To avoid losing your own power

Hello, I am Mitsunori Kimura, an expert in "Smile Engineering."
Please see this article for more on "Smile Engineering."

People seek stability.
They seek a place where they can feel secure.
They desire to be protected, supported, and fulfilled by someone.

I often feel that way too, and
that in itself is by no means a bad thing.

Of course, people cannot live alone.
We are raised by parents, supported by family, helped by friends,
and live protected by the structures of society.

However, there is a pitfall in that.

That is,if you become too accustomed to being protected, you lose the ability to handle things on your own.

Being protected sometimes makes people weak.

We quickly get used to comfortable states

People get used to their environment.
We quickly get used to comfortable states.

In other words, we get used to being given things, used to being instructed,
and we also get used to being protected.

And before we know it, we lose our sense of agency.

We stop thinking for ourselves, stop making our own decisions,
and stop taking responsibility for ourselves.

And we stop heading toward new places on our own.

This happens not only to individuals but also to organizations.
That is, it happens to companies, communities, and society as well.

• Resting on past successes.

• Clinging to current systems.

• Not doing it because there is no precedent.

• Waiting for someone else to decide.

• Fearing change and staying in the same place.

As a result, when the external environment changes,
you realize that you are unable to handle things
on your own.

That is why I want to keep asking these questions.

Have I lost the ability to handle things on my own?
Has the organization lost the power to change?
Has society become a system that strips people of the power to live as human beings?

"Let's try it" creates smiles

My philosophy is
to contribute to creating a society where everyone can continue to smile
.

The "smile" in this philosophy is not merely a facial expression.

A smile is peace of mind.
A smile is dignity.
A smile is a state of being yourself.
And a smile is also the realization that you are walking your own life path.

In "Happiness Studies," researched and advocated by Professor Takashi Maeno,
four factors are cited as important elements related to happiness,
and one of them is the "Let's Try" factor.

This is happiness born from utilizing your strengths, taking on challenges toward goals,
and growing.

People are not truly fulfilled just by being protected.
Even if they are just given things or just given instructions,
it is difficult for a smile from the depths of the heart to emerge.

In order for people to continue to smile,
it is important to be able to think,
"Maybe I can do it too,"
"Let's try one more step,"
"Let's move forward with my own power."

Not just being given, but choosing for yourself.
Not just following, but thinking for yourself.
Not just being protected, but also becoming someone who supports others.
Not settling for the status quo, but taking a step toward change.

There, the power that people inherently possess returns.
And when they regain that power, people's expressions naturally change.

Herein lies an important perspective of the "Smile Engineering" I advocate.

Smile Engineering is not about trying to make people smile
only through enthusiasm or emotional arguments.

It is about creating an environment where people can think "Let's try"
through ICT, management engineering, data, mechanisms, organizational design, and human resource development.

Rather than relying solely on human kindness, on-site hard work, or personal efforts,
it is important to create

mechanisms that allow people to take on challenges, feel growth, demonstrate their strengths, and feel that they are useful to someone.

DX is a mechanism to support "Let's try"

The "Let's Try" factor is happiness born from utilizing your strengths,
taking on challenges toward goals, and growing.

If that is the case, then activities that use digital power to transform companies and increase profits,
so-called "DX (Digital Transformation),"
must also be something that supports this "Let's try."

When people hear DX, many think of system introduction or digitalization.
Cloud, AI, RPA, data analysis, paperless, operational efficiency, etc.
These are important as means.

However, the essence of DX is not the introduction of tools.

DX is a transformation to regain the power that people and organizations inherently possess.

Being chased by paper documents.
Taking time for double entry.
Being swayed by confirmation work and phone calls.
Being exhausted by useless meetings.

If that state continues,
people lose the motivation to take on new challenges.

Fundamentally, the person one should be facing is not a document.
Fundamentally, the time one should be using is not for wasteful tasks.

In a care setting, it is time to look at the expressions of the users.
In a management setting, it is time to think about the growth and future of employees.
In a home setting, it is time to connect with loved ones.

DX exists to reclaim that time.

It is not merely efficiency.
It is not rationalization to cut staff.
It is not digitalization just to manage people.

Creating a state where people can focus on what only people can do.
That is the DX I envision.

Both organizations and individuals fear change when they become too stable.

We have managed with the way we have done things until now.
This method is what we are most used to.
Changing it will cause confusion.
Digital is difficult.
The front line cannot keep up.

These are words I often hear on the front lines.

However, continuing to avoid change is not kindness.
Maintaining the status quo sometimes robs people of their potential.

Continuing paper records robs staff of their time.
Delays in information sharing lead to delays in responding to users.
Leaving tasks dependent on specific individuals causes only those people to burn out.
Without the data necessary for management decisions, you cannot make moves for the future.

If you leave this state as it is, people will not feel like saying, "Let's try it."

That is precisely why the perspectives of ICT and management engineering are necessary.
Visualize operations. Organize the flow. Reduce waste.
Redesign human roles. Utilize data. Use AI.
Turn the wisdom of the front line into a system.

These are all initiatives for people and organizations to once again
move forward under their own power.

However, there is something we must not forget when advancing DX.

That isto put people at the center.

Do not make digitalization the goal.
Do not chase only numbers.
Do not seek only efficiency and leave people's hearts behind.

There must always be people at the center of DX.
To put it another way, there must be smiles.

The smiles of users.
The smiles of staff.
The smiles of families.
The smiles of managers.
The smiles of the community.

If those are not increasing,
that DX may be straying from its essence.

I do not view DX as a cold mechanism.
Rather, I believe that mechanisms are necessary precisely to sustain a warm workplace.

A workplace that relies solely on people's goodwill will not last long.
An organization supported only by those who work hard will eventually reach its limit.

Management that depends on the dedication of a few is not sustainable.

That is why we engage in DX: to use data and organize our systems.
By transforming the wisdom of the workplace into systems, we reclaim time to take on new challenges.
And we make growth visible.

We strengthen systems to protect warmth.
We change operations to value people.
We evolve management to keep smiles alive.

As a result, each individual reaches a state where they think, 'Let's give it a try.'
That is what I consider DX and Smile Engineering to be.

Summary

Have I become too accustomed to stability?
Have I become too accustomed to being provided for?
Am I clinging to past successes?
Am I avoiding taking flight because I fear change?
Am I using DX for the sake of people's smiles?

People can change at any time.
Organizations can change at any time.
Society also changes through the actions of each one of us.

What is important is to keep gratitude at the root,
and not lose the power to do something for yourself, isn't it?

With this mindset,
through ICT and management engineering,
I will continue to create systems that allow people to remain human.

And I will contribute to building a society where everyone can keep smiling.

Thank you for reading until the end.

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