Designing Workstyles
The Onward Group is executing the Work Style Design Project to enhance operational efficiency and productivity by achieving work-life balance. This workstyle reform project encourages employees to take the initiative in changing the way they work.
Launched in August 2019 at Onward Kashiyama, the Group's core operating company, this project is energized by pacesetting Kaeru Kaigi meetings, weekly team meetings to consider what team members should do to improve their workstyles. Enhanced operating efficiency has led to reduced overtime and a rise in the number of days of paid leave consumed. Work-life synergy through enhancement of both work and private life is having a positive impact on business.
Our initiatives
Kaeru Kaigi meetings
Each team holds a weekly meeting to consider what team members should do to improve their workstyles. Kaeru Kaigi meetings go beyond simply facilitating reports on work progress to promote self-driven processes of trial and error by all members for the purpose of transforming workstyles and achieving their goals for work. Most important, these meetings aim to be enjoyable for all attendees. For this reason, we are promoting Kaeru Kaigi meetings on a Companywide basis while ensuring that these meetings have an atmosphere conducive to voicing frank opinions regardless of rank or career history.
Kaeru Kaigi meeting Use of sticky notes is helpful for individuals who may hesitate to express seemingly controversial opinions verbally.
Training of managerial personnel / Information sharing meeting
Recognizing that changing the awareness of managerial personnel is the first step toward designing workstyles, we invite external consultants to conduct training for them in a continuous two-year training program. It starts with cultivating a mindset for "management suitable for the 'demographic onus' phase in which a diverse workforce prioritizes short working hours," which is a radical change from "management suitable for the 'demographic bonus' phase in which a homogeneous workforce is willing to tolerate very long working hours."
At a plenary meeting for reporting the achievements of Kaeru Kaigi meetings and sharing information, which senior executives also attended, there was frank discussion on workstyles from now on. A corporate culture conducive to free and open communication regardless of position is being cultivated.
Work Style Design Information Sharing Meeting held in February 2021
Work Style Design Project for Workstyle Reform
Online Discussion Event: Management Explains Onward's Challenges and Achievements
