We Hold “Orbray Day” Events to Strengthen Our Sense of Unity: “One Company, One Family”
From last year through May 2024, we held a series of Orbray Day events at our head office and our factories in Japan. Despite our lack of experience in holding such gatherings, we succeeded in building a stronger sense of unity under our company motto “One Company, One Family,” thanks to contributions from all of our employees.
When I joined Orbray in 2020, COVID-19 was spreading, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency and recommend limiting in-person contact. However, we had to be on site to do our jobs in offices and factories, amid a lack of knowledge and confusion about how to remain safe from infection. We were therefore hesitant to talk with each other even with face masks on.
As company president, I needed to tackle a variety of projects to advance company reforms despite COVID-19, including one-on-one meetings with all employees and small group seminars. Still, I refrained from having large-scale company gatherings until last year, when the pandemic seemed to have abated.
In the past, Orbray occasionally held company events such as athletic games and Christmas parties. Before I became president, I also joined company-sponsored ski lessons for employees and their children and other events, observing that everyone really enjoyed the activities and interactions. I wanted to restart such in-house gathering as soon as possible.
In 2023, after we completed the reorganization of the company and changed its name to Orbray, I decided to hold an Orbray Day at each factory to strengthen employee bonds. Honestly speaking, I wasn’t confident whether young employees would be willing to participate in such events, even though we had adopted the motto of “One Company, One Family.” At the same time, I believed that giving all employees regardless of their group affiliation a common goal to achieve would definitely help them build closer relationships. So, I made up my mind to go ahead with the plan.
First, we launched a project committee and selected its members. Nothing was pre-determined about the content of such events. Committee members had vigorous discussions to decide the details about the gatherings. Some factories seemed to have a hard time in coming up with interesting ideas, but every committee member thought hard about how to entertain employees. They also allocated a generous budget for prizes at the events.
The factories shared the idea of holding a bingo game and a quiz contest toward the end of the gathering because such games always excite participants. A unique idea came from the Kuroishi factory. They divided employees into teams of 10 people, with the task of crafting a small bridge by using paper and paper tape. The assignment required building a paper bridge able to span a gap of tens of centimeters between two desks. The task encouraged team members to work together to come up with ideas and make decisions. Such a process was intended to help members establish a closer relationship.
The Yokote factory also came up with an outstanding proposal: holding pentathlon-like lifelong athletic events. We often hear that adults have few chances to walk and exercise in their daily life because they are busy all day at work and also have to spend time commuting between home and office. Especially in non-urban areas where public transportation isn’t well developed, people tend to depend on cars. Being a former professional athlete, I was very impressed by the concept of pentathlon lifelong sports, which is similar to an athletic event.
The Yuzawa factory team featured cleaning in their event. “What?! Do they have to clean as part of their recreational activities?” That was my first reaction. But I was touched by their dedication to keeping their office neat, while also recognizing that it involves moving around instead of just sitting at work all day.
Meanwhile, the Tokyo team unveiled a variety of interesting ideas using paper to create an efficient office.
I received feedback from members who joined the planning of these events. Some expressed regret that they were given so little time to complete sufficient planning to create the best possible event, especially since it was their first such event. To me, these seem to be natural reactions. As they had to deal with tasks totally irrelevant to their work, they encountered small problems, as a matter of course.
Even so, despite confusion and the lack of sufficient time, event participants worked closely together and enjoyed doing so, according to some feedback. As preparations proceeded, team members communicated with each other more intimately, strengthening their sense of unity, some participants commented.
Many of our employees lack sufficient time to talk with others during work hours. Even so, if they have a chance to get acquainted, they may take advantage of each bit of downtime to gain new perspectives through interactions with their colleagues, and thereby find solutions to long-standing issues. I hope that Orbray Day can provide such opportunities.
My vision for Orbray is for each employee to do a great job and contribute to improving their workplace, which in turn will create a beautiful constellation of workplaces filled with employees who enjoy and are fulfilled by their work. To attain this, it is crucial to have lively communication and interactions in our everyday work. I am thinking of holding Orbray Days at our overseas factories and affiliated firms as well.
