The COVID-19 pandemic forced many workers to work from home, dramatically changing the way we work in 2020. After the state of emergency was lifted, some companies moved or downsized their offices as people continued to work from home. This is the third installment of a series on the future of work as envisioned by ITOKI President Hirai.
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Interview and text by Yukiko Yasuraku
Photo by Masataka Nakano
I want to create a world where people think on Sunday nights, "I wish tomorrow morning would come early."
-Working from home can make it difficult to get enough exercise. Is there anything you do to keep in mind?
The president's office has an electric height-adjustable desk called "Toiro," and he often works while standing, but he doesn't have one at home, so he walks for 30 minutes to nearly an hour every morning. When he gets home, takes a shower, and says, "Now, it's time to work," it's still only about 8 o'clock. One of the good things about teleworking is that you can be flexible with your schedule.
-What about mental health?
Someone once said, "Working is the act of exchanging time for stress." But I think that individuals, companies, and society all work to be happy. How can we create a world where people think, "I wish tomorrow morning would come early" on Sunday night? First of all, we are thinking about dynamically changing the way we work, starting with our own company. It may sound like a naive story, but I think the time has come for managers to face such issues head-on and talk about them seriously.
Provided by ITOKI
When work is fun, innovation happens.
-Make work a fun time. That's great.
It's tough to be controlled by others in a job. But if you can control your work yourself, you'll have responsibility, but it's also rewarding and you'll be able to get absorbed in it. And if people can enjoy working, I think society will become more dynamic. If people don't feel excited, they won't come up with new ideas. Creating an environment where even new employees can confidently express their opinions, rather than worrying about whether they'll be scolded if they say something, can be a source of innovation.
-It would be great to be able to support people in enjoying their work.
In 2018, ITOKI opened its new head office, ITOKI TOKYO XORK, in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. The office practices ABW (Activity Based Working, which is a way of working where employees autonomously use different workplaces depending on their individual activities). It is a way of working where employees design where and how they work each day at their own discretion. With the COVID-19 pandemic making it even more important for employees to choose their own work style, I feel this initiative is a success.
-If you could choose your own working style, it seems like you would enjoy your work.
The key words for this are "autonomy" and "initiative." Enjoying work leads to happiness in life, and it will undoubtedly improve performance. Creating a world where people can enjoy work is not possible on your own. Companies and society as a whole need to understand and cooperate with each other, encourage each other while sometimes listening to complaints. That is the kind of world ITOKI wants to create.
Provided by ITOKI
