How long until we can dream about surpassing our dissatisfactions? - Believing that someday everyone will find happiness

Be grateful for everything. That is the secret to a long life! If you are thankful for having food to eat, receiving an education, getting a job, having a place to sleep, maintaining good health, and just taking the time to feel grateful for all these things, you will live a happy life. Have such aphorisms become a fairy tale from the distant past? I am sometimes bewildered by the recent incidents I have heard about in the company where there have been instances of outbursts of anger stemming from dissatisfaction.

Sound House wants to be a company where its employees can feel comfortable, and in FY2023, sales are growing steadily, and regional expansion in Onagawa and Tokushima is on track. Starting salaries are now competitive with listed companies, and they are among the highest in the Narita area in terms of hourly wages. In terms of compensation, we are proud to be standing at the top of the industry. In addition, the company was preparing to go public a few years ago and the employment environment is becoming more and more fulfilling. Moreover, the atmosphere in the company is quite free, and when you are good at your job, you can continue working at your own pace without anyone telling you what to do. Moreover, the company building is very spacious and there is plenty of space to work in, so the company has a welcoming and open atmosphere. I wonder if I am the only one who feels this way.

As I’m writing this, I can almost hear a voice saying, ”You’ve got to be kidding, you just live in your own bubble and that’s why the employees are so irritated.” I feel that many employees nowadays seem to take good things for granted, and rather tend to focus only on what they don’t like, as if they are reliving it all the time, and then pursue it. Even if I tell them to think more positively, I sometimes feel that their thoughts are always preceded by negative feelings, and I feel that there is a limit to how much I can comfort them or try to dissuade them.

I have thought a lot about what has contributed to this and there are a number of problems. First, people may have grown up in an environment where they were pampered without hardship. The saying goes, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” This has been an eternal saying from ancient times to the present. However, I can’t help but feel that there is a hint of over-indulgence in this environment, with people thinking that they can get by without working and that their mothers will be there for them when they return home. In addition, more and more people have never helped with the cooking or even washed clothes in their own homes. This also goes for girls. I have heard so many things in the past, such as never having to wash rice or even change a light bulb. Perhaps it is because they have spent so many years at home being selfish without any inconveniences, that when these children go out into the real world, they find things become more and more troublesome to do and they become full of complaints.

Another problem is the effect of late nights and lack of exercise causing minor depression. In any case, these days staying up late has become the norm for many people joining the workforce. Moreover, the number of people who exercise in their spare time has decreased to an extremely low level. It is also worrisome that many of them have almost no time for sunlight. With such daily lifestyle habits, it is no wonder that depression can develop. Moreover, I am sometimes shocked to find that no matter how much I tell people to go to bed early, get up early, and exercise, no one ever listens to me. Is this an inevitable trend of the times? I feel that this very troublesome social phenomenon of widespread depression has led to an increase in negative attitudes.

Of course, there are many problems and challenges within the company. There are only a few senior employees who can train the staff, and they are put on the job without sufficient training themselves, so we hear complaints from all over the place; “Please teach us properly!” Also, when a serious staff member who works diligently appears, as expected, he or she is left to do the same job, and then months go by until one day, this staff member suddenly realizes that he has been doing the same thing for a long time and becomes immersed in the thought that he has lost sight of the future and is now disappointed. Perhaps the grass outside the window looks so green, but there is no end to the number of young staff members who think about their changing jobs daily. It may be good to take a breath of fresh air outside of Sound House once in their lifetime, but I am still surprised at how many young people leave the company so easily. Of course, this is a social phenomenon, and all companies now seem to have the same problem. That said, I am mindful that this is a difficult problem that cannot be ignored.

Even with all of these issues, there is a silver lining: I am glad to see that many employees who left the company are coming back to Sound House. I guess the grass outside was greener after all. For those employees who complain that they cannot see the future, our board of directors is currently changing our training methods and reviewing the way our leaders should be conducting themselves so that they can reorganize their teams and build a comfortable working environment to make the future a little bit more clear. The important thing is not to give up hope. Always stay positive and believe that you can do it. Most important of all, we must keep a humble belief that we need each other. As long as we have this in mind, we can talk with each other no matter what happens, and we can find a point somewhere in our conversations where we can understand each other.

After all, Sound House is a company that was born to help people, so I would like to say that our goal is to make our staff happy because they work hard as they do and contribute to society until the very end. To achieve this goal, I would like to consider what I can do now. As chairman of the board, I have to keep an eye on the company’s overall situation and make improvements that will benefit the entire staff. To this end, it is important for me to listen to everyone’s opinions, accurately discern their comments, and immediately identify areas for correction and improvement. I want to make Sound House a company where all staff members are happy and satisfied to work here.

Soon I will be sixty six. Despite my age, I will always feel young, and with added wisdom, I believe I can take on any challenge and solve it. I will do whatever I can do and I will do it right away. I will do everything to the best of my ability. That is my motto. I will continue to walk forward with such positive and forward-looking thoughts in my mind. To everyone’s happiness.