March 12, 2000

To Be Honest

"What is your secret to do your business? To me, it's honesty."

This phrase was told by my friend as well as first American boss in Seattle. Actually he told me so when he visited Japan on business trip back in sometime 1984 as I was travelling many places in Japan together with him.

I don't know why people change their fundamental personality over the sudden but many executives could not keep honesty whom I totally respected one time. Specially in a company, it seems really tough thing to keep honesty forever when he or she has got promotion continuously. Now I understand at least the difficulty exists.

Why it's so difficult? In the company, the higher position you have got, the tougher and the more decision making process would happen. He or she becomes wanting to listen only "Yes-man's" opinions. Sooner or later, many cases unaceptable proposals, out of questions or stupid requests will be coming to him or her and say "Okay. I can decide such a small thing". He or she gradually make wrong decision and some time, every decision becomes wrong.

To keep toughness and fairness against himself or herself, the secret is honesty. As long as I keep honesty, I would not change fundamental right thing.

I think same kind of things have happenned in a government or police agancies in Japan. They believe no matter what he/she decides, everything should be alright. Recent lots of unbelievable incidents in VIP people of police agencies, i.e., a head of Niigata Pref. Police continued playing midnight majon with auditing manager from Metro Police Dept. when he received the report from his staff about 11 years ago's kidnapping. I would say that he has just lost his honesty completely.

One of the good phrase I heard last year in Phoenix. The president of our business partner said, "I get old. So many things I have to deal with and decide quickly. I can not remember everything clearly so I decided not to remember everything but to keep honesty always. As long as I am honest and say anything, anytime, I will be able to say still same thing even 10 years later". When I heard his words, I felt as if he read my mind even we did not have many opportunities to talk each other.

To be hoest is difficult thing but actually easy thing because being natural can bring you to be honest without any effort. Fortunately I have many friends who have been always honest with me. They all have been doing fine and cheerful all the time. I don't know what's going to happen on me in future and I may have difficulty to keep honesty but I don't want to lose it. So, I just wanted to say today that I promise to keep honesty in all my life in this column to show what I made up as my strong desire to my dear Web friends.

Thanks a lot for your attention.