Reading culture at CENTRAL started in 2018. At that time CENTRAL selected reading as a way of growth and communication. When it first started, there was strong backlash of many employees; many pushed it back because they were not used to reading, and were unfamiliar with writing reviews and having talks with their colleagues. What does reading mean to CENTRAL employees now in 2019? What do other employees think of reading? In January 2019 we surveyed to specifically figure out what CENTRAL employees think of. (See the detailed result on the CENS bulletin board) 

 

A survey result showed that the number of employees who have started feeling the need and effect of reading policy has been increasing while steadily running on the reading system. It also confirmed that reading, to many CENTRAL employees, is now becoming as a medium of individual growth and happiness in life. 

 

Compared to the early introduction of reading culture, perception of employees changed and efforts they made have become assets of CENTRAL. In future we intend to build such assets more firmly. As we made sure through this survey what part of it was satisfied and unsatisfied by employees, we have organized things to be sustainably maintained and complemented and established the way forward for the future. 

 

Extensive Reading: Read books. 

As we do now, we will maintain the “Recommended Reading System”, which an employee is provided with four recommended books selected for a year, and encourage employees to keep reading books.

 

Introspection: Think and express oneself through writing. 

We will stimulate the CENS reading bulletin, a gateway for expressing oneself through writing. As the reading bulletin is a forum which allows employees to obtain and exchange information with others, we’ll make it available to them without burden.

 

Communication: Share thoughts with colleagues 

We will encourage a divisional reading meeting more, which enables staff members in each division to participate freely, and maintain a leader reading meeting as we do now, which is mandatory for persons in charge who have more responsibility than a plant manager. At the same time, we will complement the system by raising the standard of overall discussion such as improvement in capability of a debate moderator and suggestion of debate progress. 

Reading works best when an individual voluntarily reads a book with the need for growth. CENTRAL pursues to become “a company whose employees are growing with voluntary reading”, thereby leading an individual growth to an organizational growth. Even from now on, we would appreciate it if you all employees take active participation and support.