Sound House’s employees are my family! - The true meaning of meddling that most would never think about

Everyone thinks that saying “My employees are my family” is hyperbole and would say, “It’s nothing but a lie!” People might agree a little more if I say with a less assertive tone, “My employees are like my family!” Anyway, I am always thinking about my employees in a way to which I can describe these feelings as being akin to parental love. Sometimes I suddenly wonder why I even bother taking such good care of them purely out of kindness.

Sound House finally is welcoming in the year 2023 by celebrating its 30th anniversary. Since I was already running another company before I founded Sound House, I have spent nearly 40 years as a company manager. Throughout the decades, I have met and parted with many employees. There were also the rare occasions where I encountered troubles. Recently, perhaps because I’m a little more experienced, I no longer get myself into trouble but instead, I often encounter problems among employees. I have to think hard on how to encourage the parties to reconcile every time. In order to keep law and order in the company, I have to spend a lot of time taking care of small troubles without a moment’s notice.

However, perhaps I’m interfering too much. When I encounter a terrible situation, I cannot overlook it and I end up getting myself involved. This is only because I consider my employees as if they were my family. For example, one time, when I learned that one of my employees was suffering from severe atopic dermatitis, I took him abroad for medical treatment. He was a male employee, so people did not say anything about it. One day, however, I also took a new graduate female employee with a mental health problem to a psychologist. As a result, this action caused some misunderstandings. Another time, I bought a pair of glasses for an employee who said that he couldn’t see well and he was staring at the computer screen without wearing glasses or even changing the prescription of his contact lenses. I knew I was interfering too much, however, I know I would have done the same things to help my own children. This just goes to show how important my employees are to me.

Having a family is actually a huge burden for me. Ever since I got divorced, I gained legal custody of my four children, so I just did my best to raise my children while running the company. I guess this is the only thing I can praise myself for. At the time, I was living in Lions Mansion, which is the apartment complex where we had company housing. Fortunately, the company building was right next door and I had no commute time, so I often ran back and forth between the office and the apartment. I’m now amazed at how often I accompanied my children to and from cram school, the hospital, and attended open class day at their schools. However, as my children grew older, I gradually started to spend more time on my employees.

My children probably know best how much their father regards his employees. I wonder how much they sacrificed their time with their father so that he could maintain close relationships with his employees. My priorities have changed so much that it’s no wonder that people have asked me who is actually more important: my employees or my children? After all, I ran to whomever needed the help the most. I remember that at some point I gradually stopped celebrating my children’s birthdays. Instead, I decided to take my children with me as much as possible every time I went abroad. I hoped that they might at least get to see their father working and learn something from all of us traveling together. I made dozens of these trips with my children, but I’m surprised that I have traveled with my employees just as much as I have with my children. No road is long with good company. Spending a little time together is a sign that we are a family, right?

However, the times have changed. Nowadays, bosses tend to prefer not to be too deeply involved with their employees. Being one big family means that we are able to become closer to each other and sometimes emotional troubles can happen. I think all of you have experienced a time when you did not get along with your father. I’m sure all teenagers have at some point thought, “I hate my Dad!” Even though they grow older, this unpleasant feeling lingers within the family, and it’s difficult for fathers and their children to bridge the gap. When the father passes away, many children learn to appreciate and understand him for the first time. Perhaps when it’s time for me to also retire from the company, only then will people begin to appreciate that I was a decent person who at least tried his best to help out everyone instead of just being the annoying chairman of the company.

There is no end to thinking about these things. I still think it’s important to just be myself and try to train my employees as if they were my family. I want to praise my employees for their good work, scold them for their bad work, and continue to teach them from the same mindset that I have taught my own children. Scolding employees is neither power harassment nor some sort of abuse. I consider it to be an extremely important step in the process of growth. The Bible says, “He that delicately bringeth up his servant from childhood shall have him become his son in the end” (Proverbs 29:21-23).” I must never let that happen! If these employees were people that I didn’t care about, I would just let them go without so much as a glance in their direction. Therefore, deeper relationships, teaching, and scolding are nothing but a sign of one’s affection. As long as I have the feelings to keep doing it, I will persistently do whatever I can for my employees. In the end, running a company is all about embodying family love and enduring all kinds of patience, no matter what criticisms that are hurled my way.