I am Yoshida, president of Yamada Shusei Ltd., a professional apparel garment repair group in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture.
In this issue, we would like to think about holistic optimization through the picture book “Frederick” by Leo Leoni, famous for "Swimmy. Frederick" is a story about a mouse, Frederick, who spends his time with his friends preparing for winter.
While his friends concentrate on gathering food, Frederick concentrates on gathering colors, light, and emotions. When winter arrives, the friends realize how important what Frederick had was.
Overall optimization means that each member considers the interests of the whole while doing his or her part to achieve the goals of the organization or team as a whole, but sometimes the interests of the individual may conflict with those of the whole.
The Importance of Total Optimization Learning from Frederick
1) The Importance of Diverse Perspectives
The colors and light that Frederick gathered gave hope to his colleagues during the harsh winter months. Even within an organization, having members with different perspectives and skills can help solve problems and generate new ideas.
2) The need for a division of roles
Frederick's role may seem superfluous at first glance as his fellow members gather food. However, in the interest of overall balance, having each person play a different role will lead to overall success.
3) The Power of Cooperation
What Frederick had supported his colleagues during the winter. Even within an organization, members can overcome difficult situations by cooperating with each other.
Although it is necessary to translate the simplified story into practice in light of your own company's situation, the picture book “Frederick” can be used as a teaching tool to help you understand the importance of total optimization.
