Contributing to company and society by finding “one’s own axis”

Chinatsu Takahata works in the Innovation Center at Yokogawa’s Marketing Headquarters, where she is currently engaged in new business development. Her involvement with the Future Co-creation Initiative started when its predecessor, Project Lotus, was founded.

Receiving a request to participate in the Initiative Project, Takahata wondered if the email had been sent to the wrong person. After confirming otherwise, she thought, “It looks interesting, but would I be able to contribute anything?” She met Project Leader Nobuyuki Tamaki, who assured her, “You already have a good sense for the Initiative Project if you think it sounds interesting.” Delighted, she signed on.

*Insights shared in this dialogue are personal and not those of an official YOKOGAWA representative.
*Affiliations and positions are current as of December 2024

 

Self-expression reveals the value of diversity

Takahata’s career has been one of surmounting financial difficulties and other obstacles as she blazed a trail which ultimately led to Yokogawa.

She began working after graduating from a technical college, where she studied industrial design. However, she resigned to care for her mother, who was battling a major illness. During that period, a subsidy allowed her to attend a vocational training school followed by university at age 25, where she studied information engineering. Others thought her reckless for entering college, given her age and career status, but her experience studying information engineering at the university changed Takahata’s life. She entered Yokogawa at age 29 after her university mentor recommended it as “a good company with an academic atmosphere.”

Takahata says that she had hesitated to express her doubts and opinions as a new employee and simply leveraged her information engineering skills for the product development department to which she had been posted. Deep in her heart, she had wondered if this was truly the place she was meant to be. However, after joining the Initiative , she unhesitatingly and frequently expressed her thoughts as she discussed future scenarios with colleagues from differing professions and backgrounds. As she gained experience, she gradually began to understand the personalities and perspectives of the other Scenario Ambassadors.

She asserts, “I felt the empowerment which diversity brings. Not only from meeting people in varying professions and positions but through openly communicating my own experiences and thoughts, which you are expected to do. I realized that this was the value I could offer.”

 

 

The nature of genuine dialogue

Takahata remembers feeling frustrated on one occasion when members’ opinions did not gel.
“I thought I valued diversity and saw myself as a communicator. And yet I found that was not the case. In fact, I had only interacted with those of like mind.” This realization helped her understand the nature of genuine dialogue.

“Genuine dialogue is not about a smooth discussion and wrapping things up neatly. Rather, it involves a no-holds-barred confrontation, where issues are discussed thoroughly to understand others’ true opinions. You learn different thought processes and build mutual trust.”

 

The company values our individuality

The Future Co-creation Initiative protects psychological safety . The purpose of engagement is not to pretend to understand others’ thoughts and opinions, but rather to probe their unclear reasoning, point out contradictions, and resolve them together.

“Individual opinions and perspectives are always welcome in the dialogue. Instead of dismissing them, we begin by asking, ‘What do you mean?’”

It is not about winning the majority, but rather respecting differing opinions, asking why, and digging into the background. Repetitively doing so helps participants develop diverse perspectives.

Takahata explains, “Gaining experience in this dialogue has helped me express my thoughts in my main job as well. I had been convinced that being myself was not of value in the workplace. But that was not the case. I simply had the wrong approach.”

 

Self-examination led to joy at work

Takahata was assigned to her preferred job at Yokogawa as well as at her first company. Nevertheless, she admits she found little satisfaction in it. That led to an insight.

The important thing is not seeking enjoyable work. The joy comes only when you seek to know yourself, discover your abilities, and leverage them in a way that is true to yourself.

We think we know much about ourselves, when in fact we do not. We must not disregard things that delight or hurt us, but rather use our experiences to help us understand our feelings and consider why we feel that way.

Takahata refers to the process of facing up to one’s own feelings, embracing subtleties, and embrace one’scelebratingcherishing one’s individuality, as “finding one’s own axis”—a concept she deeply values.
It allows behavior prompted by trusting in one’s own will rather than being swayed by the opinions and judgment of others.

“I think I maximize my potential and skills when I am enjoying myself. I feel that the entire company leverages more power when each and every employee is enjoying their work. That joy produces a natural leeway to notice your surroundings and see that you are being useful thanks to the support of those around you. That in turn brings the understanding that you have some responsibility for society. That’s why I believe that finding one’s own axis is the first step in helping to realize a sustainable society.”

In today’s world, ChatGPT and other generative AI sources have been added to the equation. And yet there are areas in which AI and robots cannot surpass humans, including in the lesser-known fields of exploration, perception, and empathy. Takahata is leveraging the perceptive skills she brought to the Future Co-creation Initiative to comprehend its essence and make a contribution.

Prioritizing this self-directed approach has positively impacted Takahata and people in Yokogawa, boosting their happiness as employees, their relationships with others, and the work they set out to accomplish.

From left: Motohiro Noda, Nobuko Ouchi, Nobuyuki Tamaki, Shogo Ohsaki , Chinatsu Takahata (Yokogawa)