Recently, Key Consulting teamed up with Mercari in Tokyo for our premier 2024 panel discussion. It was our pleasure to host 38 esteemed business leaders, including Presidents, CHROs, and CFOs across a broad range of industries, all gathered to gain insights from our distinguished panellists:

  • Eriko Suzuki: A pioneer in social impact VC investing, Founder of Kind Capital, and an esteemed coach to entrepreneurs across Tokyo and Asia.
  • Lee Murphy: A visionary former APAC HR leader for giants like Google and Microsoft, currently leading as Global CHRO at FWD Insurance and celebrated for his innovative approaches in HR.
  • Tatsuo Kinoshita: The driving force behind Mercari’s HR, managing a diverse, 50% non-Japanese team with flexible remote-working policies. His support for Key Consulting and his impact as an HR leader in Japan is truly commendable.

Our discussion delved deep into the realms of Management Effectiveness and Employee Engagement, sparking a lively debate that led to an engaging Q&A session. 

The interaction unearthed several themes and practical insights, such as:

  • Building meaningful relationships within an organisation:
    • Ensure consistency between externally promoted and practised values within the organisation.
    • Foster a shared sense of purpose among employees at all levels.
    • Address challenges such as leadership transitions, multi-generational management, and remote work dynamics.
    • Emphasise the power of community and collaboration, both internally and externally.
  • Be mindful of context when:
    • Focusing on manager and leadership development, organisational culture, and HR technology.
    • Prioritising engagement, culture, and well-being to retain employees.
    • Like the best employers, you genuinely care for employees, launch purpose-driven initiatives, and build continuous development opportunities.
    • Recognise the increasing pace of demands on the manager and how we can prioritise their time on their team.
  • Harnessing the power of AI:
    • AI offers immense opportunities for productivity enhancement and employee engagement.
    • Implement AI tools strategically, focusing on ethics, governance and user empowerment.
    • Encourage experimentation and learning, starting with small, focused groups for use cases.

 

In addition, we discussed a variety of tips that can help drive success and avoid unnecessary pitfalls. 

  • Be situational – adapt your approach to individual and group contexts.
  • Foster diversity of thought while maintaining shared values.
  • Segment data for deeper insights – identify differences, trends and patterns
  • Prioritise employee wellbeing and development to ensure both engagement and sustainable performance.

We also discuss some reflective questions that can assist in developing employee well-being.  

  • How can your organisation elevate the performance of the majority of employees?
  • What habits and attributes do you aim to develop for a workplace culture?
  • Are you adequately supporting managers in today’s evolving landscape?
  • How are you leveraging AI and digital literacy within your organisation?
  • Are your organisational goals aligned with authentic values, including diversity and inclusion?
  • Are you investing in long-term objectives with patience and commitment?

For those interested in exploring these topics further, our panel referenced several valuable resources:

We’re grateful to Mercari for their partnership, our panel of experts for their wisdom, and our guests for their engaging participation. The positive feedback has been overwhelming, and we’re excited to continue these conversations in future events.

For more information or to express your interest in future discussions, please reach out to us at contact@keyconsulting-group.com.