What was my message in In Touch last month? I would like to ask everyone to check last months message and see the content? Some of you might have found it a little strange or spotted something wrong, but did not raise it to anyone. Only two hotels raised the issue of some "changes" or "differences" to the corporate office.

The discrepancies were intentionally done to see how many people actually read In Touch or even paid any attention to it. Besides Mauna Lani and KLIA, no other hotel, resort or business unit responded with any queries about the content.

This lack of interest shown to In Touch has now forced me to review the value of this monthly communication vehicle. It has shown me that my message is not valued highly by our team members. If so, then I must consider what may be a better way of delivering my thoughts to all of you.

Thank you.

Singapore -- An Associate Star Awards was held to thank loyal and dedicated associates for their past years of service. The highlight of the high tea awards included 10, 5 and 3 years Service Awards to 18, 23 and 38 associates respectively. The 17 healthy associates who did not apply for medical leave for five years received S$500 each. The recipients of the tourism industry’s Excellence Service Awards were acknowledged for receiving 42 awards, 9 Silver, 24 Gold and 9 Star. Recognition was also given to John Yap Faquoh for receiving the SHA Bravery Award and the Security Department for receiving the prestigious Hotel Security Award as well as the Gold Award for achieving the award for three years consecutively. . . Two trips were organised for 90 associates to visit Asia Pacific Breweries to see how beer and stout are made. Besides learning the method of beer production and bottling, they also tasted a variety of beers including Tiger, Anchor, Heineken, Guiness and ABC stouts. . . A Shisedo workshop for female associates who also enjoyed free welcome kits, cosmetic vouchers and make-up tips.

Palau -- Congratulations to Cathleen Meyar (F&B waitress) who is the Associate of the Month for October. . . A one-week HK Lympics '99 was held for all housekeeping associates to recognise and appreciate the outstanding talents, provide teambuilding exercise and fun at work. The Lympics was organised by the Training and Housekeeping Departments with several events conducted daily during the week. Contestants from the various teams showed their efficiency and speed in bed making, turn down, cleaning (room and public areas), laundry and sewing etc. Awards were handed out on the last day with foods and drinks. The event was also attended by representatives of the Palau Visitors Authority (PVA) who promised to published it in their next tourism news. . . Training sessions included Body Fitness training for Recreation and Front of the House associates by Instructor, Mr. Benny Crawford, is from Guam who was Mr. California in 1976 and two times Mr. World titler in 1985 and in 1987. . . A Water Rescue Training was conducted associates by a PADI certified Dive Instructor. Associates who completed CPR First Aid courses in the past were able to participate. . . Some Housekeeping associates completed Guest Relations English.

KLIA -- The hotel started "GranPa U", an in-house university. This is open to all managers and associates and classes are taught by the steering committee. Lessons include "Finance For Non Financial", Business Plan 2000 and Budget" , "Running a Business as Your Own Business Mindset". . . The Sports Club has made available indoor games for associates especially those on split- shifts: table tennis, carom board, Chess, Chinese Set & dartboards. . . The Sports Club organised a Fishing Competition at the Sepang International Circuit Lake. Entrance fee is at RM35.00 for Sports Club members and RM40 for non-members. Prizes will be given for two categories, The Heaviest Fish and The Most Quantity Catch. . . One Care Committee organised an inter-department Depavali Decorations Contest during the festive season. The participating departments were judged based on environment sensitivity - cleanliness, heritage as well as teamwork. The theme was `Festival of Lights'. Housekeeping emerged as winner with Purchasing and Technical Services taking 2nd and 3rd places. . . Associates were treated to a Deepavali party whereby the Tower Cafe was decorated to the theme of the Festival of Lights. The Care Committee members and the Managers dressed in Indian costumes. October & November birthdays were also celebrated. After the party, a peacock was made up with coloured rice `kolam' at the main lobby floor. . . The Associate Satisfaction Survey 1999 was successfully completed after 5 days with 91% associate response. The survey will be tabulated and The Pan Pacific Glenmarie team will do the analysis report. KLIA's representative, Wan Imran assisted the KL hotel conduct their survey.

Bangkok -- Associates and family members went on a family day excursion to the Sriracha Tiger Zoo followed by an outing to the Bangsaen Beach in Chonburi Province. This full day outing was held on three consecutive days to all as many associates to participate. The hotel provided the entrance ticket, buffet lunch, chairs at the beach, snacks and drinking water.

Yokohama -- Only 40 of 400 of associates were selected to attend the Intensive English Course specially conducted by Berlitz Yokohama Language Centre. Classes are held weekly. . . The YMCA Hotel School paid a visit for a hotel tour of the front and back of the house and also sampled food in a banquet room. The tour ended by the speech from Mr. Sarp and a question and answer session. . . An "Open House Recruitment Seminar" was held for those who wished to get a part-time position. This style of selection is not commonly practised in Japan, so PPHY may be the pioneer in the hotel industry in Japan.

KL-- Department Heads and Managers attended a brainstorm session for ideas in customer acquisition, retention & care, associates’ care, community and environmental care for year 2000. These ideas will enhance service delivery to guests’. . .Associates and Manager attended the Diploma in Hotel Management – F & B Promotions module. . . New associates attended Orientation - Day 1 & 2 (Malaysia Host). This served to welcome them to the Pan Pacific family and familiarise them with facilities, services and knowledge. . . Other training sessions included Bomba training - fire fighting skills and Team Leader in Action 1.

Dhaka -- Training sessions included Fire Fighting and Safety Procedure; Medicare; English Centre of Career Development Institute (CDI) Internal School, PPSH; Third Semester of CDI Internal School, PPSH; Re-orientation – Agenda 2000; Classes for adopted children; English Core Program; Hospitality Services for Navy cadets; Communication Fair. . . Other activities included the hotel's annual games and sports day, which was inaugurated by General Manager Hans Gabriel Winsnes and the Managing Director of the Hotels International Ltd. Mr. Adiluzzaman with 200 associates in attendance.

Mauna Lani -- Associates and families were treated to a company-sponsored picnic, complete with clowns, relay games, entertainment and great food.

Singapore -- Carmen Loh has been promoted from sales co-ordinator to Club 1 Executive. A graduate with an American degree in journalism and broadcasting, she is all geared to develop a more personal touch with the Club 1 members.

STAFF EXHANGES

KL -- Tajul Azam Tajuddin received cross exposure in Front Office whilst Syed Naseer was in Purchasing and Accounts.

Johor Bahru -- Ms Yeo Siu Ling (Accounts Executive) is assisting in the Accounts department in the Manila hotel in the area of interface configuration and accounts receivable. She has become the "trouble shooter" as she was on a similar assignment in Pangkor recently.

Singapore -- Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan as well as actresses Twinkle Khanna and Aishwarya Rai made the hotel their home-away-from-home. They were in town to perform at a three-hour Bollywood Millennium Concert which was attended by 9000 spectators . . . Governor of the Republic of Korea, You Jong-Keun was also a recent guest. He was invited by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to participate in The Lee Kuan Yew Fellow Programme. . . The Singapore Hotel Association, the Singapore Police Force and the National Crime Prevention Council presented the Hotel Security Award and the Gold Award for Hotel Security Award for 3 years. At the same event, our sales manager, John Yap Faquoh received the SHA Bravery Award 1999 (Non-Security Personnel Category) for saving a Korean guest from drowning.

Vancouver -- The Executive Committee celebrated with three associates, Colin Hedderson (Front Desk Agent), Calvin Neal (Doorman) and Crystal Carlson (Café Pacifica Server) who were recognised at the Tourism Vancouver Awards Breakfast. . .Movie actor Sylvester Stallone and his family returned to their "home away from home" for another four months while filming another movie.

KL -- Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Chhoden Wangchik, Queen of Bhutan was in Kuala Lumpur to attend the Fifth International Congress for Aids in Asia and the Pacific held at the PWTC. Her Majesty stayed at the hotel and was warmly received by GM Christo Diamandopoulos, Department Heads and associates. . . Indonesian performer and the inaugural winner of the Asia Bagus ! song competition, Kris Dayanti chose to stay at our Sri Dendang Suite while she was in KL for a concert.

Dhaka -- A group of 40 Film Stars and Show Biz Stars from India were in Dhaka to play a charity Soccer match against the Bangladesh National Cricket Team. The match was played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium to collect money for the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. All the Show Biz Stars stayed at the hotel, which attracted a large number of enthusiastic fans to the hotel to see them.

Yokohama -- Chef Imoto won 3rd prize in 6eme Trophee Maitres Cuisiniers de France "Jean Sdhillinger". Mr. Shinichiroh Imoto (Banquet Sous Chef) was 3rd in the "6eme Trophee Maitress Cuisiniers de France Jean Schillinger" which saw 180 participants from all over Japan.

# # # # # # #

Say No, then Negotiate.

--------

A Business is too big when it takes a week for gossip to go from one end of the office to the other.

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My decision is Maybe - and that is Final.

Vancouver -- A refresher session on old procedures and learning new ones for Emergency Response was held at all departmental meetings.  The training was provided by Bill Halkyard (Director of Security) and Kimberlee LoCicero (Assistant Director of Human Resources). . . 169 associates received flu shots provided at no cost on our annual flu shot day.

Palau -- A Kids' Party was attended by 30 kids who had great fun under the sun, with lots of food and games including a scavenger hunt. A Japanese girl set a record for the hula-hoop contest. A new addition was the hotel clown. . . A special Halloween Night programme saw guests invited to the party. They were entertained by a popular local FM Radio Station. Part of the program was a costume contest where a Taiwanese guest won the first prize. There was also a hula-hoop contest, which was won by a German guest. . . The Recreation Team conducted the Clam Planting which is very popular amongst guests who get to plant their own clams in front of our beach. Many positive comments were generated from the clam planters as they felt good for their efforts in promoting the a healthy marine environment. Participants were served with cold drinks and special certificates afterwards. Some say they will return to visit their clams.

KLIA -- Another record was set when the Guest Satisfaction Rating reached 9.1 for the month of October, the highest yet.

Yokohama -- The hotel started Christmas decorations with a beautiful red poinsettia Christmas tree, which matches the blue and red art paint ceiling, and accompanied by a cosy wooden cottage. At the Opening Ceremony, associates handed out their Christmas Charity Gifts that will be set under the tree and then delivered to the orphanages in Kanagawa prefecture during Christmas seasons. This Charity Drive has become an annual event. Many guests, especially families stop by for photo taking for their Christmas memories.

Palau -- The Food and Beverage team wanted to set a record in the Guiness Book of Beverage - "World's Longest Happy Hour" to promote the bars and to enhance revenue. The Happy Hour

starts at 11:00 am and ends at 7:00 p.m. with added variety of liquors and FREE chasers of different choices. This was a one-month promotion. . . The local Community College will host a Fundraising Dinner at the Resort with expected 500 persons.

Glenmarie -- The Traveller's Palm fun pub organised Halloween Nights with three bands performing on each night. Besides the entertainment, there were pool competitions and complimentary Halloween Brew for all the patrons. . . The Keyaki Nouveau team created special local desserts for Sunday lunches - Pulut With Cendol, Pancake with Ice Cream, Banana Tempura With Sauce, Ice Jelly, lai Chi Kang, Flambé and Waffle.

Vancouver --  The Five Sails celebrated Vancouver's first ever Veuve Cliquot Halloween Party.  Attendees came dressed appropriate to the festivities and enjoy the fine food and champagne in a bewitching setting. 

Singapore -- Executive Chef Chan Chen Hei has created a special Millennium promotion at Hai Tien Lo Cantonese Restaurant. He has designed a feast of the best teas, good wines and a 7-course menu to commemorate the leap into the Year 2000. Four Chinese teas, four herbal and fruity rice wines have been infused to complement the meal.

Palau -- The Republic of Palau has been recognised as one of the best destination in the world by two major North America media; A & E Top 10, a weekly magazine style television series, ranked Palau as the number 4 exotic destination in the world. . . The October 1999 issue of the National Geographic Travellers included Palau in the cover story "50 places of a Lifetime - The World's Greatest Destinations". . . ESPN/Palau Sports Fishing, Mr. Brockman, producer, Owner of Tim Brockman Productions stayed at the resort with three other film crew members to film a Sports Fishing in Palau for ESPN Sports.

Mauna Lani-- The annual Ironman Triathlon saw the hotel participate by setting up and aid station for the hundreds of bikers participating in the event. . .The sales team upgraded to Delphi windows version recently and all members received training on how to use the system. . .The 5^th annual Writers Cup saw 16 golf writers from the US and Japan participating. The three day Ryder Cup formatted tournament promotes Big Island golf and is an excellent promotional event for the hotel. . .The hotel will also host the second annual Executive Cup where over 75 private golf club champions from across North America will vie for the cup. . .The next Senior Skins Game with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Gary Player will be broadcast live from Mauna Lani by ABC TV in January 2000.

Singapore -- Asian PGA and Singapore Golf Association organised the Nokia Singapore Golf Open ‘99 held at the Orchid Country Club. The hotel handled outside catering for this event including hospitality suites of co-sponsors and corporations such as Panasonic, Jaguar, Societe Generale and Indosuez W.I. Carr Securities to name a few. . . 20 members of Club 1 attended a "Detoxification" workshop conducted by ATOS Consumer Products, sponsor for Mrs Singapore 1999, International Beauty Queen and International Model 1999. The attendees learnt about the natural process of removing unwanted substances in the bodies and the do-it-yourself home programme. . . The Sales and marketing team hosted a Secretaries Appreciation Luncheon and site inspection for 60 secretaries and administration personnel from corporate accounts.

KLIA -- The hotel is now a participant in the Bonuslink Programme 2000. Members can earn points and redeem with room nights.

Vancouver -- Director of Sales Cherie Carpenter and General Manager Susan Gomez participated in a sales blitz to Toronto, Ottawa and Washington D.C. in conjunction with Tourism Vancouver and the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre to promote the city as a destination for large conventions.

KL -- Site Inspections conducted included Kuoni UK, FIGO 2000 organiser on World Congress of Gynaecology, Tim Hodgson of Leisure Event, Forest Maps of Sweden, Coast to Coast and Borneo Divers, Travel Warehouse Inc. Philippines, Mayflower/Skyways Beirut, Venture Holidays, Travel Agents from Australia, Mas Jeddah/Ladies Association. . . The hotel was selected as official hotel for the World Road Congress Conference and the Fifth International Congress of Aids in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP). . . Other Activities included :Christopher Lee attended a dialogue session meeting with the new Minister of Culture Arts and Tourism, Datuk Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir; Ananth Ganesh and Matthew Mani conducted sales calls to Port Dickson, Malacca and Johor Bahru; long stay guest cocktails; Christopher Lee, Azahar Ahmad and Christine Fong attended IT&CMA at the Mines; Christo Diamandopoulos and Christopher Lee attended the Travel Asia Travel Trade Nite at Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur; Christo Diamandopoulos, Christopher Lee and Christine Fong met up with the Country Manager of Pakistan Airlines to discuss on crew accommodation; Fax blitz to corporate companies to promote School Holiday Package which offers rate of RM188 nett plus free story books; Yati Tahir and Christine Fong attended Malaysia Arab Travel Exchange (MATE) at the Legend Hotel; Christo Diamandopoulos and Christopher Lee attended the WTM in London; Japanese Cooking Demonstration for Explorer club members.

Johor Bahru -- Explorer Club members were treated to a movie, The Sixth Sense , at Golden Cinema Pelangi Leisure Mall . . . The first BBQ party was held in conjunction with the "Splash See The Surf Package". The guests enjoyed the food, games and lucky draw. This weekend package is available till 18 December, 1999. . .The Deputy Prime Minister made his second visit to the hotel when he was officiating at the groundbreaking ceremony of Hospital Pandan located at Taman Mount Austin.

Dhaka -- A three day Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exposition 1999 (BATEXPO), the 10^th Annual Fair of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) was held at the hotel. . . Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina was the Chief Guest at the inaugural session and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Begum Khaleda Zia was the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony. A total of 57 local and foreign entrepreneurs set up their stalls to display their products. . . The most prestigious UN Ball ’99 was held at the Grand Ballroom for 400 Dignitaries. Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Diplomats, High Government and UN Officials were present on the occasion. . . The US Marine Ball 1999 was held at the Grand Ballroom for 350 guests, including Diplomats and Elites of Dhaka society. . . Inauguration Ceremony of Premier Bank was held recently with Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina as Chief Guest. . . The First Security Bank in Bangladesh was launched to 1200 guests who attended the inaugural ceremony and 750 guests at the dinner party. . .A Japan-Bangladesh Ikebana Exhibition, jointly organised by the Asia Bunka Kaikan Dosokai (ABKD) and the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh. . . Pakistan Apple and Dates Show organised by High Commission of Pakistan in Bangladesh was held at the Ballroom. . . Benson & Hedges live concert, organised by British American Tobacco was held at the Grand Ballroom. The event drew 850 music lovers who enjoyed the "Live and Acoustic" concert.

Palau -- The Stay and Dive Package 2000 will be valid from January 5, 2000 to May 7, 2000 at $433.00 (Double), S343 (Single). From May 8, 2000 to December 23, 2000 the rates will be $410 (Double) and $320 (Single). The above package include an accommodation (tax and service charge are included) and 2 tank guided dive with lunch. Rates are commissionable to agents.

KL -- The School Holiday Package offers a price of RM 188 nett, with deluxe room accommodation with up to two children under 12 years old sharing room free. Breakfast for children is inclusive when accompanied by a parent buying breakfast and free children’s storybooks are given away. Package is valid from November 1, 1999 to February 29, 2000.

Malaysia --  The total number of tourist arrivals as of October 1999 was 3.7 million, a 35.5 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. For Japanese tourist, there was a 27 per cent increase, however their arrivals declined by 18 per cent last year to 252,000 compared with 1997. As for the Middle East tourist, there was an increase of 17 per cent. The Ministry had taken a new approach to promote Malaysia. The Formula One and World Golf Championship held in Malaysia are some of the factors that will definitely increase tourist arrivals.

(New Straits Times - November 11, 1999)

Boast 'Malaysian Identity' Ministry Urges Local Hotels: The Culture, Arts and Tourism Ministry wants more hotels, particularly those outside the Klang Valley, to promote a "Malaysian Identity" through greetings, uniforms, interior decorations and food promotions. The Ministry mentioned that in that way, the moment a guest step into the hotel, they could tell which country they are in.

The Ministry quoted on a few samples such as : hotel staff should not wear the Kimono, which will give guests the impression that they are in Japan. However, they urged all hotels to greet their guests by nodding their head and place their hand on the upper left chest, as a sign of respect.

This gesture also symbolises sincerity. The Ministry also urged hotels to teach their guests on how to eat and appreciate local fruits.

(The Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad - November 9, 1999)

Thailand -- The Royal Barge procession was held along the Chao Phraya River to celebrate the King's 6^th cycle birthday. . . The Amazing Thai Shrimp Fest was held at the North & South Pattaya Beach fronts with visitors coming to Bangkok before connecting to Pattaya.

Palau -- The first national triathlon was held recently with a theme of "no cry babies" which consisted of a 1.5 mile of swimming, 7 miles of biking and 3 miles of running. Three associates represented the resort: Grayton Mad who swam, Rey Dizon who biked and Charles Brel who ran. Though they were #10, the resort team is still very proud of them. Congratulations to the trio. . . The Tourism Awareness Week where over 150 High School students toured the premises where they ended up at the training Centre for some drinks and cookies and a special presentation on Sales and Marketing by Mr. Darin De Leon, our Sales and Marketing Manager. . . Palau's National Basketball League sees the resort team getting ready to defend their Division II title. The team is coached by Mr. Grayton Mad (Recreation Manager).

Mauna Lani -- The hotel team presented a donation to the Hawaii Island United Way campaign for $28,400, monies that go to non-profit agencies that help better the local community.

KLIA -- The hotel presented a 6-kg cake to an event called "Great Cookout" organised by Community Support Network Association, an organisation devoted to community projects and welfare. "Great Cookout" is an event where 1000 under privilege members of the society, from homes, institutions & etc are hosted to a time of entertainment and lunch.

Vancouver -- The Food & Beverage Team once again presented an outstanding dinner for the annual art auction fundraiser "SPLASH" to support the Arts Umbrella, a children's program providing development in the arts for under privileged children.

Glenmarie -- In conjunction with the 5^th ICAAP , the Hotel was one of the 23 hotels in Kuala Lumpur, to sponsor food for the Welcoming Reception. The reception themed "Flavours of Malaysia" was held at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park where more than 3,000 delegates from 30 countries attended. The Food and Beverage team set-up their hawker-styled booth and served international visitors with their "sponsored" dish – Asam Laksa. Approximately 800 bowls of Asam Laksa were dished out complimentary. . . The Hotel extended complimentary usage of a Function Room for a Press Conference, held to promote the Association’s upcoming Jogathon, to raise funds. A 50% discount was also accorded for all food and beverage consumed.

Yokohama -- This is the third year for the Christmas Charity Drive. Christmas gifts from associates and members of the public will be collected and sent to several orphanages in Kanagawa prefecture. Another event will be a Christmas Party for four orphanages. An official Santa Clause flown in from Finland will participate in the party as a real surprise for the children.

Singapore -- 230 children between the ages of 5 and 6 years descended on the hotel for a field trip. The highlight was a hands-on session on decorating cookies for the kids who were dressed with an apron and chef’s hat. They were also treated to light refreshments and presented with a teddy bear and a Kodomo gift pack. The excursion was such a success that the principal of the kindergarten is considering another visit to include lunch for the school’s field trip in 2000.

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Competitive Organisation

During the Tokyu Association Assembly this year, we invited Mr. Masaaki Mori who used to be the Manager of one of the baseball teams in Japan called the Seibu Lions. During his 9 years as the manager, he led the team 8 times as Division champion and 6 times Japan series champion. Now he works as the sport commentator of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Association) and Nikkan Sports Newspaper.

During my days as a manager, what I treasured most was "How to develop supporting power". Together with that I asked myself "what do I need to achieve the goal". Being a manager does not mean that I know everything. Coaches are people who will compensate for the knowledge I lack. The selections of the coaches were very important. I told them clearly "I do not need people who are not creative and look at their superior when they work". People who only think about themselves and shake hands with the team owners, normally has no talent. When training the players, you do not need past achievements or fame. They tend to hold on to their past and try to convert the player into their own style. It is very important to find people who really love baseball. Coaches job is to wrestle together with the players become dirty with the players and sweat with the players until they forget time. If you do not have enthusiasm with any job, there will be no success. That is why I hired people who can say, "I think ---------", "Manager, that is wrong". I do not mind even if what they say is wrong. If I hire people who I know that will just obey my orders, I will not be able to hear the real voice. Those people will only tell me good things. The people who will actually suffer will be the players.

If there is a coach who wants to be loved by the players I will just say, "take off your uniform". If you think about the future of the players and the team, sometimes you must tell them off. You might buy anger from the players. That is how it should be. People who prize oneself cannot work.

Communication is also important. I told the coaches that, "You must know the players and speak, act differently with each individual to achieve the same goal". How they respond and think varies from person to person. It depends on their family background and people have different fate that they carry since they were born. That is why I went into astrology. You must understand their biorhythm in order to move people effectively.

I told my players that, "You are the stars. That is why you must polish yourself and shine". I wanted to cultivate the spirit of self-reliance. Together with that I told them, "You do not have to hide your feeling during training and battle. Show your feelings when doing things".

I do not like to read peoples faces during work. If we do that we will not be able to perform our best. The same thing goes with other business. There are staffs that read the bosses face when working and bosses who purposely show their expressions when getting things done. If I may say the boss who shows their expression has the guilt. That is why I wanted to create an environment where our players did not have to worry about those small things and act naturally. What I want to say is, "we must give what they need before asking for a result". It is easy to say, "Do a good job" but if we don’t give them the environment to do a good job, they will never be able to give you the result you want. The only "Management" I practised was "Situation Management". Instead of people managing people, we must provide situations so that they act on their own initiative. I also gave our player "time on their own". Looking back on themselves and putting their feet on the ground is always important. By doing that the players will grow by themselves.

The purpose of battle is to win. In order to achieve the result we must pull out 120% of the player’s abilities. Important thing is to make the player comfortable before sending them out onto the field. I created an atmosphere so that the players can come into my office anytime. Just saying "Come to me if you have any problem" will not make people come to you. My door is always open to everybody. Players come in with all kinds of problems. Even if the problem is a very small or a boring one for you, it is very important for that person. That is why they come to me. The important thing then is to stand in their shoes and listen to what they have to say from one to ten. Then try to give them an opinion as though it was your problem. After that the players will come back with a bigger problem. Some of the problems they bring in were personal things that normally people will not ask others. Feeling of trust will grow every time. If I had told them that I had no time or just listened to one or two words and given them an answer, nobody would come back to me. The sense of trust is lost.

When trying to do things and want the others to "Understand" you, you must understand them first. You must speak to them eye to eye on the same ground. You must throw away the managers title and go into the players’ circle. If you want to change something, the person who wants the "change" must change or nothing will happen. By opening each other’s heart and understanding each other, during the battle you will not have to speak for the players to move and there will be a strong bond. It is very difficult to move people. The conclusion is, "Understand peoples heart and move the people with your heart". Real strength will not be born from just giving orders.

It is also important for the players to respect each other. If the star players and the supporting players respect each other’s role the team will become stronger. I told my players, "Play your role, do not do things above your ability". We must not ask for anything more. Also it is important to evaluate the substitute players, trainers, scorer, batting pitchers whose role is to support, fairly. If we don’t they will not be satisfied and would not be fair. We should not forget the importance of "supporting power".

There is nothing more sickening than a flatterer moving up the ladder. The teammates will become sick and will lose their enthusiasm. They will know the truth and if that happens and you will never get a strong team.

By implementing these thought I was able to "Win" and winning becomes an ordinary thing. It is very difficult to continue winning after it becomes an ordinary thing. In order for the Tokyu railway to always run on schedule and the team to always win, is a very difficult task.

There is always a reason for winning and losing. For the reason for losing, I can just go back and reflect on my positioning of players, tactics and strategy for the game. That will be enough. But for the players I have told them to analyse why they won. It could be that they won just because the other team made more errors. As a result players were able to understand the opponents better and continued to take advantage.

That is how I built up my team, battled together with the team and as a result continued to win. My biggest finding is how important "Bonding of peoples heart" or "Trust" is. It is my pride that even after I have retired as the manager, the players still come to me with their problems.

If you would like to know anything about Tokyu Corporation please e-mail me at:

kazuyoshi.shimojima@tkk.tokyu.co.jp