Business management is a difficult job that requires company leaders to know how to operate effectively. Japan is a country highly regarded for its lifestyle as well as its way of working and daily communication. In business, the secret of successful Japanese companies is that they know exactly where they are going. Join 1Office to explore 10 Japanese business management secrets in the following article!

I. Japanese Business Management Secrets

1. Continuous Improvement

This principle requires managers to constantly improve the working methods of employees in the company. Don’t let your business stagnate; improve every day. Progress is a gradual process of advancement. Managers need to create a favorable environment for their employees to implement work improvements.

Don't let your business stagnate; improve every day

Don’t let your business stagnate; improve every day

To overcome barriers that make it difficult for businesses to apply productivity improvement tools, analysts suggest that management agencies need to enhance the capacity of their management staff and consultants. They should also encourage and create favorable conditions for businesses to apply solutions for improving productivity and quality; provide training on standards, productivity, and quality in universities, colleges, and vocational schools; and strengthen consulting, guidance, and support for businesses in building and applying technical standards and regulations, as well as implementing productivity and quality improvement solutions.

In addition, businesses need to proactively learn about and grasp management systems and productivity improvement tools, and invest in scientific and technological innovation to enhance product quality, increase productivity, and thereby improve their competitiveness.

See more: Design Thinking – A Breakthrough Solution Mindset for Businesses!

2. Everyone has the right to speak up

Managers need to ensure that all company members participate in contributing ideas on company issues, even minor ones. This should also be widely applied in all meetings and annual planning activities.

Among effective business management methods, active listening not only helps leaders receive feedback from employees and implement better quality improvement programs, but it is also a way for leaders to build cohesion among employees, making it easier to guide them toward the company’s goals.

3. To be a great business manager, stop scolding employees

Scolding is not the best way to solve problems in every situation. At Toyota, the world’s second-largest car manufacturer, a rule is in place that managers are not allowed to yell at or punish their subordinates when mistakes occur. Instead, errors are reported immediately to find the root cause for appropriate correction.

To be a great business manager, stop scolding employees

To be a great business manager, stop scolding employees

According to a recent study by Harvard Business Review, 54% of employees feel they do not regularly receive respect from their boss. Scolding employees in front of customers, not acknowledging their achievements, or not listening to their feedback are some signs of disrespect.

Scolding not only creates a distance between employees and managers but also affects work performance. Regardless of how you feel, first and foremost, respect your employees with basic courtesy.

See more: “Priceless” business lessons from the world’s top CEOs

 4. Rotate talented employees A business management secret you need to know

Honda has a policy of rotating and training employees. Typically, managers tend to want to keep their best employees from rotating to other departments, but in the long run, a policy of rotating talented employees is very beneficial for the entire company.

Rotate employees so they can gain more new experience and knowledge

Rotate employees so they can gain more new experience and knowledge

We know that if anyone does the same thing over and over again, year after year, they will eventually become overly familiar with the work. This can lead to complacency and a gradual loss of their ability to explore and be creative. Therefore, without bringing in new talent and fresh perspectives, a business can easily stagnate or, even worse, regress.

Read more: Digital transformation trends in businesses in 2020-2021

5. Make others understand the work you do

To do this, managers need to pay attention to coaching and presentation skills. A typical example is the managers at Sony Corporation, Japan, who always focus on helping employees develop their skills in explaining and presenting their work to the team to achieve fuller and more effective collaboration.

Effective communication is a necessary skill, and it must be practiced continuously over time

Effective communication is a necessary skill, and it must be practiced continuously over time

Effective communication is a necessary skill, and it must be practiced continuously over time. If you don’t model timely and effective communication with your employees, you will never earn their respect.

Read more: Digital transformation stories from major brands around the world

6. Coordination between departments 

According to a survey by Fierce Inc., 86% of executives and employees surveyed believe that the cause of most team problems and failures is a lack of collaboration or ineffective communication. Managers understand the importance of collaboration and teamwork in business, but they often promote team collaboration in the wrong way.

Masao Nemoto, former executive director of Honda, advised business managers: “One of the important functions of a manager is to effectively coordinate their department with other departments.”

Businesses need coordination between departments

Businesses need coordination between departments

A business is an organization, a collective formed from many individuals and smaller groups. Therefore, cohesion within a business is extremely necessary. Departments and divisions perform different functions and tasks in the company, but their connection is a prerequisite and indispensable.

Read more: 14 golden principles of business administration by Henri Fayol

7. Caring more about employees is the secret to good business management

One of the decisive factors in a manager’s success is their concern for and how they express that concern to their employees.

Think beyond the standard monthly salary and benefit packages that employees receive. Observe how they work and see if there is anything you can do to help improve their work environment and make the office a warmer, more comfortable place for everyone.

Caring more about employees is the secret to good business management

Caring more about employees is the secret to good business management

Don’t be afraid to show people that the boss is more than just a superior. Instead, let them see how much you care about them by talking to them about topics outside of work. Ask about what they do outside the office. Truly listen to your employees.

If an employee asks for help with something, the manager should try to fulfill that request as soon as possible. In other words, if employees feel that senior management cares and is willing to solve their problems, they will be more proactive in carrying out their assigned tasks.

Thus, they will have a more serious attitude towards the common goals set by the manager. This is one of the important secrets in Japanese human resource management.

8. Emphasize employee participation in the decision-making process

In reality, employees are not just attached to the company for financial reasons. There are more important things that motivate them, such as a sense of pride in what they do and feeling indispensable to the team’s success.

Emphasize employee participation in the decision-making process

Emphasize employee participation in the decision-making process

Good employees are a crucial factor in helping an organization run smoothly. They are loyal, trust you, and have real talent. Therefore, it’s not surprising that many company leaders call them “associates” instead of “employees”. Your employees will also feel more responsible when they have a say in a decision.

Facilitating their contribution to the decision-making process can bring many benefits to your organization. Some Japanese companies encourage collaboration between workers and managers by distributing leadership authority.

See more: Comprehensive work management software helps businesses “break through”

9. Rehearsals are an ideal opportunity to train necessary skills

The importance of presentation skills is emphasized in many fields, from accounting to architecture, teachers to engineers, scientists as well as stockbrokers. Even in highly technical fields like civil or mechanical engineering, managers still value communication skills more than technical knowledge when recruiting or promoting someone.

Presentation skills are also very useful later in your career, helping you get promoted or survive if the company has mass layoffs.

During his time as CEO at Honda, Masao Nemoto always encouraged managers to focus on rehearsing reports and presentations. These were opportunities to practice presentation and persuasion skills and to discover new issues or shortcomings.

See more: Top 3 effective and trusted work management software today

10. Ensure job security and create an atmosphere of mutual trust

Members should be encouraged to feel comfortable and willing to share their opinions, ideas, thoughts, and emotions with others. To encourage open communication within the team, regular meetings should be held; everyone should be encouraged to speak up, discuss, and exchange ideas to reach a consensus, avoiding imposing opinions or criticizing different ones.

Ensure job security and create an atmosphere of mutual trust in the business

Ensure job security and create an atmosphere of mutual trust in the business

When members show mutual respect, trust within the team will increase, and everyone will be willing and comfortable to share opinions and actively contribute to achieving the team’s operational goals.

Ensuring a work atmosphere of trust will make employees feel a sense of harmony, strengthen team spirit, and want to stay with the company long-term.

At the same time, this also contributes to labor stability and minimizes employee turnover. Labor stability helps improve the relationship between workers and management levels. This is a necessary factor for enhancing business operations.

See more: Manage work and project progress with just 1 click in the software

II. Effective business administration secrets for Vietnamese enterprises

Understanding the difficulties businesses face during the digital transformation era, 1Office provides a comprehensive business management solution with a set of digital tools to help businesses improve work efficiency, manage projects and campaigns, thereby saving time, costs, and other resources.

With the Workplace toolkit, departments can easily search and filter information. Managers can easily access and track project progress without being physically present. Digitizing all images and data helps businesses easily reach and attract potential customers.

In addition, the HRM toolkit can solve all human resource management problems by quickly digitizing all data. The process of nurturing, classifying, and screening candidate profiles during recruitment is also carried out in detail with a clear and transparent process.

This helps managers clearly grasp the personnel situation, then get a comprehensive view of human resource fluctuations to address them promptly.

1Office - The comprehensive business management solution

1Office – The comprehensive business management solution

Furthermore, the data security feature is also enhanced to minimize the risk of information leakage, preventing malicious actors from exploiting it and affecting the company’s reputation.

Anyone in the business can easily use the 1Office software. With simple and easy-to-understand operations, superiors and employees can interact, freely discuss, and share everything through the internal network, saving time and improving work efficiency.

In addition, 1Office has been selected by the Ministry of Information and Communications as a pioneering platform in the national digital transformation program, being a solution that brings sustainable efficiency to businesses.

If you are facing difficulties in business management, sign up for a trial to receive a consultation. 1Office will help you solve your problems quickly!

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