I am Yoshida, president of Yamada Shusei Ltd., a professional apparel clothing repair company in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture.
The evaluation of others regarding my strengths and advantages is "compassion. But to be honest, I could not be honestly pleased with myself as a business owner. This is because the image I had of "compassion" was a negative one: "It's a good thing, but I can't survive in the tough business world if it's my main focus.
I realized that I needed to "reframe my values" in order to make the most of my own qualities.
Reframing values means reevaluating your values and assumptions and changing them to a more positive perspective.
For example, when you see a glass half full of water, you change your perception from "there is only half a glass of water" to "there is half a glass of water," or when you fail in some way, you change your perception from "failure is embarrassing" to "failure is a learning opportunity.
In my case, I was the eldest and youngest of three siblings . I think I was brought up with a "gentle" personality because I was a grandmother's child, but at the same time, I also felt the "difficulty of living" due to the invisible pressures of the times and the community.
If I were to put it into words, I would say that "gentleness alone is not enough to live," "a man must be strong," "a man must not cry," "a man must not talk too much," and "it is difficult to be both gentleness and strength.
Because of these beliefs, I had the feeling that I was not suited to be a manager.
However, by reframing my values, I was able to grow into a person who thinks, "Management that utilizes compassion (gentleness) is a management style that is unique to me, and a wonderful thing that benefits the people around me and society!
Everyone is born and raised with their own set of values. Sometimes they pull you down, and sometimes they push you up. Although we are not usually aware of it, in "management" as well, reaffirming one's values, even before visible skills and methods, can be a catalyst for growth.
As a "manager," reframing your values has the following benefits.
1) Clarity of one's vision and goals
When values are negative, managers tend to lose sight of their potential and hope. When values are positive, managers are more likely to see their own potential and hope.
2) Able to maximize their own abilities and contributions
When values are negative, managers tend to get caught up in their own weaknesses and shortcomings. When values are positive, managers are more likely to focus on their strengths and advantages.
3) They can enjoy their own challenges and successes
When values are negative, managers tend to be fearful of their own crises and failures. When values are positive, managers are more likely to deal with their own crises and failures.
Management can be a lonely existence. Therefore, it is important to balance "living one's own life" with "sound management" and "securing profits," and to proceed with a sense of "excitement and joy" rather than "obligation and pain.
