Kunio Hara is the creator of the renowned HO-ME-I-KU Method, an effective employee and executive education program for achieving success.
The AI revolution is here. Certainly, there will be more tasks that are better left to AI. However, AI does not currently possess an understanding of coexistence and co-prosperity. From now on, it is imperative that we recognize each other’s values and virtues. This is because while humans have a special ability to forget unpleasant things, AI has the potential to remember everything. If AI is programmed to “find fault” with people, it will tell you all of the person’s negative aspects. We cannot compete with that.
People and AI can take advantage of each other’s strengths to improve the company’s business performance. To create such an environment on the human side, I would like to propose an educational method I have devised called “HO-ME-I-KU.” HO-ME-I-KU means education that fosters through praising each other.
When I say “praise,” I do not mean blind praise. You should praise the process that leads to performance. If there are clear criteria, you can praise people more productively. The praised person is likely to feel a different sense of satisfaction and contentment. The repetition of such praise can lead to absolute confidence and results that everyone recognizes.
Some people, however, may think that it is too hard to give praise out of the blue. If so, the first thing you should try is to say “thank you.” To praise can also mean to acknowledge the other person’s existence. Actually, “thank you” is also a great compliment. People are emotional creatures. Isn’t “humanity” necessary, especially in this age of high technology? “Thank you” is a “verbal expression of humanity“ that people can exchange within an organization.
Let me introduce an example. There is a food manufacturer in Japan that my organization worked with. Founded in 1980 as a Western-style restaurant, the company now manufactures seasonings and frozen foods. The company was experiencing rising material and utility costs. It needed to demonstrate individual ability and communicate with an awareness of the AI era.
Under such circumstances, the introduction of HO-ME-I-KU has deepened communication and improved the abilities of each staff member. This breakthrough was supported by the thoroughness of “thank yous.” In addition to simply saying “thank you,” employees also said things like “thank you for helping me finish the speed cutter job,” and “thank you for answering my questions so that I could create a workflow that made sense to me.”
They also created a “thank you day” for their important partners, the external parties involved in their operations. They expressed their heartfelt gratitude to their suppliers, who provide the raw materials needed to make their products, and to the drivers of the transportation companies who carefully transport the finished products.
The staff learned to see the good in others by repeating this process. Expressing their gratitude in words made them humble, refined their character and developed them into wonderful human resources. The origin of the Japanese word “ARI-GATO (thank you)” is “ARI-GA-TA-SHI,” which means “it is difficult to have.” The power of words has also led them to enhance their human power.
For those managers who are interested in “HO-ME-I-KU,” I would like to share with you an enormously powerful “HO-ME-I-KU” method that you can start today. It is ”back praising,” the opposite of “backbiting.” People talk about a person’s virtues when the person is not present, which helps to spread good rumors.
Of course, face-to-face praise is also effective. If you want to nurture a person, praise the person directly and thoroughly. On the other hand, in the case of back praising, you deliver compliments through several people. Therefore, the recipient’s joy is multiplied many times over, and their confidence is likely to grow. The recipient is likely to feel that everyone around them is on their side, which can make them more motivated. Then, they’ll start doing “plus-one” work—putting in additional effort or doing more work—and their productivity will rise. Once such a corporate culture is in place, a chain of back praising will follow, and in turn, the managers themselves are likely to receive praise from their customers.
However, teams should not be shallow by praising each other for anything and everything. It is a miracle that we were born with tremendous possibility, live in the same world and time, and have met each other. Recognize each other’s essence, respect each other and discuss areas for improvement. Praise is important, but at the same time, I would like you to view “friction as the mother of progress” and form relationships that are unique to humans. And let us prove that you can still improve your business performance through the power of people, with the help of civilization and technology.
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Read the full article here
