Elevating Workplace Engagement: Mastering Human-Centric Communication

On the morning of January 28, 1986, the world watched with anticipation as the crew of the Challenger space shuttle readied themselves for a historic launch. Tragically, just 73 seconds after liftoff, it disintegrated, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members. The Challenger disaster was a devastating lesson in the consequences of miscommunication, from lack of reporting structure to a system where management and engineers were often at odds with each other. This was just one example highlighted on June 27, 2024 at the BCCJ Office by Dr. Makiko Kuramoto, Managing Director of Fumi Consulting, delivering a toolbox session titled, Elevating Workplace Engagement: Mastering Human-Centric Communication.

Communication lies at the heart of all business organisations. When done effectively, it allows for efficient and smooth operations between employees, managers, stakeholders and clients alike, paving the way for holistic decision-making that will affect the company at large. When done poorly, it can have consequences, creating a closed working environment where people and departments are involved in a constant tug of war with one another. In extreme cases, this can lead to wider devastation bringing down the reputation of the company in question, also highlighted by Kuramoto with the 2005 Amagasaki train derailment and 2023 Daihatsu scandal.

Improper communication management can hinder development and employee satisfaction and lead to a hostile working environment. It is therefore essential to develop a system that binds together the workforce through transparency, an aligned mindset, mutual support, continuous learning and an understanding of risk implications. Despite constant pressure to deliver results, it will pay dividends to step back and view challenges where safety and ethics take precedence over external pressure. This has been a lesson learned time and time again the hard way, but often needs to be enforced from upper management. A workforce driven by open communication and empathy whilst allowing constructive criticism and fostering a culture of learning can help companies move forward as one, in harmony.