Organizations Don't Move Because of 'Burdens': The Single Idea for Elevating a Team, Learned from the Revival of Asahi Breweries

When I first became a facility manager, I was constantly thinking about how to get my staff to take initiative.
Training sessions didn't change anything.
Talking at morning assemblies didn't get through to them.

Even when I spoke to them individually, things were back to normal by the following week.
Each time that happened, I would blame the staff in the back of my mind, thinking,
“Our staff lacks awareness,”

or “They have no motivation.”

But the real problem lay elsewhere.


The metaphor of a “hot air balloon” changed everything.
Recently, I read a book and came across the words of the late Hirotaro Higuchi, former president of Asahi Breweries.
“An organization is like a hot air balloon. If there is a burden, you must remove it, and it will surely rise.”
When I read this, something clicked in my mind.

No matter how much you fire up the burner, a hot air balloon won't rise if it's still dragging sandbags behind it.
Conversely, if you just remove the sandbags, it has the natural power to rise.

Organizations are the same.
Staff members aren't “unmotivated” from the start.

When they joined the company, everyone thought, “I’m going to do my best here.”
The reason that feeling is lost over time is because “burdens” accumulate within the organization.

My facility had burdens, too.
Higuchi continued, “Even if you want to make something good, the company often won't let you. They make you use third-rate raw materials. Sales tries to sell things that are impossible. That kind of structure creates dissatisfaction among the staff.”

I thought this was exactly the same in the world of nursing care.

For example,
“I want to improve the quality of care, but there aren't enough people, so I don't have the time.”
“I want to face the users, but I'm chased by paperwork.”
“I feel like even if I voice my opinion, management won't listen anyway.”
These are all “burdens.”
The very structure of the organization is hindering what the staff on the front lines want to do.

Eventually, the staff learns to give up.

“It’s useless to say anything” and “Nothing will change anyway” become their catchphrases.
And then one day, they quietly hand in their resignation.

When I first became a facility manager, the turnover rate was over 60%.
Back then, we were in exactly this state.
“Tell me what’s troubling you.” That’s all it takes.

What Higuchi practiced was simple.
“If you have any troubles, tell me. Then, we just need to decide what we can and cannot do.”

That was it.

He didn't set up a difficult vision.

He didn't suddenly force through major reforms.

He simply kept picking up the “troubles” from the front lines.

And, just like throwing away old beer, he removed the “strange customs,” “useless rules,” and “procedures that benefit no one” one by one.

As a result of removing the burdens,
the organization naturally began to rise.

Asahi Breweries achieved a miraculous revival,
and the legendary brand “Super Dry” was born.

A manager's job is not to “add heat.”
I had been mistaken for a long time.
I thought a leader's job was to fire up the burner and keep applying heat to the staff, telling them, “Higher, higher!”

But that alone won't make an organization rise.

If the sandbags remain, no matter how much heat you apply, you'll barely maintain the status quo.

What is truly important is to find the burdens and remove them.

To do that, a leader should:
• Listen to the “troubles” on the front lines.
• Instead of dismissing them as “impossible,” think together about “what can be done” and “what cannot be done.”
• Have the courage to question old customs and discard them if they aren't necessary.

Just by doing this, the team will start to change.


The real reason the turnover rate dropped from 60% to 9%.
I think this was exactly the process that changed our facility.
The first thing I did wasn't flashy training or a renewal of our philosophy.
It was going around and asking the staff, “What are you having trouble with?”

Out came a mountain of burdens.
“Shifts change suddenly.”
“Handover meetings are too long, leading to overtime.”
“I don't know where the supplies are.”
One by one, I quietly crushed them.

They were all small things that might make you think, “Is that all?”
But as I continued to do this, a change occurred on the front lines.

An atmosphere was created where they felt, “This facility manager actually listens.”

Once that happened, the staff started saying, “I want to improve this” on their own.

The organization began to rise by itself.

One thing I want you to try today.
If you are a facility manager or a leader, I want you to try one thing today.

Ask your staff, “Is there anything you’re having trouble with lately?”

If you get an answer, you don't have to solve it immediately.

First, just say, “I see, thank you for telling me.”

Just by doing that, the sandbags will get a little lighter.
An organization is like a hot air balloon.
If you remove the burdens, it will surely rise.

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[Author] Ryosuke Kosaka

I reduced the turnover rate of a special nursing home from 60.3% to 9.1% in three years.
Recipient of the Care Labor Stability Center Chairman's Award (Grand Prize)
Recipient of the Prime Minister's Commendation and the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare's Encouragement Award

I only write about what actually worked on the front lines.
If you find this helpful, following me would be a great encouragement.

Also posting daily on X (@koryo07e)

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