Click here for "【Part 1】 15 Years of Hitachi’s Internal Employee Network"
Click here for "【Part 2】 The Logic of Transforming an Organization"
Click here for "【Part 3】 Making a Fresh Start from Stagnation"
Click here for "【Part 4】 Challenging the Pandemic by DX of Innovation"
Click here for "【Part 5】 Secret behind the Longevity of Team Sunrise"
Click here for "【Part 6】 Drivers of Innovation"
Click here for "【Part 7】 The Man Who Brought the US Bestseller “The Human Element” to Japan"
Click here for "【Part 8】 Global Mindset and English"
Click here for "【Part 9】 Organization Where Innovation Occurs from the Bottom Up"
Creating a momentum for corporate transformation at Hitachi
Takato Kusama, who joined Hitachi in 1999, has been involved in the development of IT system operation management software used in social infrastructure for over 20 years. Subsequently, he responded to an internal recruitment call and is currently in charge of business planning in the Social Systems Business Division, including new business creation in the field of communication infrastructure. Meanwhile, he continued his activities with Team Sunrise driven by his awareness of a certain issue.
"In the past, many Japanese companies had established a business model of mass-producing and mass-selling high-quality products with excellent technology. However, in the 2000s, startups began to emerge that could expand services globally without having a product. Looking at successful startups worldwide, it's more often the case that they formed a company as a result of innovation that had occurred, rather than they started a company specifically to innovate. So, I thought that, at Hitachi, innovation could occur as a result of employees actively engaging in new initiatives from the bottom up. That sort of thinking led me to join Team Sunrise."
The theme of study sessions organized and run by Kusama consistently revolves around "innovation." In 2020, when remote work was abruptly introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he quickly organized a study session, discussing the way internal communication could generate more ideas than face-to-face interaction even online. Also, he has conducted workshops on topics such as "creating an organization with high psychological safety" and "learning the design thinking method" not only with Team Sunrise but also in various internal communities.
Kusama has an extraordinary commitment to generating innovation. His business card bears the title of "FORTH Innovation Method Certified Facilitator,” which may sound uncommon to ears of many.
"In a conservative organization, typically a large corporation, it's important to systematically bring about innovation. At the same time, it's essential to cultivate talents who can create innovation. The 'FORTH Innovation Method’ is a methodology intended exactly for that goal. I took a certification course about five years ago to change my career perspective. The course gave me insights and a moment of truth, and I started organizing various study sessions to create momentum for innovation at Hitachi."
Organizational innovation unraveled by high school physics
In April of this year, Kusama had a chance meeting with a business book - the Japanese translation of "The Human Element" - whose editorial translator was Hitachi's Kenichi Funaki. "I had no idea that a Hitachi employee was involved in its translation. The book's theme resonated with my own awareness of the challenges (concerning innovation at a conservative organization) so I purchased it immediately. I used this book as the topic for a 'book club' meeting I organized within Team Sunrise on a later date. As Tatsuya Goke happened to be one of the participants, I was later asked to be a part of Mr. Schonthal’s talk event to give a presentation."
The book club meeting was actually more like a workshop: All participants skimmed through "The Human Element" and then discussed concrete measures to deal with "resistance from stakeholders to change" they face in their day-to-day work. Each participant shared with others what they realized and how they felt.
"My main objective was to make participants realize that 'outputting is not as scary as it seems.' I wanted each participant to feel that, by freely expressing their thoughts and sharing them with others, they could understand the essence of this book. I also hoped to spark a mindset shift towards becoming the talents who can create innovation."
After this book club meeting, Kusama presented his own interpretation and analysis of Prof. Schonthal's ideas in another internal community. The presentation was entitled "Organizational Innovation Unraveled by High School Physics." Here is a portion of the logic he constructed:
"To move an object with the mass 'm,' a force 'F' must be greater than the frictional force 'f.' When this law of physics is applied to an organization, the larger the organization ('m'), the larger the frictional force ('f') to move it, and therefore, the force to move the organization ('F') must also be proportionally large. This frictional force is what Mr. Schonthal refers to as 'resistance,' or ‘the cost of communication’ in other words —this is my interpretation anyway." (Kusama)
'Feeling’ before ‘Logic'
After completing his presentation at Prof. Schonthal's talk event, Kusama reflected on his experience:
"Keep communicating, and new connections will be formed with those who have common aspirations. I realized how fascinating those encounters that Team Sunrise brings are. I would be delighted if, by seeing me actively reaching out, more employees start to think that it’s OK to do or say things they like and that they themselves could do something.”
Lastly, we asked how he intends to utilize Team Sunrise in the future.
"I have a belief that depending too much on methodologies could hamper innovation. Remember the moment when you first learned to ride a bicycle? Wasn’t it all about ‘feeling it’ rather than theory? ‘I thought daddy was holding the rear of my bicycle while I was pedaling, but when I looked back, he was gone!’ – That kind of thing. If you try to learn the logic of physics so that you won't fall, you may become too afraid to even start pedaling. This may be true for creating innovation. Trust your intuition, and feel free to express your own thoughts. Through Team Sunrise, I want to keep providing opportunities for colleagues to try this out."
We interviewed the four members of Team Sunrise who actively engage themselves as a "producer" and "supporter." More and more employees at Hitachi are inspired by these members to start organizing events themselves. Of course, innovation doesn't happen overnight. Initiatives from individual employees based on their own ideas, starting from the bottom up, will eventually create a wave of change, contributing to solving major societal challenges through innovations.
Takato Kusama
Senior Engineer at Telecom Utility Planning Department, Telecom Utility Solution Division, Social Infrastructure Systems Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd.
Certified FORTH Innovation facilitator and Certified BMIA consultant
After joining Hitachi, Ltd. in 1999, Kusama was involved in the development of IT system operation management software in the field of social infrastructure. Since being appointed to the current position in 2023, he has been in charge of business planning including new business creation in the area of telecommunication infrastructure.
シリーズ紹介
楠木建の「EFOビジネスレビュー」
一橋ビジネススクール一橋ビジネススクールPDS寄付講座特任教授の楠木建氏の思考の一端を、切れ味鋭い論理を、毎週月曜日に配信。
山口周の「経営の足元を築くリベラルアーツ」
山口周氏をナビゲーターに迎え、経営者・リーダーが、自身の価値基準を持つための「リベラルアーツ」について考える。
協創の森から
社会課題の解決に向けたビジョンの共有を図る研究開発拠点『協創の森』。ここから発信される対話に耳を傾けてください。
新たな企業経営のかたち
パーパス、CSV、ESG、カスタマーサクセス、M&A、ブロックチェーン、アジャイルなど、経営戦略のキーワードをテーマに取り上げ、第一人者に話を聞く。
Key Leader's Voice
各界のビジネスリーダーに未来を創造する戦略を聞く。
経営戦略としての「働き方改革」
今後企業が持続的に成長していくために経営戦略として取り組むべき「働き方改革」。その本質に迫る。
ニューリーダーが開拓する新しい未来
新たな価値創造に挑む気鋭のニューリーダーに、その原動力と開拓する新しい未来を聞く。
日本発の経営戦略「J-CSV」の可能性
日本的経営の良さを活かしながら利益を生み出す「J-CSV」。その先進的な取り組みに迫る。
ベンチマーク・ニッポン
日本を元気にするイノベーターの、ビジョンと取り組みに迫る。
デジタル時代のマーケティング戦略
マーケティングにおける「デジタルシフト」を、いかに進めるべきか、第一人者の声や企業事例を紹介する。
私の仕事術
私たちの仕事や働き方の発想を変える、膨らませるヒントに満ちた偉才たちの仕事術を学ぶ。
EFO Salon
さまざまな分野で活躍する方からビジネスや生活における新しい気づきや価値を見出すための話を聞く。
禅のこころ
全生庵七世 平井正修住職に、こころを調え、自己と向き合う『禅のこころ』について話を聞く。
岩倉使節団が遺したもの—日本近代化への懸け橋
明治期に始まる産業振興と文明開化、日本社会の近代化に多大な影響を及ぼした岩倉使節団。産業史的な観点から、いま一度この偉業を見つめ直す。
八尋俊英の「創造者たち」~次世代ビジネスへの視点~
新世代のイノベーターをゲストに社会課題の解決策や新たな社会価値のつくり方を探る。