Tuesday, February 22, 2005
The Panasonic Way
The Panasonic Way
© 1989 by Toshihiko Yamashita
Upon graduation, I went to work for Matsushita Electric, then a medium-sized company of about 4,000 employees. My first assignment was a dull factory job. The work was monotonous and I was utterly bored. Then I happened to read Gorky's The Lower Depths: "If you enjoy work, life is paradise. If work is a duty, life is hell." Attitude is everything.
Until we are confident our new line of products is as good as those of our competitors, we won't put them on the market. The Matsushita philosophy is that "The mission of an enterprise is to contribute to society." Teams consist of from 5-6 members to 15. The team leader manages the operation. Adversity wondrously focuses the mind.
A company can survive only by doing work esteemed by the community. I bit the bullet and told RCA, "Matsushita can supply you with a four-hour VCR." Yet, they had not even got that on the drawing boards.
My job is to choose quickly from among alternatives, even if I make the wrong choice, because subordinates are waiting for a decision. The long march to a new product is an act of faith and courage.
People prefer face-to-face contact when they make important decisions. We need to balance impersonal technology with a personal, emotional touch. This is why, I think, Westerners write their signature on a typed letter.
"Instead of correcting an employee's inadequacies, put your efforts into getting the most of his skills." Management needs employees with a breadth of interests, contacts, and experience.
There are two approaches to motivating people: to make the employee more valuable to the company or to help him achieve his full potential. The key components of a worthwhile career are interesting assignments, decent work conditions, and good bosses.
Each person must believe, "I am doing worthwhile work that benefits the community." What are you doing? “Hauling bricks” and other person says, building a magnificent cathedral.
I've never considered myself brilliant or profound. So I have no dramatic message, no sure-fire success formula to impart to aspiring executives. I wrote this book in the hope that readers would say, "If Yamashita could do it, so can I." I think that's the lesson of my career.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0870118900
© 1989 by Toshihiko Yamashita
Upon graduation, I went to work for Matsushita Electric, then a medium-sized company of about 4,000 employees. My first assignment was a dull factory job. The work was monotonous and I was utterly bored. Then I happened to read Gorky's The Lower Depths: "If you enjoy work, life is paradise. If work is a duty, life is hell." Attitude is everything.
Until we are confident our new line of products is as good as those of our competitors, we won't put them on the market. The Matsushita philosophy is that "The mission of an enterprise is to contribute to society." Teams consist of from 5-6 members to 15. The team leader manages the operation. Adversity wondrously focuses the mind.
A company can survive only by doing work esteemed by the community. I bit the bullet and told RCA, "Matsushita can supply you with a four-hour VCR." Yet, they had not even got that on the drawing boards.
My job is to choose quickly from among alternatives, even if I make the wrong choice, because subordinates are waiting for a decision. The long march to a new product is an act of faith and courage.
People prefer face-to-face contact when they make important decisions. We need to balance impersonal technology with a personal, emotional touch. This is why, I think, Westerners write their signature on a typed letter.
"Instead of correcting an employee's inadequacies, put your efforts into getting the most of his skills." Management needs employees with a breadth of interests, contacts, and experience.
There are two approaches to motivating people: to make the employee more valuable to the company or to help him achieve his full potential. The key components of a worthwhile career are interesting assignments, decent work conditions, and good bosses.
Each person must believe, "I am doing worthwhile work that benefits the community." What are you doing? “Hauling bricks” and other person says, building a magnificent cathedral.
I've never considered myself brilliant or profound. So I have no dramatic message, no sure-fire success formula to impart to aspiring executives. I wrote this book in the hope that readers would say, "If Yamashita could do it, so can I." I think that's the lesson of my career.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0870118900
