Affection & independence- family-like environment-

Inamori has been sharing with Seiwajuk workshop members his views on what kind of working environment the top leader should develop. He said it is a family-like atmosphere. What Inamori said is quoted with “”.

“We should feel each other and share both good and bad news and go through all the successes and hardships. In Kyocera, we developed such a trust-based corporate culture. This kind of family-like environment has become the basis for our work, where we trust each other with mutual gratitude and respect. For instance, when a colleague is having trouble at work, we can spontaneously help each other. Management based on people’s values and mindset also includes developing a family-like working environment.”

For this motto, two points should be highlighted: 1 Instinctive affection and 2 Distinction.
Let me elaborate one by one.

1 Instinctive affection

Inamori said as follows.

“ This is integrated with the motto : management based on our mentality and mindset. In the Kyocera start up stage, I was wondering what the most reliable business resources were. I had a little capital that my supporters contributed, little credit, and ordinary technologies. I had been anxious and always seeking something reliable. I came up with an idea: what if I rely on a sort of trust built among our staff. People’s minds are always invisible and easy to change, however, once they ‘ve been integrated, they would be the most powerful and reliable strength of our company. A family, where parents, children and siblings are helping each other even if their economic interests conflict with each other, could be one of the most powerful units in terms of business expansion. That is why I decided to run the company as if it were a large family.

Actually my anxiety allowed me to develop this motto, however, I found that this principle worked in driving a tremendous growth of Kyocera. I think that the small and medium-sized enterprises, family-like environment would empower them to make a breakthrough by overcoming potential conflicts between management vs employees or otherwise owners vs workers. This is because they can learn how to harmonize with each other like a family.”

I think that this affection among a family is something that all creatures including human beings have instinctively. I think that Mr. Inamori emphasized what human beings eternally possess over its development, even under time when the materialistic mind dominates.

As a person grows, the way how he interacts with his family also changes. This would appear as an attitude to maintain a certain distance with other family members. Or otherwise, it would be found as the emotional development such as affection or rebellion. Mr. Inamori may have wanted to tell us that even with those emotional complexities, we could deliver such instinctive love and affections towards other family members, as long as we keep purifying our souls and spirits to open our instinctive senses.

2 Distinction.

Inamori continued.
“ However, guys, please pay attention, spoiling each other is another consequence of this family-like environment. I don’t think you have been treating your family. So sometimes this family-like environment leads us to discourage or spoil each other. Those are the negative sides of this motto, and we should avoid any unpleasant outcomes from nepotism. Even though a family like environment boosts the business performance, we must scrape off all the deficits that come from unmatured family business. “

In reality, there are several parents who excessively try to solve problems which their children were supposed to solve by themselves. Some children, instead of their parents, play the role of their parents and make decisions on behalf of them.

In a family, it is important to encourage other family members to solve their own issues just by themselves. It is also important to maintain the clear separation of issues. In other words, each one of us in a family must realize who is the one to face and solve this issue. Actually, in our society, we have seen many interdependent relations in a family. Children rely on their parents in many ways and parents on the other hand are willing to solve all the issues which their children encounter. Such interaction prevents us from becoming independent not only financially but also mentally.

This looks somehow different from abandonment. Parents must carefully watch their children but remain quiet and provide a minimum support that the children desire. Therefore, keeping the best distance with other family members while having affection and love is the key to managing relations with others. This can be applied not only among family but also between a couple (husband and wife) or even among countries.

In summary, it is important to run the business like a family. Realizing the natural affection or love which were originally given to us human beings is important. At the same time eliminating nepotism and setting firm boundaries with other family members is also important. Philosophy helps us to manage both the positive and negative side of family emotion.