings of companies where I serve as an executive or clients, the redefinition of offices, companies, and organizations has begun. The role of the office, in particular, significantly impacts costs, so it's being discussed quite seriously. However, it's not simply a matter of making everything virtual; some things simply cannot function without a physical presence. Beyond these discussions, the purpose and meaning of coming into the office may also change. As work styles evolve, I feel time alone will no longer be the sole criterion for evaluating labor.

In response to moderator Suzue's question, "In that case, wouldn't job-based hiring, where evaluation is based on task content, gain traction? But will it take root in Japan?", Okajima expressed a different view.

Okajima: While many people join a company because they like it, they often lack the job knowledge or expertise to choose what they do there. In such cases, traditional membership-based employment will likely persist. On the other hand, specialists with portable skills, like engineers, are more likely to transition to job-based employment. My view is that both models will coexist.

Aono: At Cybozu, we've adopted a hybrid system combining membership-based and job-based employment and evaluation systems to accommodate individual employee preferences. For example, those focused on results find motivation in salary fluctuations. However, regardless of job type, some individuals prioritize stable compensation over performance-based raises. A binary choice would inevitably leave some employees unsuited to either system. Therefore, I believe management must design a system that appeals to both types.

New Corporate Style

 

Finally, as a summary of this session, opinions were exchanged on what mindset will be required for both companies and their employees in the coming era.

Aono: We're observing how Japan's pyramid-shaped hierarchy will change, and I see the pandemic as a positive external pressure. It's a tailwind for employees. Remote work makes balancing work and family easier in some ways. It would be good if the current work style doesn't become a temporary measure, and if employees can continue to assert themselves to the company, not just carry on working as before.

Okajima: Furthermore, we're entering an era of 100-year lifespans, with working lives potentially extending to 60 years. Given such prolonged careers, both companies and individuals must adapt. Under this premise, a healthy dynamic emerges where companies provide opportunities to continuously create value, and individuals commit to organizations that offer ongoing growth prospects – each choosing freely from available options. As work styles and evaluation systems change, the future will be a world that seems kind to the "individual" yet is demanding in terms of freedom and personal responsibility. That's precisely why, especially for those in large corporations who want to change the organization, it's crucial not to fight alone but to band together with like-minded colleagues who share your vision and act collectively.

Yoshida: Precisely because we live in an era demanding not just profit but meaning and value, both companies and individuals must consciously think "for." I believe both entities are being asked, "For what purpose?" The ideal relationship between company and individual is one where management clearly articulates this purpose through a mission or vision, and employees working under that banner consider and voice actions that benefit the company and society.

The report on the "New Work Style Awareness Survey" by ONE JAPANcan be downloaded here.