The public programs in Japan attract more participants per program than they generally do in the United States. Japanese companies are increasingly turning to the fundamental paradigm shift of leadership before management embodied in The 7 Habits, and our Asian business continues to grow in spite of the downturn. The old social contract of life employment is broken, the economy is showing unprecedented levels of unemployment and negative economic growth has become a reality. The nurturing of personal integrity, the restoration of high-trust organizational cultures, and the empowerment of the white collar sector are absolutely key. These driving forces, including a return to the intense customer focus for which Japan was famous in the 1980s, are essential to turn this economy around.
Many Japanese businesses agree.
The 7 Habits are proving popular among many international companies as a bridge to communicate company goals and ideals to employees. With over 7,000 employees in 92 restaurants in 31 countries, including Japan, Hard Rock Caf management needed a way to communicate to every employee, says Pete Beaudrault, Chief Operating Officer of Hard Rock Caf International. Hard Rock Caf has implemented the three-day 7 Habits training for each of their managers. We needed to make sure our people had the same focus, principles and values and that they walked that talk wherever they were around the world. Covey says that while his books have been successful in Asia, it is the principles embodied within the books which are key to economic success.