Learn from JAL's Mr. Matsuzaki! Techniques for Achieving Company-Approved Internal and External Co-creation

Titled "Quit, Conform, or Change," this series explores new "possibilities for large corporations" through events centered on themes related to corporate transformation. We highlight cases of large corporations tackling transformation from among the companies affiliated with ONE JAPAN's volunteer groups. Through interviews with the key players themselves, we examine "the potential of large corporations and the techniques to realize it."

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

 

This time, we interviewed Shiro Matsuzaki, who established the internal venture team "W-PIT" (Wakuwaku Platform Innovation Team) at JAL (Japan Airlines) and challenges co-creation with companies from different industries.

Masahide Yoshida, a member of Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department and ONE JAPAN, asked him about the secrets to getting an internal project launched at a large corporation officially recognized by the company, and the tips for team building that starts with "Wakuwaku" (excitement) to grow the team.

【What is W-PIT?】

A JAL-approved internal venture team challenging the creation of new value and business through cross-industry co-creation, with "Wakuwaku" as its key concept. It has successively realized co-creation businesses with companies from diverse sectors, including craft beer company Yoho Brewing, Soup Stock Tokyo, Pocket Marche, and Kokuyo. Key projects include " Drink Miles " (day trips exclusive to JMB members), " Sauna Travel " (supporting sauna-loving businesspeople), and " Open Sky Study " (simultaneously solving challenges for university students and producers during the pandemic).
 

https://wpit-official.themedia.jp/

 

A disillusioned newcomer. My father's words made me resolve to change JAL.

Yoshida: As an officially recognized internal venture team at JAL, W-PIT has continuously realized cross-industry collaborations. Now in its fourth year, it has grown into an organization with over 140 members. Today, we'd like to hear from Mr. Matsuzaki, the founder of W-PIT. Before we begin, could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us what you do at JAL?

Matsuzaki: I'm Matsuzaki from JAL. My real name is Shiro, but everyone calls me by my nickname, "Shigeru" (laughs). I was born in Yokohama in 1985. When I was 10 months old, I moved to New York due to my father's work and lived there for about six years. After returning to Japan, I moved back to the U.S. to Houston during my senior year of high school due to my father's assignment there. Upon returning to Japan, I attended university. I joined JAL as a new graduate in 2009, gained experience in passenger operations at Narita Airport, then spent about six years in the IT Planning Department. Currently, I belong to the International Partnership Department, where I promote business alliances with overseas partners.

Yoshida: So, your main job is in the International Partnership Department, and serving as the W-PIT representative is another role you hold?

Matsuzaki: That's correct. All W-PIT members hold their primary jobs while also participating in W-PIT activities.

Yoshida: That's impressive. Logically, focusing solely on your main job would mean less overall workload. Why go to the trouble of launching an internal venture?

Matsuzaki: Back then, the IT Planning Department I belonged to was a passive department only called upon when needed. I wanted to transform it into a more dynamic unit! So, I launched an internal project called the "IT Innovation Lab" to drive cross-organizational change centered around IT. Employees interested in this gathered voluntarily, and through hackathon-like initiatives, five teams emerged. One of those teams was focused on driving innovation starting with Wakuwaku, which became the current W-PIT.

Yoshida: I see. So, Matsuzaki-san, have you always had an entrepreneurial spirit?

Matsuzaki: I ran something like a cram school during university, so I think I'm the type who relatively enjoys starting things. Looking back now, though, I might have experienced a kind of burnout syndrome right after graduating. When JAL went bankrupt in 2010, my second year at the company, I regretted the career path I'd chosen and spent every day complaining about the company. I had even started job hunting.

Yoshida: It's hard to imagine that from the positively radiant Matsuzaki-san we see today.

Matsuzaki: I was completely disillusioned. But when my father saw me like that, he said, "Shiro, don't you remember when you joined this company?" The call from JAL with their job offer came while I was drinking with my father in a room at home. It happened right after he told me, "You should go to the company that offered you a job first." I guess it was a deeply meaningful event for him too.

He said, "Don't talk about changing jobs when you haven't accomplished anything yet. If you're going to leave, leave after making your mark. That's how you repay the company that gave you your first offer." That's when I realized I was just running away. That was the moment the fire lit: "Alright, I'll start changing the company based on what excites me!"

The "Positioning Eye" for Realizing Your Goals Within an Organization

Yoshida: Now, I'd like to hear about how Matsuzaki-san, after this resolution, grew W-PIT into an officially recognized project within the large corporation JAL. W-PIT promotes cross-industry co-creation starting from excitement ("Wakuwaku"), but how did you proceed with project development?

Matsuzaki: I didn't expect "Let's do things that excite us!" to be enough to get the message across, so I used data from an external assessment survey that analyzed JAL employees' tendencies. Third-party evaluations at the time highlighted strengths like initiative and vitality in tackling work proactively, along with the coordination skills and sensitivity inherent to the service industry. However, they also revealed significantly lower levels of creativity unconstrained by precedent, transformative orientation, goal-setting ability, and organizational utilization skills. In this VUCA era demanding new value creation, an organization weak in these areas is problematic. I proposed W-PIT as an initiative to strengthen precisely those capabilities.

Yoshida: I see. I imagine there was also a personal "want"—like "I want to feel excited" or "I want to do this." But linking that to management challenges was the key point, right?

Matsuzaki: Exactly. It's about articulating the greater purpose for pursuing your personal aspirations by connecting them to solving problems the company needs addressed. In other words, it's crucial to discern where your personal ambitions fit within the organization and proactively position yourself there.

Yoshida: The phrase " positioning discernment " really resonates. Before launching any project, you don't have solid results or abundant funding in hand. Especially for employees in their 30s working at large corporations, most haven't yet reached the seniority where they can convince decision-makers with major results. In that situation, "positioning discernment" is a highly valuable method for breaking through that initial barrier.

Winning "The Happiest Day of Your CEO Life"

Matsuzaki: Regarding the starting line, I also think it was significant that we could involve executives from the very early stages to advance the project. It was truly fortunate.

Yoshida: How did that come about?

Matsuzaki: At the IT Innovation Lab's year-end review, each team had the chance to present to the executives, including the president. I figured the executives must be tired of seeing "ordinary" presentations, so I delivered a highly unconventional one focused on impact. When other teams also gave excellent presentations, the president at the time was so moved he teared up, saying, "Today is the happiest day of my life as president." He then assigned the then-Senior Managing Director to our project, saying, "I'm assigning an executive to your project."

Yoshida: Winning the president's happiest day is quite an accomplishment.

Matsuzaki: Looking back now, it was a terrible, "unpolished" presentation, but maybe just throwing myself into it wholeheartedly worked (laughs). Colleagues still tell me, "That day's presentation was awful, but the passion came through."

Another turning point was the company-wide talent and organizational reform movement called "JAL OODA," which started around 2018. Based on the OODA Loop, it aimed to foster a corporate culture where people think and act autonomously. I believed W-PIT could contribute as an initiative embodying JAL OODA. So I went straight to the then-Head of Human Resources (Executive Officer) and negotiated to have W-PIT linked to the HR department, positioning it as a team to practice JAL OODA. As a result, W-PIT gained the company's official endorsement through a "dual assignment order."

Yoshida: So it wasn't just a volunteer activity; it became a formal, officially appointed dual assignment from HR, allowing you to operate more transparently and fairly. That's also an example of "positioning discernment," right?

Team Building Techniques: Connecting "From the Heart, Not Just the Head"

Yoshida: W-PIT isn't just a unit driving co-creation business; it also has well-established operations, PR, and finance departments. Including its personnel placement and evaluation management systems, it feels like running an entire company. Did you build this structure from the very start?

Matsuzaki: The answer is a resounding NO. The first event W-PIT hosted in 2017 was the "JAL Festival," co-produced with Yoho Brewing for JAL employees. Under the concept "Everything Starts with Employee Excitement," about 500 craft beer-loving employees gathered at headquarters for a grand celebration. While it might seem like a drinking party at first glance, it was actually a seminar and team-building event packed with business elements.

For example, when you're talking with coworkers or clients and suddenly realize you're from the same hometown, that moment can spark excitement and create a mysterious sense of unity, right? We thought that feeling of excitement was incredibly important. By linking the shared passion for craft beer with the idea of "Let's change the company!", we believed we could infuse W-PIT's activities with real energy.

Yoshida: So instead of events with grand slogans or serious gatherings like "Thinking About JAL's Future," you approached it from a more private, Wakuwaku angle. I tend to think about things quite seriously myself, so this is really insightful.

Matsuzaki: If you try to impose a grand cause on people before genuine empathy has formed, I personally find it annoying (laughs). I think it's crucial to connect "from the heart," not just "from the head."

Yoshida: True. Teams born from each person's fundamental motivation seem to have a different source of energy compared to teams organized around a "public-facing" cause.

Matsuzaki: We must break the assumption that "people from the same company = people who think alike." Backgrounds differ, and attitudes and levels of commitment toward work vary greatly. Understanding diversity as a fundamental premise, I think it's crucial to find those "points of empathy" that align everyone toward the same direction and stir things up.

Yoshida: That's exactly diversity and inclusion. In such a large organization, individual levels of enthusiasm naturally vary. Especially for members juggling multiple roles, their primary responsibilities can be demanding, potentially lowering their motivation for W-PIT. Do you have any strategies for managing member motivation?

Matsuzaki: While the organization is managed to some extent through a vertical structure, I make a conscious effort to talk with each person individually whenever possible. For example, we run an initiative every morning called "Shige Walk." This connects internal and external guests, along with participating W-PIT members, via chat tools. Everyone walks in their favorite location while engaging in a one-hour online conversation.

Yoshida: Every morning? Now I understand why you have such a healthy complexion (laughs).

Matsuzaki: Exactly (laughs). I'm proud to say it's both a well-being and team-building initiative. Staying healthy is important, but equally crucial for boosting member motivation is my own sustained enthusiasm. If the person leading the charge looks unhealthy and gloomy, no one will follow.

Additionally, W-PIT has a dedicated team of 142 members focused on team building. They organize online retreats and numerous other events to strengthen team cohesion.

To keep the passion burning, don't keep your aspirations to yourself

Yoshida: Earlier you mentioned "continuing to be passionate." I imagine you've faced many hardships and difficult times. What's the secret to staying passionate without losing heart?

Matsuzaki: Believe it or not (laughs), I'm actually the type who gets easily caught up in the highs and lows of daily challenges. What keeps me going is having key executive members right beside me who always support me when I'm down. I don't for a second think I built W-PIT to this point alone.

Another crucial thing is never losing sight of what you want to achieve. My mission isn't just succeeding on W-PIT's current projects. I have this deep desire to transform JAL into a company that can survive the VUCA era, and by changing JAL, push other companies forward too, ultimately lifting up Japan as a whole. Once you've set that goal, quitting because of short-term failures or setbacks isn't an option, right?

Yoshida: I sensed that you, Matsuzaki, don't keep your aspirations solely to yourself. I think it's scary and takes tremendous courage to make such grand declarations. If you keep your ambitions locked inside without telling anyone, you won't risk failure and being pointed at afterward.

Matsuzaki: Of course, failure is incredibly scary, and since others are involved, I don't approach things with a mindset that says it's okay to fail. But I think you can't just recklessly challenge anything without the resolve that "it's better to give it your all and be laughed at than to avoid challenges out of fear of failure."

Deriving optimal solutions through "sauna-like thinking" that oscillates between passion and calm

Yoshida: What challenges will W-PIT take on next?

Matsuzaki: We aim to solidify Wakuwaku as a business platform for co-creation and expand it beyond our company.

One example of this business initiative is the " Japan Vitalization Platform," launched jointly with Pocket Marche. This consortium concept aims to revitalize Japan by stirring up cities and regions through co-creation activities involving companies, fishermen, and future generations (university students), thereby generating new flows of people and goods. Our goal is to build a platform involving 10,000 participants and 100 companies by 2025.

Yoshida: This perspective of mixing cities, regions, and people that previously never interacted is so W-PIT-like and truly exciting. If there's anything the Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department can contribute, we'd love to help build momentum together.

Matsuzaki: Absolutely! We want to connect with diverse people beyond corporate and regional boundaries and grow our community of partners revitalizing Japan together.

Additionally, W-PIT's Vice President (Okamoto) also manages the " JAPAN SAUNA-BU ALLIANCE," formed in April 2019 to contribute to revitalizing Japan's business scene through saunas.

We hope to continue promoting initiatives that energize companies and society through these diverse co-creation business ventures!

Yoshida: While Mr. Matsuzaki stands out for his passion and drive, he also possesses the ability to calmly assess situations and make decisions with a bird's-eye view. Rather than just pushing through with enthusiasm for "I want to do this!", he identifies points for consensus by analyzing JAL's strengths and weaknesses, and considers the perspectives of executives when devising presentation approaches. This ability to swing between passion and calm to derive optimal solutions truly embodies " sauna-like thinking " – moving between heat and cold to find balance.

Matsuzaki: "Sauna-like thinking"—that's fantastic! As a sauna enthusiast myself, I'm thrilled (laughs).

Yoshida: Hearing so many insights on growing internal projects within a large corporation was incredibly educational. Thank you so much for today!

[Past articles in this series can be found here]