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OCEAN
- Communication across organizational boundaries -
At Bayer Yakuhin, we proactively provide opportunities to hear each and every employee’s opinions and hold direct dialogue with them. Started in 2007 under the sponsorship of the President, “OCEAN” is a workshop held quarterly to promote cross-functional communication across organizational boundaries.
OCEAN invites about 15 members, consisting of one or two representatives from each division to a 1.5 day overnight workshop, where relatively general matters held in common throughout the company and hot topics are discussed and proposals are submitted to stakeholders including the Chairman and President. For example, the ideal office environment was discussed at a workshop in 2007 following the merger of headquarters offices which was scheduled for the following year. Participants made presentations to the Chairman, President and the new office project members to express their hopes for a comfortable work environment such as “establishing small meeting corners” in response to a shortage of meeting rooms and “creating spaces with a lot of natural light instead of occupying window-side areas with managers’ offices”. As a result, most of the proposals were implemented in the new office design. Thus, OCEAN provides participants with an opportunity to discuss themes concerning internally ongoing projects such as “female MR promotion project” and “ corporate culture creation project”, as well as topics in which all employees are interested such as Bayer CSR activities and enhancing internal communication. Proposals are then made to respective stakeholders from an objective perspective.
Another feature of OCEAN is a round-table discussion with the Chairman and President after dinner. This enables participants to bring up rather sensitive topics and questions, to each of which the Chairman and President respond carefully. Topics that frequently arise here often relate to company strategy, company organizations, human resources and internal communication. The discussion reflects the real concerns of the employees and their expectations, and this exchange of frank opinions raises the awareness and provides many hints. In addition, participants enjoy the relaxing and friendly atmosphere unique to a round-table session by asking informal questions such how the Chairman and President spend their time outside of working hours. With laughter and passionate discussion, this sincere communication moves beyond hierarchical boundaries represents the corporate culture of Bayer Yakuhin.
For further promotion of cross-functional communication, Bayer Yakuhin has also provided sessions focused on sites other than head office once a year since 2008.
Featuring a factory tour, a presentation by the factory head and communication with participants from the factory side, the first session (December 2008) at Shiga Factory enabled the head office members to gain valuable experiences that they could not get from their daily work. This idea of using other locations was proposed by participants on a past OCEAN workshop. There are other examples where proposals made at a past OCEAN workshop have been taken at future sessions. Thus, the company is continuously making the best of feedback from participants to further develop the programs. This is one of the key characteristics of OCEAN.
Aiming to enhance cross-functional communication with those who we rarely have chance to through daily work, OCEAN was however originally introduced to realize the strong hopes of the President, who “wants to establish many opportunities to hear each and every employee’s opinions and hold direct dialogue”. While the theme of each workshop is determined after serious discussions with the President, participants intensively advance proposals out of their ideas within the limited time. Hence, the proposals made at OCEAN workshops are followed-up as carefully as possible to ultimately turn those proposals into company growth. OCEAN stands for “Optimizing Capability & Environment through Active Networking.” As this name indicates, Bayer Yakuhin will continue communicating through OCEAN in order to realize an environment where each and every employee can perform in an ideal working environment and achieve the maximum results.
- Communication across organizational boundaries -
At Bayer Yakuhin, we proactively provide opportunities to hear each and every employee’s opinions and hold direct dialogue with them. Started in 2007 under the sponsorship of the President, “OCEAN” is a workshop held quarterly to promote cross-functional communication across organizational boundaries.
OCEAN invites about 15 members, consisting of one or two representatives from each division to a 1.5 day overnight workshop, where relatively general matters held in common throughout the company and hot topics are discussed and proposals are submitted to stakeholders including the Chairman and President. For example, the ideal office environment was discussed at a workshop in 2007 following the merger of headquarters offices which was scheduled for the following year. Participants made presentations to the Chairman, President and the new office project members to express their hopes for a comfortable work environment such as “establishing small meeting corners” in response to a shortage of meeting rooms and “creating spaces with a lot of natural light instead of occupying window-side areas with managers’ offices”. As a result, most of the proposals were implemented in the new office design. Thus, OCEAN provides participants with an opportunity to discuss themes concerning internally ongoing projects such as “female MR promotion project” and “ corporate culture creation project”, as well as topics in which all employees are interested such as Bayer CSR activities and enhancing internal communication. Proposals are then made to respective stakeholders from an objective perspective.
Another feature of OCEAN is a round-table discussion with the Chairman and President after dinner. This enables participants to bring up rather sensitive topics and questions, to each of which the Chairman and President respond carefully. Topics that frequently arise here often relate to company strategy, company organizations, human resources and internal communication. The discussion reflects the real concerns of the employees and their expectations, and this exchange of frank opinions raises the awareness and provides many hints. In addition, participants enjoy the relaxing and friendly atmosphere unique to a round-table session by asking informal questions such how the Chairman and President spend their time outside of working hours. With laughter and passionate discussion, this sincere communication moves beyond hierarchical boundaries represents the corporate culture of Bayer Yakuhin.
For further promotion of cross-functional communication, Bayer Yakuhin has also provided sessions focused on sites other than head office once a year since 2008.
Featuring a factory tour, a presentation by the factory head and communication with participants from the factory side, the first session (December 2008) at Shiga Factory enabled the head office members to gain valuable experiences that they could not get from their daily work. This idea of using other locations was proposed by participants on a past OCEAN workshop. There are other examples where proposals made at a past OCEAN workshop have been taken at future sessions. Thus, the company is continuously making the best of feedback from participants to further develop the programs. This is one of the key characteristics of OCEAN.
Aiming to enhance cross-functional communication with those who we rarely have chance to through daily work, OCEAN was however originally introduced to realize the strong hopes of the President, who “wants to establish many opportunities to hear each and every employee’s opinions and hold direct dialogue”. While the theme of each workshop is determined after serious discussions with the President, participants intensively advance proposals out of their ideas within the limited time. Hence, the proposals made at OCEAN workshops are followed-up as carefully as possible to ultimately turn those proposals into company growth. OCEAN stands for “Optimizing Capability & Environment through Active Networking.” As this name indicates, Bayer Yakuhin will continue communicating through OCEAN in order to realize an environment where each and every employee can perform in an ideal working environment and achieve the maximum results.
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