Engaging People on Equal Footing: Keiko Kojima's Perspective

Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department "Wakamon" (hereafter Wakamon), a planning and creative unit exploring emerging values under the vision "Designing the Future with Young People," researches the management mindset essential for future leaders.

This research led to the concept of "Flat Management." Its core idea is that leaders should create "comfortable teams" not by imposing top-down directives, but by respecting subordinates and team members and engaging with them on an equal, horizontal level.

This series features dialogues between Wakamon members and prominent figures practicing such "Flat Management." The guest for the fifth installment is essayist and talent Keiko Kojima.

In this era of diversity, what perspective do leaders need to engage with team members on a flat level? Ms. Kojima shared her insights while offering a bird's-eye view of the current times.

 

A diverse society is incredibly troublesome

Nagi: It's said the world is undergoing major changes now, an era where there are no clear answers. We at Wakamon call it the "Age of Lost Answers." How do you perceive the current times, Ms. Kojima?

Kojima: I don't think the lack of clear answers is unique to our time. When I entered the workforce in 1995, the bubble had already burst. The previous "correct path in life" – the idea that "if you work hard and get into a good school and a good company, you will definitely be rewarded" – was already gone.

And diversity was advancing in many areas—fashion, work, children's education. That said, I don't think there's ever been a time in the past when "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion" was talked about as much as it is worldwide today.

Nagi: I think people today feel a lot of confusion about this situation, wondering, "So what should I do?"

Kojima: In the past, mass media created the answers. Everyone watched TV and read newspapers. But now, shared experiences have diminished, and choices have expanded endlessly. Even the voices we associate with "media" are fragmented. No one believes there's a single, definitive answer anymore. I think the only remaining standard is: "Whose version of the answer makes me feel stable?"

Nagi: I get it. It's like doubting yourself, or worrying intensely about whether your own behavior is right...

Kojima: In an era that values diversity, the perspectives we use to view ourselves also diversify. While saying something, you think, "This will look radical to someone very conservative," or "This will seem old-fashioned to someone very liberal." You end up internally critiquing your every move.

But you can't possibly satisfy everyone in the world, right? And you have to respect the other person. So, a society that embraces diversity is actually incredibly time-consuming and a huge hassle. It takes time and energy to explain things and have discussions. But we have to accept that reality and find a way to make it work.

Nagi: So everyone kind of says, "Diversity is great, right?" but it's not that simple, is it?

What connects disparate people is "human rights."

Kojima: I believe what's essential for navigating this "era of diversity without a single right answer" is "philosophy" and "a focus on human rights." In such a complex world, each person must philosophically consider: What do I hold as precious? What do I consider happiness? For what cause am I willing to bear this hassle?

Our brains think through the experiences our bodies undergo, but those bodies are all unique. So philosophy is also individual. So what do such disparate people have in common? It's that we all live just one life. No matter how incompatible we are with someone, we share that. Human rights are what everyone possesses from birth. It means every person's life is equally valuable and irreplaceable.

No one chooses what kind of self they are born with. We simply find ourselves born as this particular self, and must live from that inescapable starting point.

That's precisely why the fundamental purpose of building organizations and societies must be to design this world as a place that is safe, secure, and full of opportunities for happiness for everyone.

Unfortunately, in Japan, where human rights education is far from sufficient, many people still think human rights are only for some poor, unfortunate souls, or something only highly conscious individuals consider. "Human rights? Not really my thing," they think.

The fact that they can live so carefree, thinking "Not really my thing," is precisely because their own human rights are being vigorously protected.

Nagi: So they don't realize it because they're not threatened.

Kojima: Exactly. Human rights permeate every corner of daily life, but if there are no problems, you don't appreciate their value. One reason it's hard to consciously see human rights as personally relevant is that Japan is a highly homogeneous society. The overwhelming majority share the same native language and look similar. That alone makes it difficult in Japan to recognize one's own minority status compared to multicultural societies. There's also a strong pressure to conform to others, which can suppress the diversity within oneself.

Nagi: When I studied abroad, I felt incredibly lonely and realized, "Things I took for granted in Japan aren't actually guaranteed." It's true that while in Japan, we might not realize how fortunate we are in our surroundings.

Kojima: The truth is, diversity already exists within a two-meter radius. It's just hard for many people to see. How can we, such a disparate group, live happily and safely without causing each other distress? What kind of design is needed for a society that embraces diversity? I believe everyone needs to be conscious of this. We have no choice but to keep thinking about it, forever, even if it takes effort.

Those who can constantly update their values become leaders.

Nagi: Based on what we've discussed so far, Kojima, what do you think is essential for leaders in this era?

Kojima: The ability to create an environment where people can leverage their differences and work in a truly human way. On top of that, the capacity to properly update one's own values according to the situation is indispensable for a good leader.

Some leaders never update rules or decisions once made. Telling subordinates, "Follow me! Just shut up and follow!" leaves them terribly anxious about where they're being led. I suppose there was a time when people could just say, "Yes, sir! I'll follow!" and that was enough (laughs).

Nagi: I totally get that.

Kojima: People don't want to change if they can help it. Change is terrifying. A reliable leader, in my view, is someone who faces that fear, continuously updates themselves, clearly articulates why that update is valuable, and doesn't cause anxiety among their team.

Nagi: On the other hand, this isn't an era where subordinates can expect everything from their leader either. A leader can't do everything alone, so subordinates need to be willing to help too. I think a flat mindset is crucial for both leaders and subordinates.

Kojima: That's a really important point. Every person has limits and anxieties. Whether at work or in private life, it's crucial to approach the person in front of you with the perspective: "What anxieties might this person be holding?" and "Is there anything I can do to alleviate that anxiety?" I don't think that's about second-guessing; rather, it's about drawing out dialogue.

Cultivating Imagination by Immersing Yourself in Completely Different Environments

Nagi: So, to build a flat team, it's important to imagine others' anxieties and consider what you can do. But how do you cultivate that imagination?

Kojima: As a child, I struggled to read others' emotions and thoughts. Consequently, I lived with profound anxiety. My survival strategy was to constantly verbalize and narrate in my head: "How does the world appear to me right now?" Putting things into words makes them manageable, enabling imagination and inference. By constantly verbalizing things like, "Maybe it's like this in my head," or "No, there's also this possibility," or "So, as a possible course of action, I could do this," I became able to interact with people.

Nagi: I see. So you've been exercising your imagination that way. But there are plenty of people out there who think they understand things they actually don't.

Kojima: Everyone does that to some extent, right? The truth is, we're all "missing" a tremendous amount of things (laughs). We're all given just one imperfect brain, so there are limits to what we can understand. Yet, thinking "I'm not missing anything" is like driving a car without looking at the traffic signs.

The reason diversity is needed in the workplace is because it allows us to "notice" things we couldn't see before. To realize, "I probably lack imagination; I must be overlooking something," you need people around you traveling different paths, at different speeds, in different vehicles. Seeing someone muddy from running makes you realize, "Oh, the path was muddy," and that helps compensate a little for the limits of your imagination. Though, saying this like I get it, I'm sure there's plenty I haven't noticed either...

Nagi: How can we become more aware?

Kojima: It's about having contact with people who have vastly different experiences and perspectives. The quickest way is to place yourself in a completely different environment.

Nine years ago, I moved my family's base to Perth, Australia, for my children's education. I live a dual-base lifestyle, with only me working in Tokyo.

When I visit my family in Australia, I'm like a completely different person between morning and night. In the morning, when I leave Japan, language is no barrier, I have an economic foundation within the country, and sometimes people even say, "We know Kojima-san, we support you." But then I board a plane, travel 8,000 kilometers south, and arrive in Perth at night. There, no one knows me. Language is a barrier. I don't earn money in Australia either. Over there, our family is a minority in society. We're vulnerable Asian immigrants. My career in Japan holds no meaning whatsoever.

Nagi: That must have been an intense experience...

Kojima: Living that way repeatedly made me see things I hadn't noticed before. For example, foreigners work at Japanese convenience stores, but I never truly understood them. I never imagined how difficult it must be to handle complicated customer service using Japanese, which isn't their native language, or what anxieties and loneliness they live with.

You don't have to go abroad like I did. Just put yourself in a place where your title means nothing. Through childcare or side gigs, connect with people you'd never interacted with before. It won't all be fun; some parts will be annoying and exhausting. But I think those experiences are especially important for people in privileged positions. They might be the moment you realize how naive you are and how lacking your imagination is.

Belonging matters more than psychological safety

Nagi: So it's about starting from the premise that all humans are diverse, regardless of our positions, and then figuring out how to behave. Also, in management, people often say lately that "creating psychological safety is important." But when you really think about it, that's just common sense.

Kojima: Absolutely. People have surely known intuitively for a long time that psychological safety in the workplace is vital. But perhaps those called leaders discouraged people from seeking it. Shouting things like "Stop whining!" or pushing some mysterious "grit" theory. Saying "become a leader who can create psychological safety" at this point is setting the bar way too low (laughs).

We talk about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, but apparently that alone isn't enough. There's another crucial element: Belonging. I learned this from Mr. Haruo Miyagi, founder of ETIC., an NPO that nurtures social entrepreneurs, and it really resonated with me.

It's not enough for leaders to just say, "Okay, we've created systems to include diverse people." Only when those included genuinely feel welcomed, find purpose, and sense they belong does a truly diverse organization come together.

Think about it: even with friends, there's a difference between being "let in" and "becoming" part of the group, right? To create a workplace open to all kinds of diversity—gender, disability, cultural background—where everyone can thrive, I believe we need leaders with the vision to see things through to that point.

Nagi: I see. The term "belonging" conveys the nuance much more effectively than just "psychological safety."

As the mindset needed for leaders in this era of diversity, first, there must be a foundation of human rights that connects diverse people. Then, continuously update what you prioritize and the messages you convey to your team based on the situation. To do this, it's crucial to cultivate imagination and consider whether team members truly feel a sense of belonging.

In this series, we'll continue exploring "flat management" by interviewing leaders across various industries. Stay tuned!

For more on management, we also recommend the following series:
Implementing "Humanistic Knowledge" in Society
 

Scheduled for release in early summer 2023!
Flat Management: 7 Ways Leaders Build "Comfortable Teams"

Start by stepping down as a boss.

Experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the diversification of work styles—telework, remote work, side gigs, and rural relocation—significantly shifting societal values. It could be said we've entered an era where the "common sense" of what work should be has collapsed.

As diverse values become more visible and the meaning of work evolves, the era where following a boss's instructions or company policy was absolute has ended. It's no longer the case that "just because someone is a boss, they are superior" or "just because someone is a boss, they hold a higher position."

Leaders in team management positions must understand the values of this era, where there is no single "correct answer," and confront the question of how to build a better team based on the situation at hand.

This book advocates for "Flat Management Thinking" – a mindset that avoids rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches. Instead, it focuses on engaging with each team member individually, harnessing their diversity to shape the team into a better form. It directly addresses the challenges of this changing era, focusing on leaders who are directly in charge of frontline operations.

Precisely because these are challenging times, leaders must deliver diverse outcomes, making efficient work increasingly vital. This book on team building presents concrete know-how: how to enhance productivity while tackling difficult problems, and the leadership qualities, competencies, actions, and communication required today.