What is required of a companion supporter is the ability to identify the 'place of the question'—on companion support for business improvement

1. What has become clear through startup support

Having thought about companion support for startups, there is something I feel anew.

That is, what is important in companion support is not simply giving the correct advice.

Of course, knowledge is necessary.

How to create a business plan.

Customer understanding.

Marketing.

Pricing.

Financial planning.

Sales methods.

Such knowledge is important in startup support.

However, in the field of support, it is not enough to just convey knowledge as it is.

Rather, what is important is

'What question is this person standing in front of right now?'

to discern that.

Even if the entrepreneur is still

'Am I really going to do this?'

and is hesitant, trying to suddenly push for a revenue model will not make the support click.

Even if they are afraid to show their ideas to people, demanding immediate sales to customers will make them unable to move.

Even if they feel resistance to proposing to target customers, demanding only the amount of action will instead make them feel heavier.

If a mentor provides the correct answer too quickly while the entrepreneur is still in the stage of exploring prospects for future sales, the entrepreneur loses the experience of making their own decisions.

In other words, what is required of a mentor is not the ability to rush to an answer.

It is the ability to identify the location of the question.

2. This concept is not limited to startup support

I believe this concept is not limited to startup mentoring.

It also applies directly to standard mentoring for business improvement.

Even in the field of business improvement, mentors are often asked for advice.

I want to increase sales.

People are not developing.

Employees are not taking initiative.

The philosophy is not taking root.

The team is fragmented.

There is no system in place.

Managers are not functioning effectively.

We are not making a profit.

When receiving such consultations, mentors often want to think of solutions immediately.

Let's strengthen sales promotion.

Let's improve the evaluation system.

Let's review the meeting structure.

Let's create a manual.

Let's conduct management training.

Let's create a space for sharing our philosophy.

None of these are wrong.

However, what is important here as well is

to see 'what question this company is currently standing before.'

It may look like a sales problem, but it might actually be a business model problem.

It may look like an employee motivation problem, but it might actually be an issue with the behavioral environment.

It may look like a lack of management ability, but it might actually be an issue with the president's decision-making or delegation of authority.

It may look like the philosophy has not permeated, but it might actually be that the philosophy is not connected to daily systems.

The symptoms that appear on the surface and the place that truly needs to be questioned are not necessarily the same.

3. In business improvement, where do the 'phases' appear?

In startup support, I organized the progress of entrepreneurs into five phases.

However, in regular business improvement, it may be difficult to line them up as Phase 1, Phase 2, and so on in the same way.

Existing companies are already in motion.

They have employees.

They have customers.

They have products and services.

They have sales.

They also have a history.

They also have a history.

Therefore, unlike startup support, it does not proceed in order from the phase of taking on the startup.

So, what corresponds to the 'phase' in business improvement?

I believe it is about which driver is currently being questioned within the company, and where the influence between drivers is getting stuck.

In growth driver theory, a company's growth is viewed as the function of several key drivers.

President driver.

Philosophy and vision.

Business model.

Systematization and standardization.

Behavioral environment.

These do not exist in isolation.

They influence each other.

For example, the president's way of thinking influences the philosophy and vision.

The philosophy and vision influence the design of the business model and systems.

The business model influences how work is carried out on the front lines.

Systematization and standardization influence whether employees can work with peace of mind.

The behavioral environment influences whether employees can take on challenges, learn, cooperate, and act autonomously.

In other words, in business improvement, the 'phase' seen in startup support does not appear as a chronological stage, but rather in the form of:

'Which driver is currently being questioned?'

'Where is the influence from one driver to another getting stuck?'

I believe it appears in that form.

4. If you only look at the problem in front of you, you will ask the wrong question

For example, suppose employees in a company are not acting proactively.

At this time, one might immediately think:

"The employees have low awareness"

"We need training to increase autonomy"

However, is that really the case?

There are many possibilities behind why employees are not acting proactively.

Perhaps the president holds all final decision-making power, leaving no room for employees to make decisions.

Perhaps the philosophy or policies are vague, and they do not know what criteria to use for judgment.

Perhaps the business model has become complex, and the front lines have lost sight of what should be prioritized.

Perhaps work procedures and roles are not organized, and they cannot act even if they want to.

Perhaps there is an atmosphere where one is blamed for failure, making it safer to wait than to take on challenges.

In this case, what is appearing on the surface is a "lack of autonomy."

However, the place that should be questioned is not necessarily just the behavioral environment.

It might be the president's drivers.

It might be the philosophy or vision.

It might be systemization or the establishment of patterns.

It might be the connections between multiple drivers.

If you misjudge this, the support will become superficial.

This is why identifying the 'location of the question' is essential.

Even if you conduct training that demands autonomy from employees, things may not change if the president does not let go of decision-making.

Even if you conduct philosophy training, things may not change if daily systems contradict that philosophy.

Even if you conduct management training, things may not change if managers are not given the authority and roles.

If you misidentify the location of the question, even the right measures will be ineffective.

5. Hands-on support providers should not jump to conclusions about the cause

In hands-on support for management improvement, it is important not to jump to conclusions about a single cause.

Of course, it is necessary to investigate the causes.

However, management problems do not operate on a simple one-cause, one-effect basis.

The president's decision-making.

How the philosophy and vision are perceived.

Changes in the business model.

The state of system development.

The behavioral environment of the workplace.

These factors overlap to create the current situation.

Therefore, support providers should not...

'This is the president's problem'

'This is the employees' problem'

'This is a system problem'

...and jump to conclusions too quickly.

Rather,

You need to look at "which driver is becoming weak."

You need to look at "where the connections are broken."

You need to look at "where the negative influence is spreading from."

You need to look at "conversely, where fixing things might spread a positive influence."

You need to examine these.

For example, suppose the business model has changed, but the work structure remains the same as it used to be.

In this case, confusion occurs on the front lines.

Even though employees are working hard, it becomes difficult to achieve results.

As a result, the behavioral environment worsens, and challenges and cooperation decrease.

If you only look at the surface,

"employees' motivation has dropped"

it might look like that.

However, in reality, the gap between the business model and the systemization or standardization might be having a negative impact on the behavioral environment.

Whether or not you can see through to this point.

I believe that is an important expertise for a companion supporter.

6. What is necessary for a supporter is the ability to identify the 'place to place an inquiry'

A companion supporter is someone who poses inquiries.

However, it is not the case that any inquiry will do.

There is a place to place an inquiry.

An inquiry that should be placed on the president driver.

Questions that should be placed on philosophy and vision.

Questions that should be placed on the business model.

Questions that should be placed on systemization and standardization.

Questions that should be placed on the behavioral environment.

Questions that should be placed on the connections between drivers.

For example, if it is a question placed on the president driver, it might be:

'What is it that you, as the president, are unable to let go of?'

'To what extent do you want to entrust things to your employees?'

'However, where are you actually still seeking confirmation?'

These might be the questions.

If it is a question placed on philosophy and vision, it might be:

'Is that philosophy being used as a standard for daily decision-making?'

'Do employees understand those words by connecting them to their own work?'

'Is there any discrepancy between the philosophy and the actual mechanisms?'

These might be the questions.

If it is a question placed on the business model, it might be:

'Who are you providing value to right now, and how are you earning a profit?'

'Compared to before, have the customers or the way value is created changed?'

'Is the way work is carried out on the front lines keeping up with those changes?'

These might be the questions.

If the inquiry is placed on systematization and standardization, it might be:

"Is the work structured so that anyone can perform it to a certain standard?"

"To what extent are the judgment criteria and procedures shared?"

"Where are the parts that are supported by individual reliance?"

These might be the questions.

If the inquiry is placed on the behavioral environment, it might be:

"Are employees able to express their opinions with peace of mind?"

"Is the environment one where those who take on challenges are not isolated?"

"When a failure occurs, is there an approach that turns it into a learning opportunity?"

These might be the questions.

Even for the same company's issues, the direction of support changes depending on where the inquiry is placed.

That is precisely why a companion supporter needs not only the ability to create questions, but also the ability to identify where to place them.

7. Observing the propagation of influence between drivers

What is important in growth driver theory is not just looking at each driver individually.

It is observing the propagation of influence between drivers.

When one driver weakens, that influence spreads to other drivers as well.

For example, if the president's policy becomes ambiguous, the philosophy and vision become blurred.

When the philosophy and vision become blurred, the choice of business model and priorities waver.

When the business model wavers, the work structure and division of roles also become unstable.

When the structure becomes unstable, employees can no longer act with peace of mind.

As a result, the behavioral environment deteriorates.

Conversely, when the behavioral environment worsens, it becomes difficult for information from the front lines to reach management.

If information from the front lines does not reach management, improvements to the business model will also be delayed.

If improvements to the business model are delayed, the president becomes increasingly anxious and hoards decision-making.

In this way, negative influences also circulate.

Of course, positive influences are also transmitted.

The president clarifies the criteria for decision-making.

Philosophy and vision are translated into the language of the front lines.

The business model and work systems are organized.

An environment is created where employees can work with peace of mind.

Learning from the front lines is brought up.

That, in turn, leads to improvements in the business model and systems.

Thus, business improvement is not just about fixing one problem with one measure.

It is also about creating pathways through which positive influences can be transmitted.

8. The ability to identify must not rely solely on the supporter's experience

There is something to be careful about here.

The term 'ability to identify' might sound like the intuition or experience of the supporter.

Of course, experience is important.

When you have been providing support for a long time,

'This company looks like it has a personnel problem on the surface, but isn't it actually a structural problem?'

I sometimes feel, 'This looks like a sales problem, but isn't it actually a misalignment between the business model and the operating environment?'

However, relying solely on intuition is dangerous.

The more experienced a supporter is, the more they can be swayed by their own assumptions.

That is precisely why the ability to identify the core issue must be supported by both dialogue and data.

The manager's narrative.

The voices of employees.

The facts occurring on the ground.

Customer reactions.

Data regarding performance and human resources.

The results of a comprehensive assessment, like a company health check.

By combining these elements,

we must verify,

'Is that truly the place that needs to be questioned?'

It is not about the supporter unilaterally identifying the issue.

It is about making the previously invisible structure visible together with the manager and employees.

This is where the expertise of companion support lies.

9. Good companion support does not rush the inquiry

Supporters want to be useful quickly.

Therefore, they often feel the urge to pose questions too soon.

I sometimes feel, 'This looks like a sales problem, but isn't it actually a misalignment between the business model and the operating environment?'

You want to give advice quickly.

You want to show a solution quickly.

However, in good companion support, it is also important not to rush the question.

First, observe the state of the company.

Listen to what the management is dealing with.

Learn how the employees are perceiving it.

Think about which driver is weakening.

Explore where the propagation of influence is blocked.

Only then, pose the question.

This order is important.

If the question is shallow, the answer will also be shallow.

If the place of the question is off, change is unlikely to occur even if you put in the effort.

Conversely, when the place of the question is right, the manager's expression can change.

"So that was it."

"That is why nothing changed no matter how many times I said the same thing."

"I thought it was an employee problem, but it was also a structural problem."

"Was it me holding onto things that stopped the autonomy of the workplace?"

When such realizations are born, management improvement begins to move.

10. Companion support is about finding together the questions that a company must face.

Companion support is not a job of providing answers.

Of course, I provide advice.

I also provide information.

I also help organize things.

If necessary, I also think through concrete measures together.

However, what is important before that is to find together the questions that the company truly needs to face.

Is what needs to be questioned now the president's judgment?

Is it the interpretation of the philosophy and vision?

Is it the reconfirmation of the business model?

Is it the development of systems?

Is it the improvement of the behavioral environment?

Or is it the propagation of influence between these?

If you misjudge this, the support will become superficial.

Conversely, if you can see through this, things that had stopped within the company will begin to move little by little.

The concept of 'assessing the situation' that has become visible in startup support also applies to regular business improvement.

In business improvement, that means identifying the drivers.

It means seeing the propagation of influence between drivers.

And it means identifying which question the company is standing before right now.

What is required of a hands-on support partner is not just to provide sharp answers immediately.

It is to identify the location of the question and support managers and employees so that they can begin to think for themselves.

I believe that is where the deep expertise of hands-on support lies.