Akiyoshi Moriyama: Ownership of Your Life

2021/03/12

It is my third year since taking over as president of the family business, Nanao Driving School, from my father. Since shortly before that transition, I have set aside time for one-on-one dialogues between myself and every employee. During these sessions, there are words I often share with them: "I want you to think for yourself about what kind of life you want to lead and how you want to live," and "I want you to use this company as a medium to realize those goals."

This has been our company's philosophy toward work since my father's era. By basing our values on individual happiness, we hope to increase motivation and encourage employees to take ownership of their roles. We also demonstrate our commitment to maintaining an environment that supports this. For example, we have institutionalized a system for driving instructors to hold side jobs—which is rare in Japan—and allow employees to work at any age if they wish to be rehired after retirement. Furthermore, we encourage the acquisition of certifications that are completely unrelated to their duties. We want to support the diverse working and living styles of our employees as much as possible.

A while ago, I encountered the term "career ownership." It refers to the "necessity of proactively thinking about what one wants to do and who one wants to become regarding their own career." It is said that in the era of the 100-year life, each individual is being called upon to have this. While I agree, I also feel that perhaps career ownership alone is not enough. I feel that expanding the interpretation of "career" or replacing it with the word "life" is closer to our company's philosophy of work. In other words, what I am trying to convey to my employees in our interviews is: "Take ownership of your life."

I want to be a practitioner of these words myself, not just demand them of my employees. In terms of work, in addition to my main business, I serve as a senior coordinator at Misogigawa, a private urban development company, and as the representative director of the Regional & Human Resources Co-creation Organization, which explores and promotes local careers with colleagues across the country. It is a so-called parallel career. In my private life, to embody the reason for my name—"to brighten Noto"—I have organized events to revitalize the local community I love. I now lead a life where there is no longer a boundary between work and private life, and I am sure that not only my employees but also my two young children are watching. I sincerely hope that they will see my example and come to value ownership of their own lives.