Chairman Rick Dreams for the Human Resources Department - The company needs everyone to thrive!

As the owner and chairman of a company with annual sales of over 20 billion yen, you probably think that I am considering the next marketing or AI measure to do something amazing again! However, I honestly don’t know what to say about it. Lately, I have been getting more involved in HR-related duties and spending a great deal of time on trivial matters. My dream is to get out of the HR department as soon as possible and focus more on what I am supposed to be doing.

To begin with, I have recently heard some people say that I write too much about everything honestly. It may sound as if I am telling too many secrets of the company through my gibberish. But I say to myself, “It’s alright! I’m not exposing any of the important parts!” The secret to not being seen is to keep your finger firmly on the pulse of the company! However, the situation continues to change.

Originally, Sound House was known for having friendly employees. The company’s motto was to greet visitors loudly and cheerfully, and a long time ago, it was not uncommon to receive compliments on the company’s customer-friendly attitude. In fact, perhaps because our employees get along so well, there are now 15 in-house marriages and many couples currently dating. While this may sound wonderful, our company is also experiencing a daily struggle in other areas of human relationships.

To begin with, since we now have more than 200 employees, the workplace is a melting pot of various people. Therefore, I do not have high expectations of everyone getting along well. But even so, there have been a lot of disputes recently. Since the HR department is often unable to handle these disputes, the CEO and the chairman of this company, to my surprise, have boldly intervened and are taking their time to settle these petty squabbles. Among other things, the times I am involved in are outstandingly large. This is exactly why I take pride in being “Chairman Rick of the Human Resources Department”. As a result, I often find myself in the middle of fights, squabbles, and sometimes even fights between employees. I also make an effort to talk to staff members who have no one to talk to and are about to leave the company, so that they can find a way out. Well, the results are really not that bad, but there are a few cases where intervention came too late and I have regretted it.

A company is made up of people, and when everyone works together, the company becomes an organization that achieves results. Therefore, I have taken a fresh look at the two life lessons that I hold dear. They are not so much lessons as they are ways of being and thinking as a human being.

First, it’s important to reaffirm my first point that everyone is needed in a company. No matter who the person is, the company needs that person’s skills. When everyone contributes their individual strengths, everyone will be compensated for their weaknesses so everyone can produce results as a whole. This means accepting and working with people positively on the job, even if you don’t like them. It is true that there may be a number of people in your company who you don’t like, in other words, “jerks” or “I don’t want to talk to that person.” Even if you feel that way on a personal level, as a member of the company and a professional who is paid to do a job, it’s important to treat those who work together with you with uniformity and respect. Nostalgia of the company, generosity, and, in a sense, consideration, will surely lead to the revitalization of the company.

Therefore, everyone should work together without selfishness or personal feelings in the workplace. This is the most professional approach. Since we are here at the company to work, it’s important to be able to produce results. The best way to achieve results is for everyone to work together smoothly and produce results in their respective areas of expertise. However, this too has become a pipe dream in this reality with too many people unable to resolve various grudges on an individual level. If everyone, at least those in leadership positions, thought, “We need you,” and “You are important to this company,” this company would be in a much, much better place.

The second point is a bigger hurdle. This is also a challenge for me. The Book of Romans from the New Testament says, “Consider one another superior with respect.” In other words, each of us is to treat the other as superior to ourselves. To begin with, most of the recent troubles in the company have been caused by extreme self-assertion. Since these people cannot give in to each other, sometimes they fight each other. Sometimes one of them leaves the company and sometimes the other leaves the company, saying, “I can’t do this anymore.” Why do they go to such lengths to hurt each other? “Well, that’s okay. Let’s work together!” Why can’t everyone think of each other as craftsmen, as professionals doing their work? Of course, the problem lies in the underlying belief that one is absolutely right and the other is absolutely wrong.

In the workplace, it’s not about who is in the right, but rather it’s about who is getting the job done quickly, doing their job perfectly, and getting results and recognition. This requires some sacrifice. It is self-sacrifice, which means not only spending time and effort on one’s self, but one must also accept even those whom one dislikes as colleagues. If only everyone had that kind of open-mindedness, then this company would explode exponentially because then the CEO and Chairman Rick would be free from the HR matters. Would that only be a dream or just an illusion?

The Bible says, “A people without dreams and visions will perish.” In other words, a company without dreams and a vision will also perish. Therefore, I will continue to hold onto my dreams and visions so that the company will not cease to exist, and I will contribute more and more to the music industry in Japan! Also, I believe that the company will one day be reborn as a company where everyone can get along with each other! Until that time, it is my duty as company chairman to keep persevering.