Plugged-in boss puts spark back in Sony
By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-08-23 10:16
Dr Chubachi keeps a blog, which he updates daily. He writes about books he
has read, sports events and Kabuki theatre he has attended, and music that he
enjoys.
 But Chubachi is no ordinary blogger，he is president of Sony
Corporation; and his blog is one of his ways of keeping touch with his managers
and workers worldwide.
Written in both Japanese and English, "Chubachi
Connected" shares not only the 58-year-old's hobbies, but also his management
tips as a top executive of one of the world's best-branded electronics and
entertainment companies.
"Yes, people want me to write more about
management," he laughed.
When Ryoji Chubachi took over Sony's electronics
business early last year, it had been in prolonged doldrums. Critics said that
its product lines were too long and profit margins razor thin.
But as
Chubachi saw it, it was the confidence of employees that was in crisis.
"I had to boost morale," he said. And the first thing he did was to
build trust in the management-employee relationship.
"To strengthen
communication, we went to the places where R&D, production and sales were
conducted and picked the brains of our employees about ways to improve," he
said. Townhall meetings were held, each lasting from half an hour to two hours,
where ideas were exchanged. Although his blog, started on June 22 last year,
does not accept messages from readers, employees can email their feedback to a
designated mailbox.
"At that time, our employees were anxious. They were
eager for the company to get back on track. As a leader, I had to give hope and
guidance. After employee confidence rebounded, then we had to do something about
our business, in short, to make money," he said.
After analyzing feedback
from his employees, Chubachi set about to tackle the troubles plaguing the
electronics business. "First, we started thinking from our customers'
perspective. That thinking was embedded in every area, from designing to
marketing. Second, we have the technology initiative, and it is infused with our
unique style, the so-called Sony style. And third, we solve problems right at
the site," Chubachi summed up.
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