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Message Number.1 |
Dear Mr. Kato,
I am currently reading your book, "The Option Management" with great interest. If it is not too much trouble, could you please outline for me the origin of your slogan: "Cheerful, Enjoyable, Lively, and Exciting. I did it!"?
My simple guess is that "Bingo!" is the part you would like to draw most attention to, while at the same time being the part you like the best. I interpret it to mean something like, "being satisfied after achieving something worthwhile". As engineers, it is vital that we enjoy that moment of satisfaction after we have done something well. However, when I compare the satisfaction felt by engineers to that of our sales team after they have performed better than their competitors at a presentation, or even if I compare it to the R&D team after they have achieved good results, engineers seem to feel little satisfaction.
I guess we do feel a sense of satisfaction after something that we have created finally comes to fruition and is ready to be released onto the market, but I do sense that this is less a feeling of satisfaction and more a feeling of nervous anticipation followed by relief.
I have been seeking ways to change this apprehension into what you describe as "I did it!" For some time I have trying to find that feeling. I was wondering if you had any examples that your engineers could share with me about their own experiences.
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Response Number.1 |
Mr Nishikami,
Thank you very much for your email.
I know that "Bingo!" is not a particularly sophisticated word, but I do feel that it best captures the special feeling that comes after one has achieved his goal.
I still clearly remember this powerful "I did it!" feeling from the days when I used to play tennis at my school. Every time I won a match against a really strong rival I was overcome by that same feeling of satisfaction that I now try and convey through the word "Bingo!".
I am sure that you will agree that one really only deserves to experience that all-consuming sense of satisfaction after one has invested every possible effort into that pursuit. If success relies heavily on a lot of luck, or if it has been achieved through short cuts that have fortuitously avoided obstacles and real challenges, then it will never feel like a fantastic achievement. Life is so much more fulfilling when we aim high and when we procure success via brave and valiant behavior.
Another way to look at this though is to consider just how many times in one lifetime do we really achieve important goals? I would hazard a guess and say not too often. Let's say every big achievement is an accumulation of small goals - that sounds better, doesn't it? Instead of setting a huge and imposing life goal to achieve, it's better to set small, less intimidating targets to achieve each day. It is quite satisfying and reassuring to accomplish less ambitious targets on a daily basis. In this way, it is just as easy to experience the same "Bingo!" feeling, while at the same time building your confidence towards achieving that ultimate goal.
Please refer to the "Things to do TODAY" section on page 154 in "The Option Management" book. It reaffirms this idea that a small daily dose of success is a good energy source for achieving your ultimate goal.
It is only after you have done something you have always longed to do by yourself, or when you have managed to realize your dream by yourself, that you can really experience the genuine "Bingo!" feeling. The "Bingo!" feeling will never come to anyone who achieved something only because they were told to achieve it by an authority figure.
It is, of course, both admirable and valuable to have loyal employees, but what I expect from my employees is self-motivation. I would rather my R&D team create something that they can really congratulate themselves on even if some skunk work may have been involved in the preocess. This is definitely preferable to them accomplishing something based on company orders.
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