Town Meeting with Young Managers

On the day, the young managers shared their thoughts on human resource development, team communication, and various other topics. This variety reflected the fact that the participants work in groups that differ in mission, staff size, team structure, and work backgrounds. My impression was that the young managers do not use a uniform method in their daily work, but rather they carefully communicate with their subordinates from a position of having a firm grasp of their own group's particular characteristics and specific work challenges. I think these young leaders' skills as managers come not only from the technical training in management they have received, but also from having inherited our company's corporate culture. As evidence for this, I heard many positive comments about how the participants themselves seem to be managed: "I can speak with my supervisor frequently and in detail," "My boss listens to me sympathetically," and "I value my business unit's way of thinking, which I learned from my superior."

I hope that the participants of this town meeting, as well as all the young employees who will be responsible for Sumitomo Electric's future, will absorb the good qualities of their seniors and pass these on to their juniors, and thereby continue to impart the corporate culture of Sumitomo Electric.